January 26, 2020 - The Croatia handball team met Spain for the European Championship final in Stockholm on Sunday.
After meeting in the second round on Wednesday for a tie game, Croatia met Spain again for their eighth major final ever and third European Championship final on Sunday. The team was after the gold, which is the only color missing from their collection of European medals so far.
Recall, Croatia has two Olympic gold medals and one gold medal from the World Championship in 2003, though only two silver medals and three bronze from the Euros.
The game against Spain was their chance - and there were 10,000 Croatian fans in the stands to help them do it.
Croatia had the first attack of the game, which resulted in a foul on Karacic. Maric scored for the Croatia lead and 0:1 in the 1st minute. Spain missed on their first attack, and Duvnjak scored for 0:2. Stepancic made it 1:3 in the 4th minute. Spain equalized for 3:3 in the 6th minute.
A foul on Maric resulted in a 7-meter shot, which Duvnjak scored for 3:4. In the 9th minute, Duvnjak scored another for 4:5.
Mandic put Croatia back in the lead for 5:6 in the 11th minute and Karacic scored for 6:7 in the 13th minute.
Duvnjak scored yet another 7-meter shot for 6:8. Karacic made it 7:9 in the 16th!
Maric gave Croatia the biggest lead yet - 7:10 in the 18th minute.
Spain equalized for 10:10 in the 24th minute - and Croatia hadn’t scored for six minutes.
Sego made a stellar save in the 27th minute, which gave Croatia the attack and a 7-meter shot. Duvnjak missed, keeping the game 10:10.
Spain took the lead for the first time in the game in the 27th minute for 11:10.
Thirty seconds before the half, Mandic scored to equalize for 11:11, though Spain retook the lead for 12:11 at the half.
Sego opened the second half with a brilliant save in Spain’s first attack. Stepancic equalized for 12:12 in the 32nd minute.
Spain retook the lead for 13:12 in the 33rd minute - and they were up 16:12 in the 35th minute.
Horvat scored a 7-meter shot for 16:13.
Duvnak nailed the net for 16:14 in the 38th minute.
Spain had gone seven minutes without scoring a goal.
Horvat scored for 16:15 in the 44th minute.
Mamic made it 17:16 in the 45th minute, and Horvat scored for 18:17 in the 47th.
Duvnjak equalized for 18:18 in the 48th minute.
Stepancic put Croatia back in the lead for 18:19 in the 53rd minute.
The game was 20:20 with three minutes to go.
With 25 seconds to go, Spain scored for 22:20, which was the final score of the game.
Domagoj Duvnjak was named the player of the game.
Before the start of the final, the European Handball Federation and fans voted Domagoj Duvnjak as the Euro MVP, and Igor Karacic is on the ideal team of the competition.
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