The Argentine national team of handball, The Gladiatorsfell in front of Croatia by 33 to 18 and were on the verge of elimination in the World so they will have to play the classification against Bahrain.
Defeat was a possibility, considering the difficulties of the Argentine team. With a renewed squad and under the direction of Rodolfo Jung, who took over at the end of September, preparation was limited.
Despite the effort, the results were not good: they began with a defeat against Egypt and, later, succumbed to the Croatians, one of the hosts of group H. Thus, Argentina’s future in the tournament will be decided in a crucial duel against Bahrain on the last date.
The match against Croatia got off to a promising start for the Gladiators. During the first minutes, they managed to prevail on the scoreboard and maintained an even exchange with the locals.
However, this trend was undone by the outstanding performance of Dominik Kuzmanovic.
The Croatian goalkeeper thwarted every Argentine attack and facilitated quick counterattacks that extended the hosts’ lead.
At the end of the first half, the score already showed a resounding 18-7, leaving the Argentines with the task of minimizing the difference to maintain their chances in the competition.
The group context added pressure. Before the duel between Argentina and Croatia, Bahrain had lost 35-24 against Egypt, accumulating a -25 goal difference.
After the albiceleste defeat, Jung’s team was last with a -29, although with a slight respite thanks to the 43 goals scored, just three less than Bahrain. Only the three best teams advance, making Sunday’s matchup at 2:00 p.m. an all-or-nothing game.
To continue in the World Cup, Argentina must beat Bahrain by at least three goals difference. With that result, the goal difference would be -26 for the Gladiators, while the Asian team would finish with -28, ensuring the albiceleste classification. If the difference is less, the team would be eliminated by the criteria of goals scored.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
