With a stroke of the pen, Norway broke two Spanish streaks: 16 consecutive wins and a draw in the Europeans (more than anyone, absolute record, 17 games without losing), and two decades in which the Nordics always lost to ours. With yesterday’s results, the situation of the Hispanics to be in the semifinals goes through scoring against Poland on Tuesday, and wait for which team is with him, because in the other match, Norway and Sweden meet. A point to end all cabals after this 23-27 (11-14).
The Hispanic game was poor, especially because Ribera had to recompose too much a National Team that was unrecognizable in attack compared to what it had offered up to now; the three pivots played in attacks, they alternated with two pivots at the same time and without a central defender. But nothing gave results. It was not the day of the Selection, and even the rejections were always from the rival team.
The defense was not effective either, because many players sank and it was allowed to shoot from too close, at least at the beginning. Then a step forward was taken, and it seemed that the game could be turned around.
Sagosen was not the factor that broke the match, because before him everyone multiplied. What’s more, in minute 49 (19-20) he had left. But errors were added and they were destabilized with the referees. At this level the teams don’t give away candy, and whenever you reach six meters the Norwegians needed it. There was no continuity, there was no rhythm, there was no way.
With all that, and against a team on the rise that scores 30 goals per game, and 10 minutes without scoring in the second half, Spain did not come out so badly either, because they even had to score 24.
Sarmiento played (good minutes although without rhythm), and Tarrafeta (back after Covid), and Márquez on the left side. But no star stood by the Hispanics, and even Gómez (the best in Spain) missed a penalty in the final minutes.
