Spain reach W19 EHF EURO final after 18 years

This generation of Spain players have the chance to take their second straight title, after they were victorious at the 2024 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship.

Spain now await their opponents, with Denmark and Germany to play the second semi-final. Spain will then play the final on Sunday, while Austria will play the 3/4 placement match for the second time.

SEMI-FINAL

Austria vs Spain 23:28 (12:13)

• Spain won the opening semi-final in Podgorica after coming back from a clear deficit in the first half, taking the lead right before the break and holding Austria off throughout the second 30 minutes
• driven by saves from goalkeeper Nina Plavotic, Austria allowed Spain only two goals in the first seven minutes and then prevented them from hitting the net at all for the next five; when the first timeout was called by Spain coach Jorge Martínez in the 12^th minute, Austria led 7:2
• a change in goal for Spain, to Goundo Gassama midway through the half (9:5 for Austria), proved a turning point for the side — she set the tone with a save on the first shot she faced and created the chances for Spain to come back to level at 10:10 in the 25^th minute then grab the upper hand
• the second half saw Austria staying close but always chasing their opponents until Spain pulled away in the last seven minutes, as they opened a gap of more than two goals for the first time since early in the period
• Austria’s attacking responsibility was only narrowly shared, with seven players on the board at the final whistle, compared to 10 for Spain; the top scorers of the match were Austria back Lorena Baljak and Spain wing Lucia Julve, with seven goals apiece

Historic medal round unfolding in Podgorica

Although Austria had to deal with the disappointment of losing the semi-final, when they take the court to fight for the bronze medal on Sunday it will be a big moment for handball in the country — across all championships, both gender and age, the nation has celebrated only three medals. One of those was the bronze won by the U19 women’s team at the EURO in 2011.

Aside from that, both the senior national teams have taken silverware once — both very long ago. The women’s side placed third at the World Championship in 1999. For the men’s team, the medal celebration dates back almost a century, as they ranked second at the very first World Championship in 1938, played by just four teams.

Meanwhile, Spain have the chance to take their first trophy ever at the W19 EHF EURO, following their silver medal in 2007. That was a great Younger Age Category EURO year for Spain, as it is also the last time they placed at the W17 event, when they were second.

Photos: Rukometni savez Crne Gore