What a day! The semifinals were the highlights at the previous tournament. Power, tempo, action, emotions – the spectators saw all this properties from the first to the last match.

The host acted sovereign all the matches before but Brazil got in trouble in his semifinal against the Norwegian girls. The Scandinavians acted clever with more discipline from the beginning and won the first period. Brazil fought tough and came back. The following shootout was a thriller for teams, coaches and spectators. After ten (!) shooters each the defending champion won finally with a lot of luck.

 

The same situation appeared at the first men’s semifinal: Host Brazil won the first period. But after the break Qatar acted with more speed and a dominate defense and offense. The boys from the indoor Asian Champion took the lead. The match was thrilling after some mistakes of the team from Qatar at the last two minutes of the second period. The result was a draw – and Brazil made the Golden goal and won the match. Except the unluckily team from Qatar the whole stadium cheered.

 

The mood was also good when Hungary and Ukraine was playing the second semifinal in the women’s competition. The first half was a match on eye level; finally Hungary was the winner. Both defenses dominated during the first minutes at the second period. There was no goal at the first two and a half minutes. After this short break the girls from the Hungarian team found back, first to a normal shape and than took the lead. And the European Champion defended the difference to the end. For Hungary it is the first medal ever at Beach Handball World Championships. And the final will be a real showdown: Defending World Champion versus European Champion.

 

This special construction is also the version for the men’s final. But European Champion Croatia was in luck against Denmark. The Scandinavians dominated the first period but the Danish dynamite was wet after the break. The Croatian goalkeeper advanced to the hero of his team. The shootout was from a Alfred Hitchcock movie: After the “normal” shootout time the result was a draw, after ten shooters each team again. Finally Croatian goalkeeper Igor Totic decided the match when he saved the last Danish shot. The gold medal match between host Brazil and Croatia is also a revenge for the final from 2008 at the III Beach World Championships in Spain. The Europeans won 2:1 after shootout. And what’s going on in Recife 2014? It will be exciting!

 

The placement matches at the beach of “Boa Viagem” developed as exciting Beach Handball shows too. The fifth rank was reserved for Spain in both competitions. The men’s team from Serbia and the Italian beach girls finished at six.

 

Denmark lost only two matches in the tournament – unfortunately at the wrong time in the women’s preliminary round. So the silver medalist from 2010 and 2012 is coming home with a 7^th rank. Also the Russian boys finished at rank seven. Perhaps Egypt and Uruguay will evaluate the 8^th rank each different. It’s sure, that the girls from South America will be satisfied.

 

Also the girls from Thailand: The Champion from the Asia Games finished at 9^th and Chinese Taipei at rank 10. Argentina won its last match in the women’s competition against Australia. But the men’s team from Down Under won the placement match against Oman. In the last match it was the first victory for the team at the whole tournament. But it was enough to finish as 11^th, the girls at the 12^th rank but with two victories in tournament. Sometimes this life is not fair. Oman completed the field in the men’s tournament behind Uruguay (9^th) and Argentina (10^th).