Still in the 49th minute of this amazing duel there was a 24:24 draw. From then on, the French dominated. They scored three goals in a row and in the 54th minute they were leading 27:24 (Prandi, Fabregas and Tournat). The French in this period played great defense and Vincent Gerard defended brilliantly. After these blows, the Spaniards could no longer get up.
Unusual “7” Spaniards
Jordi Ribera, the coach of the Spanish national team, was a bit shocked by the composition of his team in the hit clash with France, which decided who would win group 1, in which the Polish national team also played. A draw was enough for the three-rollers, the rivals had to win.
Ribera in the starting seven bet on the previously reserve players. Even Abel Serdio, for whom it was the first appearance in the world championships in Poland and Sweden, played on the wheel. On the bench sat the team’s biggest stars: goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas, great right quarterback Alex Dujshebaev, starting point guard Adrian Figueras and left winger Angel Fernandez. The latter on the left wing was replaced by only 21-year-old Daniel Jimenez Fernandez, for whom this is the first world championship in his career. The young player played brilliantly – he scored 7/8 throughout the match and was voted MVP.
Thus arranged, the Spaniards fought an even fight with the French, who played in almost the strongest line-up (only Nikola Karabatic was missing). Dika Mem, who did not appear in the previous four clashes, has also returned to the game, the left-handed star of the Champions League winners – FC Barcelona. Only in the 19th minute the Olympic champions jumped to 9:6. However, only for 120 seconds, because the rivals responded quickly with three goals in a row.
In the second half, the match was still very good. The players charmed with beautiful goals and assists. Alex Dujszebajew, the quarterback of Industria Kielce, was particularly brilliant in the second element. He had one assist after a wonderful pirouette. The fans grabbed their heads.
The Spaniards started the second half better. Still in the 43rd minute they were leading by 21:18. Dika Mem, who had as many as five losses, most of them quite simple, did not have his day. And then there were the key events in the endgame, which we wrote about above.
After this victory, the French won group 1. The second place was taken by Spain. These two teams advanced to the quarter-finals. The Olympic champions will face the second team of Group III (Germany or Norway) in the semi-finals. The Spaniards will also play against one of these rivals. Germany and Norway will play for the win in Group III on Monday, January 23. The match starts at 8.30 p.m.
The quarter-finals also include hosts, Sweden, Hungary and Egypt.
France – Spain 28:26 (13:13)
- France: Gerard, Desbonnet – Mem 4, Briet 4, Mahe 4, Remili 4, Grebille 3, Tournat 3, Prandi 3, Fabregas 2, Porte 1, Richardson, Lenne.
- Spain: Corrales, Perez de Vargas – D. Fernandez 7, Serdio 4, Garcianda 3, Canellas 3, A. Dujshebaev 2, Maqueda 2, Guardiola 1, Sole 1, D. Dujshebaev 1, Odriozola 1, Sanchez Migallon 1, Rovira, A. Fernandez.
Table (matches, points, goal balance):
- France 5 10 165:134
- Spain 5 8 149:124
- Slovenia 5 6 158:133
- Poland 5 4 123:127
- Montenegro 5 2 126:154
- Iran 5 0 125:174
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
