The ‘Guerreras’ can’t trust Romania
Spain, without margin of error in the European Championship, are looking for the two points against the bottom team at the beginning of the road to the semifinals
MADRID, 10 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish women’s handball team starts this Friday (20.30/Teledeporte) against Romania the ‘Main Round’ of the 2022 European Championship, the phase that gives access to the fight for the medals, with the quota of defeats already full and forced to add on a path that will gradually harden, with the Netherlands and France.
Those of José Ignacio Prades have no margin for error after advancing from the first phase with two defeats and one win, vital though on Wednesday against Germany. The 21-23 against the Germans, a difference calculated and almost agreed upon in a strange ending, allowed the ‘Guerreras’ to advance with 2 points, with Poland eliminated.
Now, Group 2 of this final phase, with two tickets to the semifinals at stake for the first two teams, begins for Spain against Romania, bottom team with 0 points, in Skopje (North Macedonia). The ‘Guerreras’, who have been three Europeans away from their goal of being among the best, play everything in each game.
France and Montenegro lead the group with four points, while the Netherlands have two like the Spanish. The Romanians couldn’t do anything in their preliminary phase against Olympic champions France and ‘Oranje’, but they know what it’s like to beat the ‘Guerreras’ recently, 25-23 at the Carpati Trophy.
In addition to that friendly victory a month ago on Romanian soil, Florentin Pera’s men have beaten Spain in six of the seven matches they have played in a European Championship. The position in this Group 2 therefore deceives in a Romanian team led by Cristina Neagu, the fourth best scorer in the tournament.
Spain is well advised, as well as forced to grow on the fly in a European where it is for now the least scoring team. The effectiveness has followed those of Prades since the debut against Montenegro, in addition to injuries, with Silvia Navarro, Mercedes Castellanos and Alicia Fernández out, and with the additions of Nicole Wiggins and Silvia Arderius.
“The result against Germany has strengthened us as a group and, although we have had little time to assimilate it, perhaps the match against Romania is the most important of all, not only because we started the Main Round, but because doing it with 2 more points can catapult us and open up a hopeful future,” Prades said in the preview, in statements provided by the Royal Spanish Handball Federation (RFEBM).
ROMANIA: Hosu (P), Dumanska (P), Ciuca (P), Neagu, Seraficeanu, Buceschi, Tanasie, Pintea, Grozav, Bazaliu, Ostase, Pristavita, Dindiligan, Badea, Tirle y Lixandroiu.
SPAIN: Maddi Aalla (P), Nicole Wiggins (P), Carmen Campos, Esther Arrojeria, Lara Gonzalez, Shandy Barbosa, Almudena Rodriguez, Irene Espinola, Paula Arcos, Jennifer Gutierrez, Soledad Lopez, Paula Valdivia, Maitane Etxeberria Kaba Gassama, Lysa Tchaptchet, Alba Spugnini and Sylvia Arderius.
–ARBITRATOR: Backovic y Palackovic.
–PAVILLION: Boris Trajkovski Sports Centre.
–TIME: 8:30 p.m./Telesport.
