The Spanish men’s handball team has prevailed (33-34) in Sweden this Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, thanks to a plethora of reactions in the last minutes that allows the ‘Hispanics’ to compete for medals.
Those of Jordi Ribera they dominated the first half but the Swedes commanded after the break. Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas has awakened the game of the double champion of Europe and Spain has turned the score around to stay an agonizing victory that the appointment with Norway or Denmark in the semifinals, one step away from the medals.
The ‘Hispanics’ have returned to the suffered but winning style of the first days and have taken the key meeting to now look for the podium in Tokyo 2020. From the defense, Spain has turned a game that was 29-26 against 15 minutes from the end and with sensations very favorable to the Swedes.
The culprit that Spain was not in Rio 2016 has put those of Ribera against the ropes. In the blink of an eye, the landscape has changed, with goals from Dani Sarmiento, pulling the car in attack, and above all, with the stops of Pérez de Vargas. The goal has made the important pieces of the rival doubt.
Hampus Wanne, who scored 10 goals, got stuck at the wrong time, as did Niclas Ekberg, who ruled Spain in that pre-Olympic five years ago. The pressure has been with Sweden even from seven meters and Ribera have gone through the game with confidence resting from his goal. To do this he had to improve on defense and Spain has managed to do so in the second half.
The first half was an exchange of goals, although it seemed that the Spaniards took the lead. However, the ‘Hispanics’ have not taken advantage of the various exclusions of the rival and the aggressiveness of Ribera in attack has not been reflected in the scoreboard. Those of Glenn Solberg did work against and the quick transition.
Gurbindo’s good minutes were also not seen on a scoreboard that became Swedish towards the break. The three-goal lead has been established by a confident Sweden, such as this 2021 in which it was silver in the World Cup of the month of gener, in search of regaining its former glory on the perfect stage.
Spain rushed in attack but has improved in defense. Only the stops were missing and Gonzalo has plugged in on time. One after the other, the goal stopped the Swedes and changed the fate of the match from 29-25. Sarmiento’s goals also came here, although Aleix Gómez finished as the top scorer (8), and the first races of the Spaniards, with Sweden disengaged and exhausted.
Alex Dujshebaev, reserved until the right moment, has come in with everything to sentence as usual in the last minutes and Sweden has shaken his pulse, missing two penalties. Spain, that he already beat the Swedes in the 2018 European final, has also adjusted the Olympic account to already dream of medals.
Ribera: “When everything seemed lost we defended better and the goal helped”
The national handball coach, Jordi Ribera, highlighted the defensive work and the role of goalkeeper Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas in the comeback against Sweden.
“We are very happy to get to the semifinals. The truth is that it has been a very difficult match, it has been very difficult for us to get ahead. In the first half Sweden has played very well, especially in counterattack. They have run a lot physically and we they have done badly to not do well the changes defense-attack. Even so we have maintained a good offensive level that has allowed us to be in the party “, has analyzed the trainer of Sarrià de Ter.
In statements provided by the press service of the RFEBM, Ribera recalled that in the second half Sweden “has put four on top” (29-25). “And when it looked like it was all lost we have started to defend better and the goal has contributed. We knew that if we tied Sweden could start to have doubts. In the end we took two goals ahead that allowed us to succeed in a heart attack final that leads us to a long-awaited semifinals for a spectacular group, “he stressed.
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