Portugal extended their winning streak at the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship to three matches, after a nice comeback in the second half of the Group G decider against Montenegro, starting with two points in the main round, after their 34:31 win.

GROUP G
Portugal vs Montenegro 34:31 (17:17)

With two clear wins in the first two matches against Guinea and Uzbekistan, Montenegro and Portugal were vying for the first place in Group G and for the precious two points to carry into the main round, as the battle between the two European sides promised a lot of drama and a roller-coaster match.

And indeed it provided the right amount of drama, with the two sides being tied after the first 30 minutes, 17:17, with a constant topsy-turvy nature of the match, as Montenegro built excellent runs, only for Portugal to bounce back and balance the score.

It was a 3:0 start for Montenegro, which looked in total control, only for Portugal to answer with a 5:1 run inspired by right back Luciana Rebelo and centre back Constança Sequeira, to wrestle back the lead and try and control the match.

But then Montenegro captain Jelena Vukčević entered the fray and started dominating on both sides of the ball, scoring six goals in the first half, to first take Montenegro to a 10:7 lead, cancelled by Portugal, with another 17:14 lead after 28 minutes making increasingly likely that Montenegro were going to take the two points.

Nevertheless, Portugal bounced back once again, taking advantage of Montenegro’s miscues in the seven-on-six attack deployed by coach Igor Markovic in the end of the first half, as everything was going to be decided in the second half.

Portugal had the better start of the second half, opening a two-goal gap, which, in spite of Montenegro’s trying, they kept until the 48th minute. However, Portugal constantly failed to improve that lead to three goals, missing three one-on-one shots with goalkeeper Marija Marsenić, which kept Montenegro in the match.

But after Montenegro’s attack failed to produce what was needed, Portugal finally opened that three-goal lead, thanks to a goal from experienced right back Luciana Rebelo, 28:25, with nine minutes and 30 seconds to go.

Rebelo, Sequeira and line player Sofia Ferreira combined for 22 of Portugal’s 34 goals, as Montenegro deployed a 5-1 defence, tried to stop the opponents’ attacks, but Portugal always found a way to score, despite having only six players on the scoresheet in this match, with Sequiera boasting a nine-goal tally as the top scorer.

Eventually, despite Vukčević consolidating her position as the top goal scorer of the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, boasting a 30-goal tally, after putting 10 past Portugal, Montenegro failed to weather the storm and conceded their maiden loss of the competition, 31:34.

The win brings Portugal closer to their second quarter-finals berth in history, as they will start the main round with two points, courtesy of this win, tied with Iceland, who are coming from Group H with maximum points.

Montenegro and either Angola or North Macedonia will complete the Group IV of the main round, but will start on zero points, having a mountain to climb to progress to the next phase.

Alkaloid Player of the Match: Ivana Vujadinovic (Montenegro)