[Trending News] History! Sporting ties and is in the “rooms” of Champions of Handball

Sporting secured, for the first time in its history, the qualification for the Champions League's final rooms, with a 29th draw against Wisla Plock, on the 14th and last journey of the group stage.

The lions had a very difficult life in Poland, went to the break to lose by 17-15, but a partial favorable (12-14) in the second part allowed the team trained by Ricardo Costa to stamp an unprecedented determination, in another Gloria page for national handball.

In a game where it went through a few difficult stages in the scoreboard, Sporting had, in the last minute of the game, something truly worthy of film. A dramatic but happy ending. Remembering, for example, Portugal-France and the goal of Rui Silva that was worth the Olympic finding almost four years ago on March 14, 2021.

The last minute of a movie

With 29-28 on the marker in favor of Wisla Plock, 50 seconds from the end, Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed Aly avoided 30-28 by defending a free seven meter to Miha Zarabec.

In response, looking for a draw, Sporting saw it to be marked a lack of striker to Martim Costa. With 22 seconds for playing, Wisla got a ball and Spanish coach Xavi Sabaté, before the individual marking triggered by the lions, asked immediately timeout.

The game resumed, the Wisla made a bad pass in central zone, Mamadou Gassama handed the left to Orri Thorkelsson to do 29-29 to six seconds from the end. The Polacos still got a shot on the horn, but the ball went next door and the huge leonine party was released, in a game where the draw automatically guaranteed the direct determination to the quarterfinals.

An unprecedented feat in the current format

Sporting is, in the current format of the EHF Champions League – which has been designating since 1993/94, the first Portuguese team to reach the quarterfinals.

To find a Portuguese team among the top eight of the Champions League, it is necessary to retreat 24 years: the last time was in 2000/01, with ABC reaching the quarterfinals, in a different format time: the group stage that preceded the quarterfinals was 16 teams, with four groups of four.

With the designation of EHF Champions League, ABC, in the 1990s, was also among the best eight. In 1993/94, in this famous time, he was a finalist overdue, against Teka Santander. In 1995/96 the ABC was in the group stage before the final (the two group winners for the final) and in 1997/98, with another format, the worms went to the quarterfinals.

The cleared and who goes to the play-off

Sporting, 2nd with 18 points (hit Fuchse Berlin and PSG in direct confrontation, despite the punctual equality) joins the Veszprém (group A) and Barcelona and Aalborg (first two of Group B) in the keen for the final rooms. Fuchse Berlin, PSG, Dynamo Bucarest and Wisla Plock (Group A) and Nantes, Magdeburg, Pick Szeged and Kielce (Group B) will play the play-off for the round of 16.

Classification – Group A:

1.º: Veszprém, 24 points

2.º: Sporting, 18

3rd: Fuchse Berlin, 18

4.º: PSG, 18

5th: Dynamo Bucarest, 12

6.M: Wisla Pick, 11

7th: Eurofarm Pelister, 8

8th: Fredericia, 3