Cruel outcome of Spain in the final of the European handball | sports

Spain was one step away from heaven, stopped short with a door slammed in the face. After an unimaginable European, present in a final that was hard to imagine just two weeks earlier, he ended up without the gold in the worst way, with a penalty converted by the Nordics with time served. In the last possession of a claustrophobic match, everything was doomed to a duel from seven meters on the night of Budapest between Niclas Ekberg and Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas.

The first had come out of confinement due to covid this Sunday morning and the second had appeared on the track a while before to try to suture the wounds of a bleeding goal. The Nordic did not forgive, who liquidated the man from Toledo with a terminal shot from above. Things in life, six years before, the same protagonists met in another action as dramatic or more: with five seconds to go before the conclusion of the pre-Olympic tournament in Rio, the Swede also beat the Spanish and left the team without Games in the greatest trauma for an entire generation.

In the Spanish outcome, everything revolved around Joan Cañellas, the player who has lived 15 days on a treadmill of emotions, between highs, frustrations and claims after a recent past that left him without going to Tokyo. Everything that happened at the last minute went through him. He was whistled for the decisive seven meters due to a penetration by Albin Lagergren that did not find many complaints beyond the Catalan’s desperate lament. And, a few seconds before, his shot ended up tame in the hands of Andreas Palicka, although, there yes, Jordi Ribera’s team called for a foul on him. She was not penalized and it all led to a last 19-second Swedish attack.

Their leader, Jim Gottfridsson, named the MVP of the tournament hours before, took the floor in the previous time-out above the coach and ordered his team to maneuver at the top of their voices. The scene, known, did not cease to surprise at such a critical moment. Already on the track, the ball reached Lagergren, found Cañellas sunken and the referees’ finger pointed to the fateful point. More than ever for Spain. Sweden, who had started the game giving life to the team with two failures in a row from that point, ended up lifting the trophy with a penalty.

The team had done their thing again when it was only hanging by one hand from the crash. With four minutes remaining, they lost by two and Sweden attacked. The possession had all the air of a match ball, but the Nordics left it on the way and Spain repeated another of its rebirths clinging to the defense. Figueras and Cañellas tied (26-26), Sweden collapsed again in attack, and the team had one minute left to win. However, the launch of Cañellas ended up in limbo amid complaints. So close and, this time, so far.

After the feat in the semifinals against Denmark, Spain aspired to climb another step in history: win its third European title in a row, something that only Sweden had achieved (1998, 2000 and 2002). The Nordics retained that honor and returned to the top of a championship 20 years later. Exuberant in the nineties, little by little they were lost along the way (their last title dated from the 2002 World Cup) until this 2022 they returned to the top. In mid-afternoon, Denmark took the bronze after defeating France (32-35) in extra time.

veterans on stage

The first step of the game was given by the Swedish goal. There was Andreas Palicka, without a doubt, among the aristocracy under sticks. And he was present as soon as he started with a handful of interventions that served to put his team ahead. The Nords stopped behind and ran ahead. That was the plan and they followed it. His only problem, paradoxically, was his errors from seven meters, two followed by Hampus Wanne (another who had just lost control).

It had been difficult for Spain during the tournament to get the engine running, and the last stage was no exception. But no team like her to correct herself. Grateful for the mistakes of others, she found her own solutions: finding an effective Ángel Fernández on the far left, with the expertise of Adrià Figueras on the pivot and with Tarrafeta pecking from the central in alliance with Cañellas. Sweden had possession for a difference of three goals (11-9) and finished the first act behind (12-13) because their attack had spent almost eight minutes in the dark and Palicka’s production was no longer the same.

The second part began at the pace of Tarrafeta, who added without fail and assisted the pivot even from behind. On the other coast, Bergendahl answered. It was an exchange of blows in which Spain seemed to feel more comfortable, which grabbed a two-goal lead (14-16), not inconsiderable with a low scorer. The rookies ruled in Spain: Tarrafeta and Casado became the owners.

Coming from behind, the outlook was encouraging for Jordi Ribera’s boys, but the match did not break and the final headed for an oppressive alley. Figueras struck from six meters and Gottfridsson directed to the desperation of the Spanish coach, who asked for more attention. The goals did not weigh much, although the Swedish had one more point. Corrales, without hits to put into his mouth in 15 minutes, handed over to his friend Pérez de Vargas, who did score one, but nothing differential.

With his legs stiff and Sweden about to break the clash with those two goal difference, the Spanish coach played the lentils with all the veterans on the scene. He withdrew Casado and Tarrafeta, and gave Sarmiento a reel. This is how the Hispanics came back to life after being almost knocked out. Until they cruelly died on the shore. Again with Ekberg in the role of liquidator against Pérez de Vargas.

Sweden, 27 – Spain, 26

Sweden: Palicka (1); Chrintz (1), Lagergren (1), Bergendahl (5), Carlsbogard (2), Gottfridsson (3) y Wanne (4) —equipo inicial—; Thulin (ps), Darj (1), Ekberg (5, 4p), Daniel Pettersson (2), Fredric Pettesson (-), Claar (2), Pellas (-), Persson (-) and Wallinius (-).

Spain: Corrals; Aleix Gómez (6, 4p), Maqueda (1), Sarmiento (-), Casado (1), Ángel Fernández (4) and Figueras (6) —initial team—; Pérez de Vargas (ps), Gurbindo (-), Peciña (-), Cañellas (1), Ariño (-), Gideón Guardiola (2), Tarrafeta (5), Migallón (-) and Odriozola (-).

Marker every five minutes: 2-1, 5-3, 6-6, 9-7, 11-10 and 12-13 (Break) 15-16, 18-18, 21-21, 23-22, 26-24 and 27-26 (Final).

referees: Schulze and Tonnies (GER). They excluded Darj, Carlsbogard and Claar for Sweden for two minutes; and Aleix Gómez, Migallón and Peciña (2) for Spain.

MVM Dome (Budapest): 15,000 spectators.

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