By winning with more than 11 goals, Croatia also sent the French team packing
January 27, 2016, will be remembered in Croatia as the day when our handballers achieved the impossible in Krakow, Poland during the EHF EURO 2016 championship. Croatian team needed a landslide win by at least 11 goals against Poland in order to reach the semi-finals and even the most devoted supporters didn't believe it was possible given that we came into the final main round day as the most unlikely team from the four contenders in the Group 1 race for the medal-round ticket. Against all odds, determined “cowboys” stunned the hosts winning 37:23 with President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović cheering from the stands among Croatian fans.
The first miracle of the night happened in the previous game when Norway defeated France. French team still had a chance of reaching the semi-finals if Croatia beat Poland with a 5-10 goal difference. Obviously, our boys had other plans and sent them packing making this the first European Handball Championship without the French team in the last 8 years (4 championships).
Croatia’s reserve goalkeeper Ivan Stevanović was awarded the best player of the match after collecting 13 saves from 35 shots. Just to show you how superior he was, Polish team scored their first goal after nine minutes (1:3), and the second one after 15 minutes (2:5). Manuel Štrlek, Croatian left wing of Polish club KS Vive Tauron Kielce, was the top scorer of the match with 11 goals at 100%.
Poland was almost unrecognizable tonight with low and unorganized attacks while Croatia returned to their characteristic fast breaks and efficient combinations laying the foundations for tonight’s sensational win by the end of the first half at 15:10.
After the break, they continued the destruction of the home team, who only scored their first goal of the second half after ten minutes. Croatia reached the difference of eleven goals after 37 minutes, and what had been the wildest fantasy before the starting whistle suddenly started to become a reality.
Croatia increased its lead at the beginning of the second half leaving Poland without a single goal for almost 10 minutes. Even though Poland woke up a bit, mostly carried by the 16 000 supporters in the arena, Croatia managed to control its vast advantage to stage one of the greatest miracles in handball history.
Croatia will face Spain in the semi-finals on January 29.
