The first behind the dash – the Lithuanian team did not get disappointed to the European Championship

This duel has led to who will take second place in the 1st selection group and win the direct travel ticket to the European Championship.

Lithuanian handball players in the selection group, who won 6 points, remained third in the selection group. Not only the first two teams, but also four teams from eight groups, who took the first place, ranked into the European Championship. In determining the best four third place teams, only results with the first two places in the group were counted.

Two of the Lithuanian handlers who had two Macedonians in Vilnius from the victory in Vilnius from the road trip to the final phase were only worse than other teams. The ratio of Lithuanian team goals was minus 21st goal. Lithuanians were the first in fifth place among the ranked teams.

The Lithuanian team was also overtaken by Ukrainians (-14), Swiss (-10), Italians (-8) and Romanians (-5), who had also won two points.

In the last match of the qualifying tournament in the North Macedonian capital, Lithuanian handlers were sufficient for a single goal or even defeat in one goal and Lithuanians would have ranked second in the group guaranteeing a direct travel ticket to the European Championship.

Photo by the Lithuanian Handball Federation

The Lithuanian team coached by Amber Savukynas started the meeting with a spectacular spurt of 4-0 and silenced Jane Sandanski arena. Even 8 min. Cyril Lazarov, a coach of Macedonians, was forced to ask for a minute’s break. After the hosts changed the goalkeeper and the goal of Martin Tomovski, the Lithuanian attack began to stuck and the Macedonians were 18 minutes. equalized the score 7: 7. Soon the hosts were ahead and won the first half at 13:11.

The second half started with three goals without a response, and Lithuanians were getting harder to score goals. In the middle of the half, the hosts were led by five goals at 19:14 and 52 minutes. The advantage of the Northern Macedonian team has already reached the biggest match – the nine goal difference at 23:14. Although Lithuanian handball players tried to chase their opponents, only six goals were not allowed in the second half and a painful defeat of nine goals.

Karolis Antanavičius, who scored 8 goals, scored 3 goals, Ben Petreikis and Paulius Česna scored 2 goals, scored 2 goals and scored Aiden Malashinskas and Mykolas Lapiniauskas.

At the beginning of the match, Giedrius Morkūnas, the goalkeeper of the Lithuanian national team, who was a desperate opponent, resulted in 7 rival throws from 24 (29 %), and Vilius withstood 2-year throws from 8 (25 %).

The goalkeeper M. Tomovsky, who became the defensive border of the North Macedonia team, repelled as many as 11 throws out of 20 (55 %). Filip Kuzmanovsky and Martin Serafimov, who scored 5 goals, played the most successful winners, scored 3 goals after the hosts Peševsky and Ivan Djonov.

In the European Championship Selection Tournament, Lithuanian handball players won three victories and three defeats in 6 games. Lithuanians who started the tournament in a 25:36 Slovenian defeat and later won three consecutive victories. At home 29:27 Macedonians were defeated and Estonians were convincingly defeated at 30:20 and 35:28 at home. During the remaining two matches, at least a point would have been guaranteed to the European Championship, but it could not be won. In the penultimate round at home, 28:31 were lost to the Slovenians and in the final round for guest Macedons.

Slovenian handlers who won all six victories and scored 12 points. Second place was taken by Macedonians who won 6 points. Lithuanians who scored the same number of points descended due to the inferior ratio of the goals thrown and missed. The Estonians who did not win the points in the last place remained.

Throughout history, Lithuanian handball players participated twice in the European Championship. 1998 The Lithuanian team won 9th place, and in 2022. He took 21st place in the Old Continent Championship.

Once upon a time, Lithuanian handball players competed in the World Cup. 1997 In the final round of the Planetary Championship, the Lithuanian team took 10th place.