Niccolo and Donkey
08-27-2004, 10:55 PM
Now we will smoke Deutschland in the finals!!!!
World champs Croatia reach men's handball final (http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200408/s1187030.htm)
Reuters via ABC Australia
August 27, 2004
Eight goals from Mirza Dzomba and nine from Ivano Balic have steered world champions Croatia into the men's handball final with a 33-31 win over Hungary in the semi-final.
They will meet Germany in the final, who downed defending champions Russia 21-15.
The 27-year-old Dzomba scored the first goal in the second minute as Croatia controlled the early stages against Hungary.
They led 18-16 at half-time and then opened up a five-point lead in the second half that Hungary never looked like closing even though they narrowed it right at the end.
"We knew it was going to be very difficult but we didn't play to the strategy or tactics that I wanted so we had no chance," Hungarian coach Laszlo Skaliczky said.
"We were always running and chasing them then but we just couldn't catch them."
For the Hungarians, it marked a double disappointment as their women's team, silver medallists at the world championships last year, tumbled out in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
"It is very disappointing," Skaliczky said.
"But they are two different cases. The men's team has not reached the semi-finals since 1988, so we did well to get there and we are pleased with that.
"But the women expected much more than that. They should have won the world championship and they could have won the gold here."
World champs Croatia reach men's handball final (http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200408/s1187030.htm)
Reuters via ABC Australia
August 27, 2004
Eight goals from Mirza Dzomba and nine from Ivano Balic have steered world champions Croatia into the men's handball final with a 33-31 win over Hungary in the semi-final.
They will meet Germany in the final, who downed defending champions Russia 21-15.
The 27-year-old Dzomba scored the first goal in the second minute as Croatia controlled the early stages against Hungary.
They led 18-16 at half-time and then opened up a five-point lead in the second half that Hungary never looked like closing even though they narrowed it right at the end.
"We knew it was going to be very difficult but we didn't play to the strategy or tactics that I wanted so we had no chance," Hungarian coach Laszlo Skaliczky said.
"We were always running and chasing them then but we just couldn't catch them."
For the Hungarians, it marked a double disappointment as their women's team, silver medallists at the world championships last year, tumbled out in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
"It is very disappointing," Skaliczky said.
"But they are two different cases. The men's team has not reached the semi-finals since 1988, so we did well to get there and we are pleased with that.
"But the women expected much more than that. They should have won the world championship and they could have won the gold here."