December 21, 2020 - If there is one thing Croatians know how to do best, it's singing and celebrating sports victories. Our Croatia women's handball bronze medalists couldn't help but continue the tradition at the European Championships, even tempting two gold medalists from the Norway squad to join along for a Croatian sports anthem. 

The Croatia women's handball team were the best sports surprise of the year, winning the bronze medal at the European Championships in Denmark after beating the hosts 25-19 (11-11) in the match for third place in Herning. 

This is the first medal in the history of the Croatia women's handball team.

After the medals were awarded to the three best national teams at the Euros, Norway, France, and Croatia, the Croatia team continued to celebrate on the floor of the hall in Herning.

At one point, they were joined by two Norweigian handball players and began singing "Neopisivo" (Indescribable), a Croatian sports anthem and hit among fans at all sporting events, originally sung by the Zaprešić Boys.

But you may be wondering why...

Namely, Marta Tomac is the daughter of Croatian coach Željko Tomac, who has been working as a coach in the Norwegian Handball Federation for years and is responsible for numerous medals in the men's and women's national teams.

His daughter, Marta, is an excellent handball player and a long-time member of the Norway national team. However, she often follows Croatian athletes, especially the Croatia national football team who won silver at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Emilie Hegh Arntzen, the other Norway player, seen in the video, was born in Norway and has no connection with Croatia, but she sang the song anyway. 

Another big congrats to the Croatia women's handball team, who were absolutely brilliant throughout the Euros and won the hearts of fans all over Europe.

What a way to end 2020 for Croatian sport! 

Source: Index.hr

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

December 18, 2020 - The Croatia women's handball team met the current European champion France in the semi-final of the 2020 European Championships in Herning, Denmark on Friday evening. 

By entering the semi-final, Croatia achieved the best result in the history of Croatian women's handball, and thus secured a place in next year's World Cup, where Croatia has not played since 2011.

Croatia traveled to Denmark as complete underdogs, building great form from game to game. On Tuesday, they played a fantastic match against Germany and advanced to the semi-final with a 23:20 victory.

Unfortunately, mighty France was too powerful for Croatia tonight.

France v. Croatia Recap

Croatia opened the game with a goal by Kalaus in the first minute of play. France equalized moments later for 1:1. Debelic made it 1:2 for Croatia in the 3rd.

Stellar saves by Pijevic in the 6th and 7th minute kept the score at 2:2. Micijevic scored for the Croatia lead in the 8th minute - 2:3.

France took the lead for the first time in the 10th minute - 4:3, and scored again for 5:3. France was up by three goals in the 12th minute and four in the 14th. 

At this point, Croatia hadn't scored a goal for seven minutes. 

By the 17th minute, it was 10:3 for France. By the 18th minute, Croatia hadn't scored for over 10 minutes. Croatia finally scored for 11:4

Croatia hit the post twice in the minutes that followed. France called a team timeout. 

Vidak finally scored to slightly reduce France's lead to 13:5, but France scored again in the 28th for 14:5. The match ended at 15:5 at half. 

Croatia defended France's first attack of the second half and Simara scored for 15:6, bringing Croatia 9 goals behind France. Valentina Blazevic made it -8 in the 32nd minute (15:7). A Krsnik penalty made it 16:8 in the 34th.

Pijevic saved France's next attack, and Jezic scored for -7 - 16:9. Blazevic scored for 17:10, and Micijevic for 18:11. Croatia was still behind by 7 goals. 

Croatia was behind by 8 goals in the 43rd minute - 21:13. In the 46th minute, it was 23:13 for France.

With 10 minutes to go, Croatia was behind by 11 goals - 25:14. With five minutes to go, France was up 27:17.

With a minute to go, it was 30:18 for France. With 10 seconds to go, Croatia scored a penalty for 30:19, which was the final score of the match. 

Denmark and Norway will play the second semi-final tonight at 20:30.

Croatia will play in the match for 3rd place on Sunday at 15:30.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 17, 2020 - Two Croatia women's handball players have been included in the ideal team of the main round of the European Handball Championships!

Namely, Tea Pijević was named the best goalkeeper of the second round, while Ana Debelić is the best pivot in this phase of the competition. Both are totally deserved.

Pijević's brilliant defense in goal destroyed rivals in both of Croatia's victories in the second round. She was especially impressive in the decisive clash against Germany when she had as many as 16 saves with an almost unrealistic 50 percent.

