THE BALL – Portugal loses to Hungary and is out of Euro-2022 (Handball)
The women’s national handball team mortgaged, at the beginning of the night, as chances of qualifying for the European Championship, which will take place from 4 to 20 November in Slovenia, North Macedonia and Montenegro, after losing the fifth of group 5 of the second qualifying play-off against Hungary, 18-30.
With the Magyars not knowing the taste of defeat and Spain one point away from qualifying, after the previous night’s victory against Slovakia, José António Silva’s men entered the Pavilhão de Loulé field forced to score in the two remaining games.
In the first minute, it was the Magyars who are part of the world’s top-10 who opened the scoring through Dóra Hornyák, but until the break, it was Csenge Kuczora who had the hottest hand (four goals), rivaling in the defense chapter with the keeper Kinga Janurik who reached the end of the 30 minutes with 52.6% diligence.
On Portugal’s side, pivot Bebiana Sabino was the author of the initial draw and the goal that restored equality to 4-4 before the spells fired to an advantage that under the half-time whistle was five goals (9-14).
In the second half, with Sandra Santiago on the bench with her left arm looking immobilized, a shock with one of the adversities that she left in tears clinging to, Portugal felt the Hungarian mighty shoulder, despite the exercises after Bebiana, who made the ball go in more once in Janurik’s goal, totaling the same three goals by Beatriz Sousa and Joana Resende. With the European Championship as a mirage, Neide Duarte, 22, and Carmen Figueiredo, 17, made their first shots and scored for Portugal.
With 100 percent work he arrived in the finishing, Anett Kocz five stood out in the attack of the magics but none at the levels of Csenge Kuczora, with seven goals scored, as many works of seven meters, and others of them still five assists.
Portugal remains to play with Spain, next Sunday, to leave the image of who is working to reach the big ones.