Handball World Cup: jostled, but victorious by the Serbs, the Blue qualified for the quarter-finals – archyde

At the end of an uncertain meeting until the end, where it was often struggling in attack, the French women’s handball team beat Serbia (22-19), Saturday, December 11, for their second match of the main round of the World Cup, which takes place in Spain. She thus qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition. Monday, December 13th game against Russia will only be used to determine who takes first place in the group.

In line with their previous matches, the Bleues entered the game well, with an iron defense and rapid counter-attacks, led by excellent Grace Zaadi. But, after a quarter of an hour, the machine stopped. In the last quarter of an hour of the first half, France went through a big air hole, conceding a severe 6-0.

The Serbian goalkeeper, Jovana Risovic, multiplied the parades and reduced the French attackers to impotence. Pivotal Marija Petrovic and full-back Jovana Stoiljkovic made the gunpowder talk from a distance, and when stuck in the middle, the Serbian wingers managed to score in mouse holes on the sides, despite a new XXL performance by French goalkeeper Laura Glauser.

After the break, however, the Habs regained control of the game, scoring four goals in a row and returning to the lead on the scoreboard. But the Serbs were going to sell their skin dearly: a new numerical inferiority, following a fault by Chloe Valentini, allowed them to pick up the score. The sequel was a mano to mano, and the match grew in intensity over the minutes.

The France team seemed able to gain the upper hand, but the blue strikers often stumbled against a Jovana Risovic of the great evenings in the Serbian cages. The players surrendered blow for blow, and the atmosphere became unbreathable in the Sports Palace of Granollers, where the French supporters gave voice. Ten minutes from the end, the tie was perfect (17-17), and total uncertainty.

Four minutes from the final whistle, a goal against Méline Nocandy allowed France to get back in front of the score (19-18). A superb save by goalkeeper Cléopâtre Darleux on a 7-meter throw, then a shot on goal transformed by Grâce Zaadi finally allowed the French to break away (20-18) three minutes from the end.

Revenge of the Olympic Games final

Les Bleues coach Olivier Krumbholz asked for a time-out 1 minute and 25 seconds from the end. In the process, a goal from pivot Pauletta Foppa, one minute from the end, allowed the French to drive home the point. A “pastis” (a stop without releasing the ball) of Cleopatra Darleux 20 seconds from the end definitively sealed the outcome of the meeting. The France team finally won 22 to 19, at the end of the suspense.

You have 34.12% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.