Ana Debelić was brilliant in that match and finished as the most efficient player for the Croatia national team with a perfect shot ratio (6/6).

WATCH: The top 7 players of the main round were ...@HRStwitt ?? @NORhandball ?? @FRAHandball ?? @rukometnisavez ?? @dhf_haandbold ??#ehfeuro2020 #handballispassion pic.twitter.com/7o0xxN2I7a

— EHF EURO (@EHFEURO) December 16, 2020

The rest of the ideal team of the second round includes two players from Norway, one from Denmark, one from Montenegro, and one player from France.

On Friday at 18:00, Croatia and France will meet in the first semi-final of the European Championships, and Denmark and Norway will play later that evening. The last match between Croatia and France was back in 2007, and France celebrated 28:26.

Croatia entered the Euros as the ultimate underdog, and coach Šoštarić had many problems with injuries and the selection of players before they left for Denmark. However, even with a weakened squad, Croatia shocked favorite Hungary in the first round, then the world champions the Netherlands and Serbia in the remaining group stage games.

Croatia opened the second round with a victory against another favorite, Romania, and then suffered their first defeat against a mighty Norway before defeating Germany for a spot in their first-ever semi-final. Croatia’s best result at the Euros thus far is fifth place in 1994.

France, on the other hand, has not recorded a single defeat in the Euros, and only Russia managed to snatch a point from them.

In the first group stage, they defeated the host and the second semifinalist, Denmark, Montenegro, and Slovenia. In the second round, apart from drawing against Russia, they defeated Spain and Sweden. Although this part of the draw was stronger, it should be noted that France recorded two victories only by one goal, against Montenegro and Spain, which gives Croatia hope. 

Source: Gol.hr

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 16, 2020 - The Croatian women's handball team advanced to the semi-final of the European Championships with a victory against Germany on Tuesday. The semi-final duel between Croatia and France will be played on Friday at 6 pm.

Gol.hr reports that France and Norway are the biggest favorites for gold at the Euros. France came to the Championship as the current European champion, and this will be no easy task for Nenad Šoštarić's team.

Reputable Lequipe presented the Croatia national team, and the journalists of the most widely read French sports newspaper pointed out the advantages of Croatia in the clash for the final.

"France, as first in the group, will meet Croatia in the semi-final, unexpectedly, as this is Croatia's first semifinal in history," begins Lequipe about Croatia.

"Croatia has never played a semi-final in its history, and since 2013, it has been known as a second-class handball team. They were constantly eliminated in the first round of big competitions, even at home in 2014," the French journalist points out.

"Ćamila Mičijević, a left-winger from Metz, is the fourth-best scorer of the competition with 30 goals, five on average. Goalkeeper Tea Pijević reigns in front of the goal, defending 37% on average. Her catching the ball with one hand will be remembered as one of the cult scenes of the Euro."

Lequipe points out that France is a big favorite but says they have to be careful because Croatia is experiencing euphoria, and there is no pressure for the medal. 

The last match between Croatia and France was back in 2007, and France celebrated 28:26.

France did not record a single defeat in the Euros, and only Russia managed to snatch a point from them.

In the first group stage, they defeated the host and the second semifinalist, Denmark, then Montenegro, and Slovenia. In the second round, apart from drawing against Russia, they defeated Spain and Sweden. Although this part of the draw was stronger, it should be noted that France recorded two victories only by one goal, against Montenegro and Spain, which gives Croatia hope. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 15, 2020 - The Croatia women's handball team topped Germany in a decisive match for a spot in their first-ever European Championship semi-final! 

Coach Nenad Šoštarić's side achieved historical placement in the semi-final of the European Championships in Denmark on Tuesday, which also automatically secures them a spot at the World Championships, which will be played in December next year in Spain.

Croatia could advance to the semi-final in three scenarios tonight - with a win, draw, and even defeat, but not by more than one goal. 

Croatia and Germany were equal at the start of the match, with a 4:4 score by the 10th and 8:8 in the 20th. 

Three minutes before the end of the half, Croatia goalkeeper Pijevic was brilliant in goal for 10:10 in the 27th minute. The first half ended at 12:12. 

Croatia led by two goals two minutes into the second half for 14:12 in the 32nd. Pijevic followed with a save in Germany's next attack. 

In the 35th minute, Croatia reached the biggest advantage of the match - 15:12, and up by four in the 37th (16:12)! Croatia was on fire - reaching a 5-goal advantage a minute later! 

