Iceland in Handball final after win over Spain
(BEIJING, August 22) -- Underdog Iceland will play France for gold, after overpowering Spain 36-30 in their semifinal at the National Indoor Stadium on Friday, August 22.
Iceland started the match with five straight goals, two of them from right-wing Alexander Petersson and three of them from Iceland's top scorer in the competition, center-back Snorri Steinn Gudjonsson.
In defense, goalkeeper Bjorgvin Pall Gustavsson (ISL) made two good saves in the first two minutes.
After an early time-out Spain readjusted, and after 16 minutes they leveled the game at 9-9, thanks to left-wing Juan Garcia and left-back Iker Romero, who had free access to the 6m line, both scoring five goals each.
Iceland's defensive errors made it possible for Spain to stay in the game for the first 40 minutes. After that Iceland pulled away, with left-back Logi Geirsson scoring seven goals, six of them from 9m.
The tense game prompted a rush of two-minute suspensions, 14 in total (nine from Iceland and five from Spain). After receiving his first suspension in the first half and another one early in the second half, Spain's Carlos Prieto was red-carded 10 minutes before full time.
Iceland will meet France in the gold medal final on Sunday, August 24.
From the official site
Iceland vs. Spain: 36-30
A bullheaded Iceland team outplayed 2005 world champion Spain and went from a disadvantage position to taking the upper hand. This victory marked their entrance into the gold medal match with Les Bleus. It will be Iceland's first time playing in the finals in the Olympics.
Five goals in a row from the Icelandic team gave Spain a blow in the first five minutes, forcing Spain to take an early time-out in the first half to readjust the tactics. Duo Juan Garcia and Iker Romero helped Spain make a come back by contributing five goals each.
For the first 40 minutes a focused Spain managed to keep Iceland's lead at a narrow margin. Later on, Iceland steadily advanced, with left back Logi Geirsson scoring seven goals. The intense game saw a rush of two-minute suspensions and Spain's Carlos Prieto was sent off court with a red card.
Albert Rocas scored a team-high seven goals out of eleven tries for Spain, while Geirsson and Valur Gudjon Sigurdsson both contributed seven goals for Iceland.
Iceland started the match with five straight goals, two of them from right-wing Alexander Petersson and three of them from Iceland's top scorer in the competition, center-back Snorri Steinn Gudjonsson.
In defense, goalkeeper Bjorgvin Pall Gustavsson (ISL) made two good saves in the first two minutes.
After an early time-out Spain readjusted, and after 16 minutes they leveled the game at 9-9, thanks to left-wing Juan Garcia and left-back Iker Romero, who had free access to the 6m line, both scoring five goals each.
Iceland's defensive errors made it possible for Spain to stay in the game for the first 40 minutes. After that Iceland pulled away, with left-back Logi Geirsson scoring seven goals, six of them from 9m.
The tense game prompted a rush of two-minute suspensions, 14 in total (nine from Iceland and five from Spain). After receiving his first suspension in the first half and another one early in the second half, Spain's Carlos Prieto was red-carded 10 minutes before full time.
Iceland will meet France in the gold medal final on Sunday, August 24.
From the official site
Iceland vs. Spain: 36-30
A bullheaded Iceland team outplayed 2005 world champion Spain and went from a disadvantage position to taking the upper hand. This victory marked their entrance into the gold medal match with Les Bleus. It will be Iceland's first time playing in the finals in the Olympics.
Five goals in a row from the Icelandic team gave Spain a blow in the first five minutes, forcing Spain to take an early time-out in the first half to readjust the tactics. Duo Juan Garcia and Iker Romero helped Spain make a come back by contributing five goals each.
For the first 40 minutes a focused Spain managed to keep Iceland's lead at a narrow margin. Later on, Iceland steadily advanced, with left back Logi Geirsson scoring seven goals. The intense game saw a rush of two-minute suspensions and Spain's Carlos Prieto was sent off court with a red card.
Albert Rocas scored a team-high seven goals out of eleven tries for Spain, while Geirsson and Valur Gudjon Sigurdsson both contributed seven goals for Iceland.
Ummæli