The 'Hispanics' collide with Denmark and will fight for bronze in the World Cup

Those of Ribera, trailing the champion, continue with the challenge of the tenth medal in 12 years

The Spanish men's handball team was left at the gates of the 2023 World Cup final in Sweden and Poland when they fell (23-26) against Denmark this Friday in the semifinal played at the ERGO Arena in Gdansk, a highly demanding clash that led Jordi Ribera's team always in tow.

Spain suffered the saves of Niklas Landin (15) and got stuck at various times in attack, below a current double world champion who will seek to make history against France or Sweden in the final on Sunday. The 'Hispanics', bronze two years ago, rowed to the end and will try to continue on the podium.

The Danish team soon shelved the high that the Spaniard brought from the quarterfinals. The first half raised the challenge of reaching the final for Ribera's men to the category of 'even more difficult', with only 10 goals over the champion in 30 minutes. Spain worked from the beginning with a good defensive withdrawal, without allowing runs or against, and with the steal to score.

The exchange of blows, from the beginning without the Dujshebaevs, left good minutes for Pol Valera and Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas wasted no time in also shining in the Spanish goal (4-4). However, the interventions of the Toledo goalkeeper were not accompanied by goals, while Denmark left easily (4-7).

Again Gonzalo left two interventions in a row but the score (5-9) did not reflect anything good for the runner-up in Europe, at the expense of Denmark last year. With Ribera's timeout, Spain went to 5:1 in defense and achieved more dynamism in their game, but they had to row a lot. Ángel Fernández and Ferran Solé found the few holes left by the Danish defense and the best Spanish moment arrived.

Serdio forced an exclusion and, in superiority, the 'Hispanics' signed a good partial (10-11), just over five minutes from the break, just when Landin complained about a ball from Dani Dujshebaev that the video verified did not go to the face. The legendary Danish goalkeeper set out to be the protagonist for better or worse, drying up the Spanish attack in the last five minutes (10-15).

The fight for gold came at the price of it for a Spain forced to stop the current double world champion and also beat one of the best goalkeepers in history. Agustín Casado, Solé, Dani, all suffered Landin in the restart, with Álex Dujshebaev and even Gonzalo from his goal giving an insufficient sum to the 'Hispanic' score (15-20).

The downside did not show Ribera's attempts to stir up the hornet's nest. With Gonzalo proving that he also has his place in the goalkeeping Olympus, Spain was pick and shovel, looking for the Danish doubt that led to Nikolaj Jakobsen's timeout (17-20). With the 5:1, with great advanced work from Odriozola, with the stops from Toledo (14), including another seven meters from Hansen, Spain gave itself the option of dreaming of another feat like Norway's.

After reaching the 'semis' with two extensions, the 'Hispanics' came out of another traffic jam at a bad time to stay alive in the last two minutes. However, Landin also appeared on the other side, stopping another penalty from Solé, no longer having time for an epic in a Spanish team that, despite everything, will seek its tenth medal in the last 12 years (although it is not the third star) and defend its podium egypt world cup 2021.

DATASHEET.

--RESULT: SPAIN, 23 - DENMARK, 26. (10-15, at halftime).

--TEAMS.

SPAIN: Corrales (P), Pérez de Vargas (P) (1), Guardiola, A.Fernández (3), Solé (4), Cañellas (2), A.Dujshebaev (5), D.Dujshebaev (1), Valera (1), Maqueda, Casado, Figueras (1), Pecina, Odriozola (1), Sánchez-Migallón (1), Serdio (3), Garciandia and D.Fernández

DINAMARCA: N.Landin (P), K.Moller (P), Hansen (4), Gidsel (3), Pytlick (6), M.Landin (2), Kirkelokke (1), Jakobsen (3), Lauge Schmidt , Saugstrup (5), Lindberg, Mollgard, Mensah Larsen, Jorgensen (1), Holm, Á Plogv Hansen, Damgaard, Hald Jensen (1), Hoxer Hangaard and KL Moller.

--PARTIALS EVERY FIVE MINUTES: 2-3, 4-5, 5-8, 6-10, 9-11, 10-5 --rest--, 12-16, 15-19, 16-20, 19- 21, 20-23, 23-26.

--ÁRBITROS: Schulze y Tonnies (ALE).

--PAVILLION: ERGO Gdansk Arena.