Croatia had a terrible start against Egypt, losing 31-22 on January 14, 2023. The next event against the USA set up a critical tone if Croatia wanted to advance to the next round. Everyone’s faith was rewarded when Croatia won 40-22 against the underdogs from the United States.
If there is a lesson to take away from this match, then it speaks volumes that leading from the beginning does not always pay off. Croatia was able to bounce back despite having a dull start at Husqvarna Garden in Jonkoping. Goals by Igor Karacic, Josip Sarac, and Zeljko Musa were instrumental in providing a tough fight in both sections — before and after halftime.
The US stood its ground but could not move up the figure of 12 before ending it with a victory. Dino Slavic’s classic saves will go down in history as some of the best ones, ensuring that there is assured space for the team in the next round. Morocco is left for the last step, posing a true challenge if Croatia wants to cement its spot.
Morocco is yet to win a match at the World Handball Championship, having lost both of its matches in Group G. Egypt is at the top with 4 points to its name and no losses. The top three teams in every group will advance to the next round.
Assuming Croatia makes it to the quarterfinals, fingers crossed, the team will automatically qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris, scheduled for 2024.
Egypt could still pose a problem for the US considering it comes off two consecutive victories. Croatia versus Egypt ended with a tally of 22-31, while the next matchup against Morocco had a total of 19-30. The US has one victory, 28-27, against Morocco. It remains to be seen if that would suffice to boost the morale of the players. Several handball betting sites will remain on their toes.
On the same day, Norway and Argentina faced off. Argentina lost 21–32 after being unable to match their opponent’s spirit in both sections of the game. While the first half was close to the point of 16-12 in favor of Norway, the second half saw Norway clinch the victory by a larger margin of 16-09.
According to gaming news, The match between Qatar and Algeria concluded 29-24 in favor of Qatar, which is presently in third place in Group E. Algeria sees itself as being left out after losing both its pool games. Germany has maintained the leading position with two victories and four points. It has a goal difference of five, which could be challenged by Serbia’s goal difference of eight.
South Korea and Iceland will compete today, while Slovenia and France will compete in separate groups for victory.
