The Hispanics once again surpassed themselves, to make good their legend of the team that never gives up, and took the best consolation of the 2023 World Cup with the bronze won against Sweden (36-39) thanks to a heroic reaction. Jordi Ribera's men lifted the 4-goal deficit at half-time (22-18) with a devilish start led by a 5:1 defense and the entry of Rodrigo Corrales, the two keys that drove the Spanish comeback.
This world bronze is the fifth consecutive medal won by the Spanish handball team in the last four years, and the sixth in eight championships since the Catalan coach took over the bench. Ribera is already the coach with the most metals in the history of the national team, surpassing the 5 of Juan de Dios Román.
The start of the match for the bronze medal was frantic, in an unprecedented way for the ninth match of the tournament for both, with the two teams on the run, from goal to goal, goal and counter-goal. This is how they reached the middle of the first half with 23 goals in 15 minutes, the 12-11 that reflected an equality that was going to break unexpectedly.
Sweden, with a very tough defense at 6:0, and the speed in the transitions by flag, found a way to break the duel with a change in the goal. The entry of Tobias Thulin for Palicka (only 2 stops) meant more defensive solidity. His 6/10 stopped the Spanish shot and Sweden went up 3 (17-14, at 22:30), the first alarm signal. Jordi Ribera called for a time-out to stop the bleeding and especially the Scandinavian speed, which had 4 counter-attack goals.
The exchange of goals did not smile at Spain, more comfortable in more leisurely and combinative matches. The 6:0 defense, with so much Swedish trotting, did not fit well, and Pérez de Vargas, unprotected this time by the usual wall of intensity, did not contribute his differential fact of saves (only 2 in the first half).
His teammate at Barça Hampus Wanne made him a suit with 6 goals in the first half. The left winger had the highest Swedish income at 4 goals in the last five minutes (19-15) until the break (22-18).
In 30 minutes, Spain had conceded 22 goals; Denmark in the semifinal put 26...
After going through the changing rooms, Ribera played it waving his booklet: he set up a 5:1 defense with Odriozola in advance and brought on Rodrigo Corrales for a blurred Pérez de Vargas. The reaction was immediate, it was furious: the Galician goalkeeper made two saves in a row, plus two recoveries, four failed Swedish attacks, and four career goals for Spain. Seen and unseen, a 1-5 in 6 minutes to tie the game at 23 and Solberg's timeout (36m) to prevent the game from slipping away. The duel began again.
Spain had slowed down the Swedish speed and did not take their foot off the accelerator in their recovery. In addition, he found new ways to pierce the Scandinavians, such as the passes to the pivot Adrià Figueras, a devastating 6 goals to put the first 2 for the Hispanics (23-25, 24-26, at 39m). And when not, Alex Dujshebaev took a shot from his pocket from 9 meters (25-27).
The Hispanics entered the last 10 minutes of the championship with 3 up thanks to the gladiator Figueras, dominator in the six meters with 9 goals (30-33) and the lashes of Alex Dujshebaev, the two offensive guides of the team. If Sweden drilled above all with the two ends, Spain found a vein in the combinative game with the pivot -Figueras won the game over Carlsbogard and Bergendahl- and the 9-meter shots.
In the last 5 minutes, the Hispanics couldn't get any better with a save from Corrales and goals from Alex and Ferran Solé, who put the first 4 (32-36, at 56m). Spain had the bronze on track. The second world bronze with that of 2011, also won in Sweden against the hosts, and the fifth consecutive medal for this team that never gives up.
Suecia: Palicka, Ekberg (7, 3p), Lagergren (5), Darj (4), Carlsbogard (3), Claar (3), Wanne (9); Johansson (2), Bergendahl (3), Sandell, Thullin (ps).
Spain: Pérez de Vargas, Ferran Solé (4), Garciandía (1), Casado (3), Cañellas (5), Ángel Fernández (5), Figueras (9); Guardiola, Peciña, Alex Dujshebaev (7), Dani Dujshebaev, Maqueda (3), Odriozola (1), Sánchez-Migallón (1), Serdio, Corrales (ps).
Referees: Charlotte and Julie Bonaventura (France). They excluded Maqueda, Casado, Sánchez-Migallón and Odriozola for Spain, and Carslbogard (2) and Palicka for Sweden.
Partials: 4-3, 8-6, 12-11, 14-13, 18-15, 22-18 (rest); 23-21, 25-26, 26-28, 30-33, 32-34, 36-39.
Track: Tele2 Arena, Stockholm. 22,650 spectators.