In the 44th minute, Croatia led by 6 goals for 19:13. With under 10 minutes to go, Croatia maintained a 5-goal advantage - 22:17 in the 52nd. 

With two minutes to go, Croatia led 22:20, and with one minute - 23:20!

Croatia defended Germany's final attack to end the game 23:20! 

Croatia entered the Euros as the ultimate underdog, and coach Šoštarić had many problems with injuries and the selection of players before they left for Denmark. However, even with a weakened squad, Croatia shocked favorite Hungary in the first round, then the world champions the Netherlands and Serbia in the remaining group stage games.

Croatia opened the second round with a victory against another favorite, Romania, and then suffered their first defeat against a mighty Norway last Saturday. 

Croatia’s best result at the Euros thus far is fifth place in 1994.

To read more about Croatian handball, follow the Federation's official website.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 11,  2020 - In the second match of the second round, Croatia struggles against favorite Norway (25:36).

The Croatia women's handball team met the biggest favorite of the tournament, Norway, in the second match of the second round on Saturday in Kolding, Denmark. 

On Thursday, the Croatia women's handball team achieved its fourth victory in its fourth appearance at the European Championships. Recall, in the 1st round match of Group II, Croatia defeated Romania 25:20, while Norway recorded a convincing victory against the Netherlands (32:25).

Up until the match against Croatia, Norway scored 137 goals and conceded 90 in four matches. With these stats, they are the best team in the European Championship. Norway is the weakest from nine meters (13/33, 39%) and the best on counters (31/43, 72%). 

Croatia and Norway started the match even -  and it was 3:3 in the 4th minute. Norway took the lead in the next minute, and by the 10th minute, they were up by two (6:8). Croatia was consistently behind by two goals for most of the first half, and by the 29th minute, neither team had scored for more than 6 minutes! 

Croatia went into halftime behind by one goal (14:15). 

The second half started with an immediate goal for Croatia to equalize at 15:15. 

There was a bit of back and forth in the minutes that followed, which saw Norway attain a three-goal advantage at 21:18 in the 37th minute. By the 39th, Croatia was behind by 4 - and by the 41st, behind by 5. In the 45th minute, Croatia was down 20:27. 

Norway's momentum could not be stopped - and they were up by 10 goals in the 48th minute. Croatia was struggling to hold on. 

With two minutes to go, it was 24:34, and the match ended at 25:36 for Norway.

A win against Norway would have secured Croatia a spot in the semifinals. However, even with a defeat, Croatia has a good chance of passing among the four best national teams in Europe. Only Germany can shake up Croatia's plans.

Croatia will play against Germany in the last round on Tuesday at 18:15. Germany beat Hungary 32:25 earlier today and now has four points.

Read more about Croatia handball on HRS.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 10, 2020 - The Croatia women's handball team defeated Romania in the second round of the European Championship on Thursday, bringing them one step closer to the semifinals. 

The Croatia women's handball team began the second round of the European Championship against Romania in Kolding, Denmark on Tuesday after three incredible victories in the group stage against Hungary, the Netherlands, and Serbia.

While Croatia was behind for the first 20 minutes of the match, they equalized at 8:8 in the 21st minute and only went up from there. By the 27th minute, it was 12:9 for Croatia, and the first half ended with them up by 4 (14:10)!

Croatia's momentum continued in the second half, with brilliant saves by Tea Pijevic in goal. It was 15:11 for Croatia in the 34th minute, and 17:12 just three minutes later! In the 41st minute, Croatia still had a 5-goal advantage -  and in the 44th minute, it was 19:15. 

Romania reduced their lead to 19:17 in the 48th minute, forcing Croatia to call a timeout. 

A goal moments later put Croatia back up to +3, and with just over 10 minutes to go, it was crucial for the girls to hold onto this advantage. 

In the 52nd minute, it was 21:17 for Croatia, and in the 54th minute, 22:18. Tea Pijevic was stellar in goal with another save in the 56th minute, and with three minutes to go, it was 23:19 for Croatia. A five-goal advantage for Croatia with two minutes to go nearly sealed their victory, though they remained solid in the defense to avoid a dramatic finish. 

With less than one minute to go, Romania's final attack failed. Croatia scored the final goal of the match for the 25:20 victory! 

With this victory, Croatia writes another beautiful page in handball history, because they have never achieved four consecutive wins at the European Championship. Croatian had never defeated Romania at the European Championships either, and in four games played before this, Romania won each time.

