Despite playing the whole game without their EHF Champions League player Luis Frade due to injury, Ricardo Santos’ Portugal did enough to hand Bahrain their second defeat in two matches and open their 2019 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship points account.

GROUP C
Bahrain vs Portugal 27:29 (12:15)

Throughout nearly the entirety of the pre-match warm-up on court at the Pavillon Municipal de Deportes de Pontevedra one of Portugal’s trio of talisman, line player Luis Frade, underwent a heavy workout on his injured right knee.

A few minutes before the team disappeared off court, ready for the team presentation and anthem, Frade left the court, maybe to get some last-minute physiotherapy, but it was in vain as he spent the entire 60 minutes of this Europe vs Asia clash fully kitted, sat on the Portuguese bench.

But his side did not need the All-star Line Player of the Men’s 20 EURO as the other two key players in the trio – Andre Gomes, and, most effectively, the Men’s 20 EURO MVP Diogo Silva did enough to keep their side in front.

Already with 13 goals to his name after just one game, Silva added another 11 today to ensure two points and put the disappointment of an unexpected loss against Brazil on Tuesday behind them, but Bahrain will again wonder ‘what if’? after a dogged performance fell short again, just like in their opener against Hungary.

Four of the five early Portugal goals came from Silva as his strikes helped his side push two in front within 10 minutes (5:3) but Bahrain came back, to equalise (5:5) in the 11th minute as the impressive Qasim Al-Shuwaihkh in the Asian goal capitalised on an empty Portugal net to sink home with a full-length goal.

Right up until the 20th minute the game was equal (8:8), but Leonel Fernandes struck three times in a row as Icelandic coach Johann Halldor took a time out with just over 20 minutes gone on the clock.

His side came out hoping to take back the initiative, but Diogo Valerio in the Portugal goal made another save (his fourth at this point) to ensure his side could race to a five-goal lead (14:9 – 26th minute) just before the break.

But as Hungary can confirm, teams should never write off Bahrain and they scored three quick goals with just one in response to go in just three behind at the break (15:12). Portugal were their own worst enemies at this point and Santos grabbed a time out with 39 seconds of the half remaining to ensure there was no further damage.

Whatever he said at half-time worked as with 33:16 on the clock the score was 19:13 to his side and Halldor was talking to his team on court having taken an early time out.

Husain Mahfood came into the Bahraini goal and became the second goalkeeper to score, but with an active defence leaving holes, Portugal could pick off their opponents and were comfortable right until just over five minutes left of the game (29:23) and although they let Bahrain go on a 4:0 run with their heads maybe already on their match against Kosovo tomorrow, the points were in the bag for Santos’ team who called it a “vital” win.

“It's obvious that we need to improve to beat strong teams,” said Halldor after the match to spainhandball19.com. “We need to have more discipline and make fewer mistakes.”

Best Player of the Match: Diogo Silva (POR)