Not even in their worst nightmares could Hispanics imagine a debut at the 2024 European Championship in Germany as deplorable as the one they perpetrated in Mannheim. Spain suffered a severe correction, a 10-goal defeat - and thank you! - (29-39) against a renewed Croatian team that bordered on perfection with an impressive 95% success rate (39 goals from 42 shots). One piece of information illustrates the disaster: the Spanish goal only stopped one of the 36 shots that went between the sticks...
In a very poor start, unable to stop a Croatia that started with one more gear, the Spanish team had to start rowing against the current and at the same time take water out of the boat that was sinking at times. He conceded 1-5 suddenly, in 7 minutes, which forced Jordi Ribera to stop the clock and ask his Hispanics for order and head, completely dismasted by the Croatian fury.
The Spanish reaction was timid. Between Aleix Gómez and Casado they brought Spain closer (4-6, 5-7), but the strong defense of the Balkans and the quick starts of Lucin and Sostaric put a dangerous -6 for the Hispanics (6-12) that set off the alarms de Ribera, urged to ask for a second half because his team was bleeding. To make matters worse, Sánchez-Migallón, one of the defensive pillars, injured his hand. The Sarrià de Ter coach looked for a boost by bringing in two of his veteran leaders, Alex Dujshebaev and Cañellas, and goalkeeper Sergey Hernández for an outmatched Pérez de Vargas.
Ribera's recipe began to take effect, slowly. He stopped the bleeding by adjusting the defense a little better, then with the 5:1 with Odriozola as the forward, and found the way to score through the 7 against 6, from the long shots of Cañe (2) and Imanol Garciandía (3), and for the pivot with Figueras and Serdio. So Spain was able to reduce the disadvantage and get closer to 3 goals (12-15, 14-17), but Croatia did not let go to reach 4 at halftime (14-18).
Spain would have to resort to its essence, to the three traits that Ribera stands out most in his group: “the ability to change things,” “the fighting spirit” and “the ability to overcome oneself in difficult moments,” as he indicated. in an interview with La Vanguardia. And for this it would be essential for the goal to start stopping (0/11 Gonzalo, 0/5 Sergey) with the help of the defense.
But the resumption could not be more disheartening: a devastating partial of 0-4 in three and a half minutes that left Spain on the ropes (14-22), a -6 that forced Ribera to stop time again to recompose his team on the verge of K.O. “We have to keep fighting until the end, every ball in defense and attack, in the defensive balance…”, the Catalan coach croaked.
The reaction did not appear and Croatia continued to step on the accelerator with a success rate practically without error (93%) to reach an already embarrassing 9 (15-24 at 5 minutes, 19-28 at 10). Ribera took a gamble by bringing on center back Ian Tarrafeta to change the pace of the attack, but not for that reason. The one from Sabadell put speed and two goals, but Karacic, Martinovic, Srna and Sostaric were a nightmare that returned the difference to 9 goals (21-30), raised it to 11 goals (23-34) and put their finger in the bleeding wound of the Hispanics, wallowing and humiliated as has not been seen for a long time.
Spain: Pérez de Vargas, Aleix Gómez (8, 5p), Maqueda (2), Casado (3), Dani Dujshebaev, Ángel Fernández (3), Adrià Figueras (1); Peciña, Alex Dujshebaev, Sánchez-Migallón, Serdio (3), Garciandía (3), Cañellas (3), Odriozola (1), Tarrafeta (2), Sergey Hernández (ps).
Croatia: Ivic, Sostaric (8, 3p), Srna (3), Cindric (2), Lucin (5), Jelinic (2), Nacinovic (3); Martinovic (8), Duvnjak, Glavas (2, 1p), Karacic (2), Klarica (3) and Mandic (ps, 1).
Referees: Horacek and Novotny (Czech Republic). They ruled out Pecina, Angel Fernandez, Duvnjak and Lucin.
Partials: 1-3, 4-7, 6-11, 8-12, 11-14, 14-18 (rest); 15-23, 19-27, 22-30, 24-34, 26-36, 29-39.
Track: SAP Arena Mannheim.
