| Handball News |
Handball News  (22/01/2008) Sweden and Hungary play out dramatic draw |
Jan Lennartsson saves point for Sweden against Hungary three seconds before the final whistle.
Hungary 27:27 Sweden (16:14)
High-tension ending with no winner: in this decisive match for a ticket to the Olympic qualification tournaments Sweden and Hungary made a 27:27 draw. The game was only high level at times as both teams made a lot of technical mistakes. However, the game was full of tension until the last seconds...
In a match of two teams on a similar level, Hungary started better. The Magyars could keep this advantage in the first 30 minutes with the enormous help of goalkeeper Nándor Fazekas.
With ten saves – some of them very spectacular – he kept his team in the lead. Sweden missed too many chances to stay ahead. And Hungary, inspired by the Iváncsik brothers Tamás and Gergő, played very well until the 20th minute. After that they made too many mistakes in attack.
Sweden, with their outstanding line player, Marcus Ahlm (five goals in the first half), could not take advantage from this weak period of the Hungarians.
But after the halftime whistle the "three-crown team" improved, especially with their experienced goalkeeper Tomas Svensson they equalised for the first time at 20:20 in the 39th minute.
With the seventh goal of Ahlm Sweden took the lead just 24 seconds later. And afterwards the Sweedish express speeded up. Hungary were overran by seven consecutive Swedish goals 17:20 to 24:20. The Magyars lost every ball in attack and they were punished by counter attacks. Not even the change of the goalkeeper from Fazekas to Nenad Puljezevic brought a change immediately.
After this phase the Hungarians pulled themselves together and reduced the gap to 25:26 (51st min). Afterwards the Magyars had some great chances to equalise: Gergő Ivancsik missed a 7-meter throw, then Sweden played four against six after two suspensions and the Hungarians did not score from this advantage.
Then Tamás Mocsai leveled the score at 26:26 (56th min). And in this rollercoaster match Sweden lost their pace and concentration again, while Hungary were too hectic in the final stag.
Szabolcs Zubai gave the lead to Hungary only 40 seconds before the final whistle, but after a Swedish time out Jan Lennartsson was the lucky one to equalise and make it 27:27 three seconds before the end.
Best scorer of Sweden was Markus Ahlm with eight goals; the most successful Hungarian player was Gergő Ivancsik also with eight goals. |
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