In what could be one of the best first half performances from a men’s USA team at an IHF world championship to date, Julio Sainz’s side led Tunisia for nearly all of the opening 30 minutes before the African junior runners-up eventually got control over their North American rivals in the second half to win by seven.

GROUP A
United States of America vs Tunisia 23:30 (12:13)

Inside the first minute of this clash Amar Amitovic took a knock to his head, but it was the Tunisia team who had the headache as Nicolas Robinson in the USA goal helped his side stop them scoring until the sixth minute.

Up to this point Robinson had already made a seven metre save from Ahmed Bannour and following this, it was an American-Tunisian link which had a direct influence on the opening goals of the game.

Elyes Baltagi plays his club handball in Tunisia for El Menzah Sport Handball Club and he was on a one-man mission early on to show his repertoire of skills, first spinning around the Tunisia defence to sink home (1:0 – 3rd minute) and then the left hander faked a shot and then scored, to make it (2:0).

Baltagi was a bit too eager though and earnt himself a two-minute suspension after some spirited backtracking defending with the score at 3:3. But Robinson kept his side up saving a number of times to cause a Tunisian time out in the 13th minute with the cheers of the USA supporters celebrating Sebastian Wheeler’s goal echoing around the arena after he put his team 7:4 up.

Tunisia’s Noureddine Maoua was also on a one-man mission – to stop the USA attack – but he had already picked up his second two-minute suspension by the 15th minute and was on thin ice with coach Mohamed Ali Sghir using him sparingly for the rest of the game.

The USA lead stayed right up until the 25th minute when Amitovic sold the Tunisian defence a dummy, faking a shot, then bouncing the ball and spinning the ball artfully into their net, but this moment of skill inspired the Tunisians to step up again, taking a one-goal lead into the break which should have been two, but again Robinson denied the Tunisians from the penalty line, saving from Mohamed Amine Darmoul after the half-time buzzer had sounded.

USA’s other goalkeeper Rene Ingram did not play the entire first half (and eventually, the whole match) as Robinson ended the opening 30 minutes with six saves and his side scored their most goals in an opening half at Spain 2019 after 13, 9 and 6 against Spain, Serbia and Slovenia respectively.

But Tunisia eventually found their rhythm after the break, going - and staying ahead - by three or four goals mainly and with the Americans tiring, the last five minutes started with the Tunisians in front by five (25:20) and a relief that they had confirmed another two points.

“The game was very difficult and we did not play well in the first half,” said Tunisia’s Mouadh Ayari to SpainHandball19.com. “That made it more difficult in the second half for us, but next, against Serbia, we are going to play third place and it will be important for us.”

Best Player of the Match: Nicholas Robinson (USA)