Brazil are the second ever Non-European team in handball history to reach a final of a Women’s World Championship after Korea, World Champions in 1995. After a dominant 27:21 win over Denmark on Friday (20 December) in the second semi-final of the Women’s World Championship in Serbia – saved by an incredible performance of goalkeeper Barbara Arenhart – the Samba will continue.

The Brazilians will face host Serbia in the final on Sunday (22 December) at 17:15 hrs. local times, while Denmark play for the bronze medal against Poland at 14:30 hrs. local times in the Kombank Arena.

The Pan-Americans have kept their clean record of eight victories in eight matches as only unbeaten team of the competition – including the 25:23 preliminary round win against the final opponent Serbia. Like in the preliminaries, when the team of Danish born coach Morten Soubak had beaten the Danes by 23:18, the Brazilians were victorious.

And like in 2011 in Brazil, when they were eliminated by France, the Danes lost a semi-final at a Women’s World Championships. So Denmark need to wait another two more years to hope for their next final since 1997 (when they became World Champions), but in 2015 they have the home advantage on their side.

Brazil – Denmark 27:21 (14:10)

The saves of goalkeeper Barbara Arenhart and the huge number of Danish turnovers were the keys for the four goal advance after 30 minutes for Brazil. Denmark lacked passion, inspiration and ideas in attack in the first half. Punishing the Danish mistakes by counter-attack goals, Brazil easily forged ahead to 8:4 in minute 13. And when World Handball Player Alexandra Nascimento scored her third of in total seven goals to become best Brazilian shooter for the 10:5, the Europeans seemed to be down on the floor.

But they fought back intermediately by a triple strike, before Brazil took the control again, also thanks to their solid rock defence.

And the Danish style of playing did not change right after the break, in contrast – the dominance of the Pan-American champions even increased. The defence of the Europeans was weakened and the Brazilians partly marched through it like a knife through warm butter. After only 34 minutes the margin had increased to six goals at 17:11 and four minutes later the intermediate result of 20:13 was a hint, which team would reach the final.

Still Nascimento and extra-ordinary Arenhart (an overall of 12 saves in 60 minutes) – both playing for Austrian side Hypo Niederösterreich - imprinted the match and decreased the hopes of the Danes, who desperately tried everything to reduce the gap. Backed by the saves of goalkeeper Cecilie Greve the Danes put enormous pressure on the Brazilian attackers. And the Pan-Americans were intermediately impressed, caused turnovers – and if the team of head coach Jan Pytlick  would not have missed so many chances, the backlog would have been much closer than 19:22 in minute 50 after a 6:2 series.

Brazil were shaken, but did not fall. When Daniela Piedade and Ana Rodriguez  scored a double-strike for 26:20 with less than four minutes on the clock, the deal was sealed, the samba team now is heading for gold. Definitely they will win a medal after reaching already their best ever World Championship result after they made it to the semi-final. In 2011 on home ground they had finished fifth, now they will end up on the podium.