Slovaks entered the domestic championship with a loss: Our handball players were not enough for the favored Norway – Športky.sk

KOŠICE – Handball players of Slovakia entered the fights at the domestic European Championships with a loss. In Thursday’s F-group match, they clearly lost ten 25:35 goals to the favored Norway in the Steel Arena in Košice. The Slovaks in the duel with the defenders of the bronze waited for the first goal for almost five minutes and quickly lost 0: 3, but they turned the score around and at the end of the opening twenty-minute period they led sensationally.

However, the Norwegians then improved the game and finally scored the expected victory without major problems. The best scorer of the Slovak team was the winger Tomáš Urban with six hits. Petr Kukučka’s charges will start next Saturday at 6 pm against Lithuania, which lost to Russia in the first match at 27:29. They will close in the basic group with a duel with Russia (Monday at 6 pm). The first two teams will advance to the main stage of the championship.

F-group (Košice):
Norway – Slovakia 35:25 (15:11)

Norway’s most goals: Thorsteinsen Toft 5, Barthold, Solstad and Tönnesen after 4. Line-up and goals SR: Paul, Žernovič – T. Urban 6/3, Hruščák, Slaninka 2, Ďuriš, Prokop 5, Péchy, Hniďák 3, Kalafut 1, Smetánka 3/2, Briatka 3, Mikita, Macháč 1, Imprint 1, Kováčech. Judges: Brunner, Salah (both Švajč.), Disqualifications: 5: 2, 7m throws: 1/0 – 6/5, 1568 spectators

The Slovaks had the advantage of the first attack, but Urban did not shoot from Bergerud’s wing and a three-goal series of opponents followed. O’Sullivan knocked home the 3 – 0 goal just outside the reach of the goalkeeper. However, the home team improved their defense, led by goalkeeper Paul, and they got their first hit at the championship at 4:26 from Prokop’s hand.

It gave energy to the Slovak team and after twelve minutes it was already balanced – at 4: 4 Urban gave out of seven. The home team then turned the score to 6: 5 with a goal across the field into an empty goal and the Norwegians looked clueless. However, they were put on the feet by the opponent’s mistakes, from 7: 8 the Nordic team scored five times in a row in six minutes and got a lead of 12: 8. At the end of the first half, top scorer Sagosen also shot in Norway’s jersey and his team had a four-goal lead during the break.

At the beginning of the second half, goalkeeper Paul first prevented an increase in the Norwegian lead twice with successful interventions, but the Slovaks could not answer on the other side. In addition, Urban did not use the first of his four sevens, so after a successful shot by Gulliksen, the Norwegians led a significant 19:12 in the 37th minute.

Immediately, the young man Smetánka from his first shot reacted with the premier goal, but the “avalanche” of the opponent was not stopped even by the break time of coach Kukučka, who gave rest to the support in a clear state and tried to revive the game by changing the lineup. The Norwegians were convincing by nine goals in 22:13 in the 40th minute and they had the victory in their pocket. In the end, the Northerners checked the course and after the first group round they are at the top of the table.

Vote after the match / source: RTVS /:

Peter Kukučka, coach of the Slovak Republic: “The loss by ten goals is very high, but the Norwegians may have come here for gold. At some stages I was satisfied with the performance as long as we ruled and the defense was still formed. In the second half we ran out of strength and collecting 20 goals in it is a lot Both goalkeepers took their place, I gave the younger guys a chance and neither of them disappointed and confirmed what they showed in the training.The tournament is long and the most important matches are still ahead of us Now we have Lithuania, which does not have such a wide bench and that may be to our advantage. We will try to get them through. “

Teodor Paul, goalkeeper of the SR: “Losing by 10 goals is always sorry. We wanted to play the best possible match against a team that has world players. We went into it to the fullest, we tried, but it lasted only the first 20 minutes. Until then, we played well in defense and in attack and we got into the lead. Then the Norwegians overcame us with their experience. We made technical mistakes, we got cheap goals from them and the Norwegians broke away from us. “

Lubomir Duris, spojka SR: “We knew who was up against us. Although we lost the first half by 4 goals, we had a lot of good things in it. We are very sorry for the simple mistakes that the Norwegians punished from counterattacks. We lost by 10 goals, but I think that “Our game didn’t look bad at all. Thank you very much for the audience for coming to cheer us up. They gave us a lot of energy.”

• The author: © List
• Source: TASR