The women’s handball team stumbled in the World Cup four months ago in a group made up of the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Argentina. Exactly, the same rivals against whom the pre-Olympic tournament will be played starting this Thursday, with the advantage this time of doing it at home, in Torrevieja. An appointment without a net and with a revalidation flavor to achieve one of the two tickets to Paris that are distributed in this tournament.
Due to the configuration of the group and the quality of the teams, all analyzes point to a final this Thursday (6:30 p.m., all on Teledeporte) against the Czechs. A victory would greatly pave the way for the Guerreras, but a defeat would seriously jeopardize the Games. The previous feeling is that there is no middle ground. In any case, no result in this first meeting will be definitive.
The victory against Argentina (Friday, 9:00 p.m.) is considered very probable (30-23 in the last World Cup), while the duel against the Dutch (Sunday, 6:00 p.m.) appears like a meatball too hard to chew (29 -21 in the December appointment). So all roads lead to the critical clash against the Czech Republic, which four months ago handed Ambros Martín’s team a very severe defeat (30-22). “He is a fairly complete opponent, very aggressive in defense and goes up very quickly on the counterattack, which makes him very fearsome,” the coach analyzed this Wednesday.
That afternoon at the World Cup, Marketa Jerabkova (nine goals), Charlotte Cholevova (eight) and Veronika Malá (seven) scored 24 of the 30 goals for their team. And between the sticks, Petra Kudlackova made 18 saves against a Spain that was surpassed at all times by the rival, the stage and the circumstances. It was the match that ended up losing him for practical purposes in the championship. The Guerreras did not enter the quarterfinals, their main goal, and had to wait for third-place results to enter the pre-Olympic.
For the event in Torrevieja, Ambros Martín, recruited last May with the great objective of Olympic qualification, has set up a list of 19 players very similar to that of the World Cup. He recovers Shandy Barbosa and Jénnifer Gutiérrez, both injured in last winter’s championship, and includes third goalkeeper Nicole Wiggins. At the last minute, Paulina Pérez Buforn was left out.
Spain comes from two easy victories, against Lithuania and Azerbaijan, to close the qualifying phase for the European Championship next winter with full victories. But before that there is something much more important: Torrevieja and, if everything goes well, Paris. It would be the sixth participation in an Olympic event, the fourth in a row. She reached the top in London 2012 with a bronze, on the back of the best generation that Spanish women’s handball has produced, led by Marta Mangué, Macarena Aguilar, Silvia Navarro and Begoña Fernández. Three years ago, in Tokyo, the group then led by Carlos Viver did not make it past the group stage.
The men’s team already obtained the passport three weeks ago in a pre-Olympic held with great solvency. It’s the Warriors’ turn.
Spain calendar in the pre-Olympic
-Thursday. Against the Czech Republic (18.30)
-Friday. Against Argentina (21.00)
-Sunday. Against the Netherlands (18.00. All on Teledeporte)
Two selections pass
The 19 summoned
Goalkeepers: Merche Castellanos, Darly Zoqbi and Nicole Wiggins.
Central: Alicia Fernández, Carmen Campos and Silvia Arderius.
Right back: Mireya González and María Prieto O’Mullony.
Left back: Shandy Barbosa, Paula Arcos, Danila So Delgado and Ester Somaza.
Right wingers: Maitane Etxeberria and Marta López.
Left wingers: Sole López and Jénnifer Gutiérrez.
Pivots: Kaba Gassama and Lysa Tchaptchet.
Defensive specialist: Lara González
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