December 19, 2020 - Croatia and Denmark will play the third-place match of the Women's Handball Euros on Sunday at 3:30 pm in Denmark. 

After losing to France in the semi-final on Friday, the Croatia women's handball team will play against the host Denmark in the match for third place at the European Championships.

Norway defeated Denmark 27:24 in the second semi-final match on Friday. 

Norway had two big series in the second half

Denmark opened the match better. Apart from the beginning (1:0), the host of the championship was never behind in the first half. Denmark's biggest advantage was when they were up by four goals, and they went into halftime with an excellent plus three (13:10).

However, at the beginning of the second half, Norway had a 4:1 series and was back in the lead. It was played goal to goal until just before the end of the match when Norway had a 6:1 series and had a five-goal advantage (27:22).

The most efficient for Norway was Nora Mork with six goals, while Mia Rey scored the most for Denmark, also with six goals.

Norway deservedly won a spot in the final for the 11th time, while Denmark will fight for the bronze for the third time.

Norway is the record holder with seven European titles from ten appearances in the final so far. They lost twice to Denmark in the championships hosted by Denmark, and they also lost the 2012 final in Serbia to Montenegro, in a game with two overtimes. Norway also has one bronze medal.

France will play in the final for the second time in a row. Two years ago, they beat Russia in the final (24:21) in front of their fans.

Croatia has already achieved the best result at the European Championships

The match for third place is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 pm. The final is at 6 pm. Recall that Croatia lost to France in the semi-final on Friday (19:30).

Regardless of the outcome of Sunday's match, the Croatia women's handball team have already achieved the best placement at the European Championships.  

Croatia entered the Euros as the ultimate underdog, and coach Nenad 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. Croatia then topped Germany in a decisive match for a spot in their first-ever European Championship semi-final, where they lost to France. 

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

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 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 5, 2020 - Croatia handball kicked off the 2020 European Women's Handball Championship with a huge victory against Hungary on Friday evening in Denmark, resulting in a warranted celebration after the game.

The Croatia women's handball team kicked off the European Championships in Denmark with a victory, and in the first match in Group C, played in Kolding, they defeated the favorite national team of Hungary 24-22 (12-12).

Ćamila Mičijević was the best scorer for Croatia with four goals, while Katarina Ježić and Ana Debelić scored three goals each. Valentina Blažević, Marijeta Vidak, Dora Krsnik, Larissa Kalaus and Stela Posavec shook the net twice, and Paula Posavec, Josipa Mamić, and Tena Japundža scored once. Goalkeeper Tea Pijević recorded ten saves.

Hungary was led by Katrin Gitta Klujber with nine goals.

The second match of this group, in which the Netherlands and Serbia will meet, is scheduled for Saturday. Croatia will play against the Netherlands on Sunday (18:15).

In an even match, Nenad Šoštarić's team reached a crucial victory, which could mean a place in the second round of the competition, thanks to a calmer and more precise game in the final 13 minutes in which Hungary entered with a goal advantage (19-18).

However, a 5-0 Croatian series followed, which gave them a decisive four-goal advantage. In the end, Blažević and Debelić scored two goals each, and Kalaus and Ježić scored one goal each. By the end of the match, Hungary only managed to mitigate the defeat.

No one gave Croatia much chance in the opener against Hungary, but they knocked down the favored opponent 24:22.

Just before the opener, the Croatian Handball Federation posted a video of the team's synchronized dance. 

But after the match, they sang. 

The team erupted into song, specifically Thompson's "Ljepa li si", a Croatia national team standard. 

Croatia plays next on Sunday against the Netherlands at 6:15 pm. The advantage for Croatia will also be that the Dutch will have a day less of rest.

Namely, the Netherlands was meant to play against Serbia after the match between Croatia and Hungary, but due to a COVID-19 positive Serbian player, the match was postponed for 24 hours. The Netherlands will not have even 24 hours between the two games.

Source: HRT

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