(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Catalans beat Fuchse Berlin in finale; HC Vardar finish third on their IHF Super Globe debut
Two years after they were knocked out of the trophy race by Füchse Berlin in the penultimate match, FC Barcelona avenged their loss with a four-goal 29-25 victory in the final to claim the 2017 IHF Super Globe title yesterday.
Earlier in the day, on their Super Globe debut, HC Vardar beat hosts Al Sadd with a commanding 18-goal margin (37-19) that placed them third in the tournament.
The first goals in the final came from the team's junior players, with Dika Mem scoring the opener for Barcelona before Kevin Struck added one for the defending champions. Following his goal, Berlin could not beat Barcelona's defence backed by Gonzalo Perez de Vargas for eight minutes, while the Catalan team scored two more goals before they too were kept quiet by the German side's keeper Silvio Heinevetter.
In the ninth minute Timothy N'Guessan broke the drought with his second goal, after which his French teammate Mem tallied his second to pull Barca in front 5-1 as the clock showed 10 minutes. Right back Marko Kopljar finally found the net again for Berlin in 11th, but even then it was clear they would have to work very hard for every goal particularly considering Perez de Vargas was in his best form.
Berlin's Jakov Gojun received his second two-minute suspension as early as the 14th minute, putting him in a dangerous position with a seemingly inevitable red card waiting with just one bad move. The defending champions' coach Velimir Petkovic called the first time-out of the match just as the clock reached midway (6-3 to Barcelona), though it did not swing the momentum of the match.
Barcelona hit 10 goals to Berlin's five in the 19th when Perez de Vargas scored a long-range shot into the German team's empty goal but it soon became clear Barcelona could not get too comfortable yet. Through the last 10 minutes of the first period Berlin recorded a 7-4 run that took the margin to three at 15-12 by the time the half-time whistle sounded.
As the last 10 minutes of the game began the difference stayed at two for Barcelona (22-20), before Gojun received his third two-minute suspension and therefore a red card.
With the final buzzer drawing closer the record EHF Champions League winners pulled further away, leaving little doubt as the clock ticked down. When Valero Rivera took Barcelona in front to 27-24 in the 59th, the trophy was decided.
In the bronze-medal match, HC Vardar controlled the game from the first whistle to the last, as they held the advantage from the beginning with only a brief comeback from Al Sadd that threatened the European side.
Vardar took a 3-0 lead before Amine Guehis added the first goal for the hosts after the end of the opening five minutes. With a 5-1 defensive system with Timur Dibirov in front, Vardar's defence was difficult to break through and even when the Qatari team found their way, ever-reliable goalkeeper Arpad Sterbik stood solid in goal. Al Sadd also played 5-1 with Hamdi Hadjayed in front, but it did not control Vardar's line-up enough to earn the Asian side the upper hand.
The hosts managed to close the gap however, and at the 10-minute mark were within one goal at 4-5. The score remained with a one-goal advantage for Vardar midway through the half (7:6) before Al Sadd levelled the score. Keeper Danijel Saric saved a penalty against Ivan Cupic and his team had the chance to take the lead, but they did not capitalise on the opportunity and Vardar then reopened the gap.
The Champions League title holders took a four-goal advantage into the break, and when the match resumed, showed their dominance as they pushed ahead to finish with an 18-goal margin in their favour.
Al Sadd's young keeper Rasheed Yusuff came in to face a penalty shot in the 40th, and kept the score at 12-21 with a great save but as Vardar led by 11 goals at that point the bronze medal was decided.
Vardar's Daniil Shishkarev finished as top scorer of the match with seven goals, closely followed by his Russian teammate Dibirov on six. (IHF)
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