Romania is a national team with an extremely rich tradition and three world champion titles, though it was a long time ago - in 1956, 1960, and 1962. They also have two silver medals from the World Championship. Romania's last medals were won in Denmark - bronze from the European Championship in 2010 (then Norway was also a co-host) and bronze from the World Championship in 2015.

To read more about Croatia handball, follow the official website of the Croatian Handball Federation.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 8, 2020 - The Croatia women's handball team topped Serbia in the third round of the European Championships in Denmark, thus finishing at the top of Group C!

The Croatia women's handball team played the last game of the first round of the European Championships in Kolding, Denmark tonight. Before this match, Croatia had played Serbia three times so far, recording two victories and one defeat.

Nenad Šoštarić's team already recorded two sensational victories against Hungary and the world champions the Netherlands in the first two rounds. They already secured their spot in the second round before they met Serbia. With this victory, Croatia moves onto the second round with a maximum of four points!

Dora Krsnik was the top scorer for the Croatia national team with six goals. Ćamila Mičijević scored five goals, Larissa Kalaus scored four, and Josipa Mamić scored three times. Tea Pijevic had seven saves.

Three national teams from each of the four groups go to the second round of the competition, where two groups with six teams will be formed. Croatia crosses with Group D, in which Norway has already qualified for the second round, and Romania, Germany and Poland are fighting for the remaining two places.

In the last game of Group C, the Netherlands will look for a victory against Hungary to qualify for the second round, and a draw is enough for Hungary to qualify, which would lead Serbia along.

More soon...

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 6, 2020 - More great news from the 2020 Women's European Handball Championships in Denmark, as Croatia surprises the Netherlands 27:25!

The Croatia women's handball team surprised us yet again at the European Championships in Denmark. In the 2nd round match, Croatia defeated the world champions, the Netherlands, 27:25.

After defeating favorite Hungary in the first round, this is another excellent result for Croatian handball. 

In the first half, Nenad Šoštarić's team had a three-goal advantage three times (4:1, 9:6, 11:8), but the Netherlands left at halftime with a minimal advantage (14:13). In the second half, both teams took turns in the lead, and Croatia gained a two-goal advantage in the last minutes.

Thus, the national team that no one believed in before the tournament showed incredible perspective and talent and proved that they can play against any national team in the world.

With this victory, Croatia has secured the second round in which the three best teams from each group advance, and on Monday at 18:15 in Kolding, they will play against Serbia for first place in the group.

The Netherlands, the current world champion, a team that has won five medals and one fourth place in the last six major world competitions (Olympic Games, World and European Championships), was the absolute favorite ahead of this match.

More soon..

Source: Index.hr

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

November 8, 2020 - In its first appearance in the EHF Cup in Osijek, the Croatia men's handball team defeated Hungary 31-27 (17-13).

Since the World Handball Championship will be held in Egypt from January 13 to 31, 2021, these matches serve as good preparation for the big competition ahead.

It was the first game for the Croatian 'Cowboys' in nine months when they won silver at the European Championships in Sweden. Coach Lino Cervar could not count on about 10 standard national team members due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite that, Croatia led throughout the match, and with a 5-1 series at the end of the first half, they turned an 8-9 deficit into a 13-10 advantage and went into halftime with 17-13. Still, Hungary opened the second half better and leveled the score at 18-18, but did not take the lead. In the last 10 minutes, Croatia led 25-24, and goalkeeper Sego stood out with three stellar saves, one of which was off a seven-meter shot. Croatia then managed to lead 28-25.

Manuel Strlek and Ivan Martinovic scored six goals each for Croatia, Domagoj Duvnjak added five goals, while the most efficient for Hungary was Richard Bodo with six goals.

After the great victory against Hungary, coach Lino Cervar commented on the match.

“After 10 months, the players showed a connection to the national team jersey. They came from all over Europe to play, risking getting sick, so hats off to our national team, the players who came here. I am also satisfied with the victory; of course, it is a victorious path that we continue from Stockholm. The players prepared differently since there were breaks. Therefore, such a situation was more for us to endure in such difficult conditions and without spectators, which I am upset about. What should be pointed out today is that they showed a desire to win."

With this victory, Croatia took the lead in the EHF Cup with two points from one match. Hungary, which played two matches, has the same number of points, while Slovakia, who did not play a single match, and Spain, who played one, have no points.

Croatia should play the next game in the EHF Cup on January 6 against Spain away, and only three days later, they should host the same opponent at home.

Source: Gol.hr

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.