Latvia recognized Poland’s superiority on the road with a score of 14:31 (9:16).
At the beginning of the match, the Poles quickly built up a four-goal advantage, which grew to seven accurate shots by the end of the first half. In the second half, the Latvian handball players failed to fight back and the qualification for the European Championship was concluded with failure.
Ričards Juzups scored three goals for the Latvian national team, while Linards Usāns, Nils Kreitzberg and Rauls Serafimovičs scored twice.
Arkadjušs Morito was the most successful player in the ranks of the Polish national team, who beat the Latvian goalkeeper eight times.
The first place in the subgroup was taken by France, which won all six games and got 12 points, eight points went to Poland, both national teams immediately qualified for the final tournament. Italy got four points, but Latvia ended the qualification without points.
In the first two qualifying matches of the European Championship held in October, Latvia lost 18:35 away to the Olympic champion France and lost to Poland 19:37 at home. In March, Latvia met the Italians and experienced two more losses – 23:36 away and 23:29 at home, but on Wednesday they lost to France again at home (19:38).
Poland beat Italy 30:23 and 31:29 without winning over Latvia and lost twice to France (28:38 and 27:30).
The head coach of the team, Davor Čuturas, is assisted by Alvaro Senovilla Estevans and Arnold Straume.
The two best teams and the four best third place winners of each subgroup will qualify for the final tournament of the European Championship.
The 2024 European Championship will take place in Germany from January 12 to 28.
Latvian men’s handball national team:
goalkeepers – Edgars Kukša (“Aurich”, Germany), Rolands Lebedevs (“Hordur”, Iceland);
left side – Richards Juzup, (Dobeles “Tenax”), Kristians Ingus Jonuška;
right side – Linards Usāns (Dobeles “Tenax”), Andis Bors (MSG);
line players – Antons Shuleiko (Dobeles “Tenax”), Yevgeniis Rogonov (MSG), Artūrs Meikšāns (Pelvas “Serviti”, Estonia);
left outer – Nils Kreitzbergs, Kārlis Krūmiņš (both – Dobeles “Tenax”);
match managers – Raul Erlend Serafimović (MSG), Kristers Rihards Ozols (“ASK Zemessardze”/LSPA), Andy Kushner (“Hordur”, Iceland);
good outsiders – Guntis Piļpuks (“Hordur”, Iceland), Valdis Kalniņš (MSG)
