Portugal’s young women’s handball team started their European Championship with a tough loss. They fell 30-21 to a powerful French side. The match took place on Wednesday in Podgorica, Montenegro.
This wasn’t just any defeat. France is known for its strong youth teams. Their squad features players from a fourth-place U-18 World Cup team. It also includes champions from the U-17 European event last year. Portugal knew they faced an uphill battle.
The French team took control early. They built a big lead by halftime. The score was 18-10 at the break. Portugal fought hard but never really closed the gap. The game was played at the Verde Complex.
Luísa Freitas and Clementine Silva were bright spots for Portugal. Both players scored six goals. Freitas plays for Almeida Garrett. Silva is with Mamirolle in France. For France, Mathilde Amelot also scored six times.
Portugal now looks ahead. They still have two group matches left. They will face Slovenia and Norway. The goal is to finish among the top two teams. Doing so means moving on to the Main Round. Teams from Portugal’s group will then play against qualifiers from Group F. That group includes Croatia, the Netherlands, and Turkey.