The ‘Hispanics’ do not want scares in the deceptive debut
Spain begins its participation in the World Cup in Sweden and Poland against a dangerous Montenegro
MADRID, 11 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men’s handball team will begin this Thursday (8:30 p.m. / Teledeporte) its journey in the World Championship that will be held in Sweden and Poland until January 29 with a key duel of the first phase against Montenegro.
The ‘Hispanics’ begin a new attempt to be with the best at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, as has happened in the last four major international events and which also represents the first opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, something only reserved for the one who lifts the title at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm or for the runner-up if the champion is France.
There is still a long way to go until that dream is reached for the team led by Jordi Ribera, double world champion and bronze medalist in the last edition held in Egypt. If Spain wants to be in Sweden, it will have to overcome high-level obstacles, almost all of them from the second phase.
The first, on the other hand, seems more ‘friendly’ for the Spanish team, which will have the theoretically toughest rival in a premiere that is always difficult in a major championship. Montenegro, which they have never faced in an official match, has already warned of their potential in the European past and will try to make things difficult for one of the candidates in a Group A completed by Chile and Iran, which should cause fewer problems.
And it is that although the Montenegrin team, back in a World Cup ten years after debuting in the one hosted by Spain, does not have highly renowned players, it is impregnated by the usual Balkan competitive character, it achieved victories of merit against powers such as Slovenia and Croatia in the continental event where he had to deal with the coronavirus. In their World Cup preparations, in their double matches against Qatar and North Macedonia, they could only win one match against the Macedonians (31-30) and draw one against the Qataris (23-23).
“A rival awaits us that in recent years has grown a lot and that in the European Cup already gave some surprises against Slovenia and that has also beaten Macedonia. It is a team that is in a great peak of form, starting with the goal with Simic “They are great at the back, they run a lot and have great attacking players like Vujovic and Sevaljevic. It is a complete team that if we want to win will make us concentrate for 60 minutes, that’s what we have prepared for”, warned goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales in statements provided by the RFEBM.
The ‘Hispanics’ come to this event encouraged, where they come with the block of the past continental runner-up, with level reinforcements such as the Dujshebaev brothers, absent from the European past, although with casualties such as wingers Aleix Gómez and Aitor Ariño, who will allow us to see new faces like Kauldi Odriozola and Dani Fernández.
In TIE 2023, they refined their set-up with three clear victories against Romania (42-29), Bahrain (34-21) and Argentina (31-20) and with the scare of muscular problems in the abdominal area of the veteran Joan Cañellas, who hopes to be ready to lend a hand in his debut. Although not official, Spain has played two matches against Montenegro in the past, both in the TIE (2011 and 2008) with victory.
DATASHEET.
–TEAMS.
SPAIN: Corrales (P), Perez de Vargas (P), Guardiola, A.Fernandez, Sole, Cañellas, A.Dujshebaev, D.Dujshebaev, Maqueda, Tarrafeta, Casado, Figueras, Pecina, Odriozola, Sanchez-Migallon, Serdio, Garciandia and D.Fernandez.
MONTENEGRO: N.Simic (P), Matovic (P), M.Vujovic, Bakic, Radovic, Lasica, Grbovic, Lazovic, Sevaljevic, Bozovic, S.Vujovic, Cepic, Andelic, Kaluderovic, B.Simic, B.Vujovic y Vujacic.
–PAVILLION: Tauron Arena of Kraków.
–TIME: 8:30 p.m./Teledeporte.