MADRID, 11 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish women’s handball team defeated Lithuania (47-14) in the first match of the qualifying phase for the 2024 European Championship, leader of Group 5 after an exhibition at the L’Illa Sports Palace in Benidorm as official premiere of the national coach Ambros Martín.
The ‘Guerreras’ began a new stage with great hunger and forcefulness against a rival that was not such, with a dozen debutants and with very little faith in their options. With the win, Spain is the leader ahead of a North Macedonia that was also forceful against Azerbaijan (40-17).
After the dispute of friendly matches in Romania and previous concentrations in Donosti and Cantabria, Martín’s players left nothing behind, knowing that the call for the 2023 World Cup is just around the corner. This list will arrive after the next match, on Saturday at home against Azerbaijan (3:00 p.m.).
The Spanish beating took place in the first minutes. Martín’s team counted each attack by goal, while the Lithuanians were losses or stops by Merche Castellanos. The first tough quarter grew to 10-1 and the progression was the same until the break, with Lithuania unable to compete at the same level as its rival (27-5).
Eli Cesáreo (6 goals), Alicia Fernández (5), Jenni Gutiérrez (4) and ‘Sandy’ Barbosa (4) led the forcefulness of the ‘Guerreras’ who barely conceded behind and put a lot of speed into their transitions. After the break, Lithuania lifted their spirits somewhat or Spain fell into an inevitable relaxation, but it didn’t take long for the hosts to return to their game.
The momentum of Kotryna Vasiliauskaite, in goal, and Simona Kolosove, in attack, passed for the visitors and Jenni and Danila so Delgado regained Spain’s scoring rhythm. Lithuania had no brakes for some ‘Warriors’ hungry to once again be among the best at the gates of the World Cup and with a view to the European Championship.
DATASHEET:
–RESULT: SPAIN, 47 – LITHUANIA, 14.
SPAIN: Mercedes Castellanos (L) and Nicole Alejandra Morales (L), Carmen Campos (0), Silvia Arderius (1), Elisbet Cesareo (7), Jennifer Maria Gutierrez (6), Maitane Echeverria (1), Ester Somaza (4). , Amaia Gonzalez de Garibay (5), Danila So Thin (2), Kaba Gassama (2), Alicia Fernandez (5), Paulina Perez (3), Maria Prieto (5), Alexandrina Cabral (4), Mireya Gonzalez (4). 2).
LITHUANIA: Kotryna Vasiliauskaite (p) y Evite Zilionyte (p), Simona Kolosove (3), Dominyka Andronik (2), Singrida Kulikovaite (1), Greta Makovskyte (-), Mante Voskresenskaja (3), Vakare Damuleviciute (-), Gerda Kairyte (2), Rita Rakauskiene (1), Beatrice Ruseckaite (2), Dovile Navikaite (-), Agne Gudlinkyte (-), Kamile Rupeikaite (-), Emile Aglinskaite (-), Ausra Arcisevskaja (-).
–PARTIALS EVERY FIVE MINUTES: 3-1, 8-1, 13-2, 17-3, 23-3, 27-5 –rest– 30-7, 33-10, 36-10, 39-10 , 41-14, 47-14.
–REFEREE: Filip Fahner and Lukasz Kubis (Poland). Somaza and So Delgado were ruled out for two minutes for Spain. And to Damuleviciute and Arcisevskaja in Lithuania.
–PAVILLION: Palau d’Esports L’Ílla de Benidorm.