Ultimately, after all the comings and goings of the World Cup, Spain reached the final season relying on itself to reach the quarterfinals. Montenegro beat Serbia (33-17) at the start of the afternoon, which allowed the team to strike a major blow. They had to beat an undefeated and unbeatable host team in the packed Dortmund pavilion. It seemed like too many tomatoes, and it was.
Returning from the break, the German giants, mathematical leaders of the group before playing, trampled (12-20 in the 41st minute) and crushed any illusion of the Warriors, who could now only obtain a dignified death. Danila So Delgado scored 10 goals (eight in the second half), but the 18 defeats and the great physical superiority of a team that reminded Spain of what they still have to do in this new stage to aspire to the elite again weighed more heavily.
The team had the merit of not giving up during a clash which closed for them a championship marked by their defeats against the Faroe Islands and Serbia, two winnable rivals who took advantage of their lack of regularity and reliability. Two centers which buried the Guerreras in a tournament which works by accumulation. The one who sang the big one was Montenegro, who came second in the quarter-finals. She helped Spain, but above all she helped herself.
The score of 6-12 in the 24th minute threatened to say goodbye to the national team quickly. Each of his attacks was a pain. The Germans’ centimeters blinded Ambros Martín’s players, who literally crashed against a wall. They had no outside launch, no options to penetrate, and the wingers couldn’t find a steal either. And finally, the goalkeeper, with Lucía Prades, had not made any intervention. The hosts’ handball wasn’t great either. Lots of losses, as many as Spain. While the team tuned up with Nicole Morales and refined a bit up front, they reduced the damage at halftime (10-13). The little flame of hope was still burning.
However, as soon as play resumed, the house collapsed suddenly and without remedy. “To win, a lot of things have to happen,” Ambros warned. And there weren’t many. Thanks to Danila, Spain’s best news in the World Cup, they still made it 24-27 in the 57th minute and forced Germany to call a timeout. But that’s all that happened. The Dortmund mountain was too big. “This match was not the key match,” lamented the coach, referring to the two triggers against the Faroe Islands and Serbia, where he missed four points which would have propelled him to the quarter-finals.
Spain, 25 years – Germany, 29 years
Spain: Prades; Etxeberria (3), Bengoetxea (1), Alicia Fernández (1p), So Delgado (10), Jennifer Gutiérrez (-) and Gassama (-) —initial team— Morales (ps), Vegué (-), Somaza (1), Arcos (-), Lysa Tchaptchet (1), Elba Álvarez (4, 1p), Lyndie Tchaptchet (2), Arroyo (-) and Oppedal (2).
Germany:Filtered; Behrend (-), Leuchter (2), Von Pereira (-), Vogel (6), Smits (-) and Doll (5, 2p) — starting team — Wachter (ps), Grijseels (1), Engel (4, 1p), Antl (3), Steffen (-), Kuhne (3), Lott (4), Maidhof (-) and Hauf (1)
Referees: Hansen and Madsen. They excluded Lysa and Lyndie Tchaptchet, Vogel and Doll (2) for two minutes.
Results every five minutes: 1-2, 2-3, 3-6, 5-9, 6-12 and 10-13 (Rest). 10-17, 12-19, 16-21, 18-24, 21-27 and 25-29 (Final)
Westfalenhalle (Dortmund). 10,522 spectators.
This is what the Spanish group looked like
Germany, 10 points*
Montenegro, 6*
Serbia 5
Spain, 4
Faroe Islands, 3
Iceland, 0
With an asterisk, teams that advance to the quarter-finals