MADRID, 29 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The national handball coach, Jordi Ribera, almost acknowledged his surprise at the tremendous second half of his team this Sunday to win bronze in the 2023 World Cup at the expense of hosts Sweden, in front of 22,000 local fans who froze in the second half with the “smile” of the ‘Hispanics’.
“The first part did not foreshadow this. It gave the feeling that we have reserved ourselves for the second half. I think we have played very well in attack throughout the game, it has not compensated in the first because there was no way to adjust the defensive balance”, he said in statements provided by the Royal Spanish Handball Federation (RFEBM).
Ribera explained the reaction after the break, quick to change the match and go on to dominate Sweden from the defense. “We have gone four down and with the change in the goal and the 5: 1, they had difficulties attacking and also to counteract. We have recovered the game with very little time and it has generated insecurity for Sweden”, he affirmed.
“We have gone on to go ahead, the goal has also collaborated, Rodrigo has made a very good second half and in attack we have known how to control. We have maintained control even with the exclusions. It is a great prize for a very complicated Championship”, he added.
The ‘Hispanics’ coach recalled the demands of the tournament and Spain’s ability to fight to win bronze after losing to Denmark in the semifinals and having the challenge of beating the host in Stockholm. “When we started we knew that it was a Championship with a complicated second phase. With a quarter-final against the best Norway there is, they came fresh. We competed in all the games. In the semifinal with Denmark we got into the game in the second part”, he pointed out .
“When you lose the semifinal you have to see the ability of a team to recover and it seemed that Sweden was going to have that extra with 22,000 people, but it was the opposite. We were able to show that we wanted to leave here with a smile, with this third place I think it is a prize for the group and for our sport. It deserves a lot for what it transmits”, he finished.