After their opening day losses against Republic of Korea and Norway respectively, Chile and Brazil know their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games dreams will lie in tatters if they lose again today on day two of the Tokyo Handball Qualification 2020 – Men’s Tournament 1.
 
Brazil face Korea in the opening game at the Verde Complex in Podgorica, Montenegro while Chile take on Norway in the late game.
 
Brazil vs Republic of Korea 17:30 CET
 
For Brazil coach Marcus Oliveira and left back Thiagus Petrus it was a disappointing return to national team duties after both missed the entire 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship due to positive COVID-19 tests.
 
A defeat to European heavyweights Norway in their opening game was maybe expected, but the manner of the loss – by 12 goals (32:20) with just eight second-half strikes – could maybe see Korea on the end of a South American response to that comprehensive defeat today.
 
“We started the game very serious and kept the result for the first 20 minutes,” said Petrus on his 150th national team appearance. “Then we didn’t attack so good and gave them so many fast-breaks and the second half was more of the same.”
 
Oliveira may be concerned about his sides’ poor conversion rate in front of goal (43%) but Norway were simply too strong in attack, while at the back, his goalkeepers managed just seven saves between them with Rangel da Rosa being replaced by Leonardo Terçariol overnight. Coach Oliveira also exchanged line players, with Alexandro Pozzer replaced by Vinicius Teixeira this morning.
 
One goalkeeper who did have a special first day was Korea’s Jaeyong Park, who made 25 saves against Chile to confirm a 36:35 win – despite the Asian side being nine goals ahead in the second half.
 
“As players, I don’t think anyone can be satisfied with the match, but I believe that we all learned from it,” said Park about the Chile victory, with coach Kang Il Koo adding: “we had prepared a lot, especially for Chile, but it wasn't enough. However, I really appreciated our players for the win today and I will prepare them for Brazil and we will definitely not make the same mistakes.”
 
Coach Kang also made a replacement with right back Jaeseop Shin coming in for left back Kwanjung Jeong.
 
Ahead of Montenegro, Kang had told ihf.info he believed Brazil’s threat came from their back court players, adding “their centre back and line players have excellent skill, and they won’t be easy”.
 
If they manage to nullify that threat and take the win, Korea will be making a trip to their neighbours Japan in July.
 
Chile vs Norway 20:00 CET
 
Any followers of Norway’s men’s team over the past few months will have been clear about the messaging coming from Christian Berge’s camp: forget Egypt 2021 and show what we can do.
 
Their sixth-place, quarter-final finish at the 2021 IHF Men’s World Championship may have been their joint second highest ever ranking since their debut in 1958, but it shows just how much is expected by Berge and his players that it was simply not good enough, following two consecutive second-placed finishes (2017, 2019).
 
The two teams have only met once, at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship in Germany/Denmark, with Norway taking a 41:20 victory, and the Europeans will be the strong favourites to make it two from two and almost book their Tokyo 2020 place today.
 
Ahead of Montenegro they were already favourites, but their strong defensive and offensive performance against Brazil yesterday impressed many and showed that they are back to some sort of form they could not find in North Africa.
 
“We talked a lot about our performance in Egypt and we weren’t satisfied with the things we left there,” said Berge after the Brazil win. “We wanted to build us up again and I thought we made a really good match, both defensively and offensively.”
 
Key player Sander Sagosen top-scored as usual for the Norwegians (seven goals) and hinted later that the addition of the 7v6 attack which was briefly shown against Brazil will be used in the future, but it was the return to form of a number of players  - goalkeeper Torbjorn Bergerud made 17 saves – which saw the side click and Chile, now fighting for their Tokyo 2020 lives, will need to be at their very best to get anything from the game.
 
Chile coach Matteo Garralda bemoaned his defence in the Korea loss, admitting that it was hard to concede 36 goals and win a game, despite scoring 24 times in the second half.
 
Along with his players, most notably, the out-of-retirement 39-year-old Marco Oneto, today is the last chance his side have to book their ticket as a defeat, coupled with a Korea win or draw will see them out of contention for Tokyo 2020.

Photo: Stefan Ivanović/RSCG