Croatia beat Belarus 31-25 in the round three match of the World Handball Championship
Three games – three wins round up the perfect start to the tournament for the Croatian Handball Team. The third opponent on January 16, 2017, was the Belarus team.
Croatian coach Željko Babić decided to rest his star player Domagoj Duvnjak in the first half, but Croatian backup playmaker Luka Cindrić rose up to the occasion, scoring eight goals, not missing the single shot, and added five assists.
Cindrić earned the official man of the match award by IHF jury for his display in the first half. It was probably the best thirty minutes for the Croatian offensive line at this tournament, but at the defense, there is much more space for improvement.
In the second half, Domagoj Duvnjak followed Cindrić’s footsteps and allowed his team a peaceful finish to the match with his individual quality. Goalkeeper Ivan Stevanović found the right rhythm, and Belarus team had no answer to much quicker Croatian play.
Croatia leads the Group C table, with the perfect score. The other unbeaten team of the group is Germany, so the two should play the decider on Friday. The next opponent for Croatia will be Chile on Wednesday.
