With Brazil being the huge underdog against reigning European champions Spain, nobody would have expected a comeback like that after the South American side were trailing by six goals, with 22 minutes to go.

Yet, Brazil did exactly that, forcing Spain to tie the game with five seconds to go, in a pivotal game of the group that ended in a 29:29 draw.

GROUP B
Spain vs Brazil 29:29 (16:13)

To say that the reigning European champions did not start the 27th IHF Men’s World Championship well would be an understatement.

In fact, Spain needed seven minutes and 27 seconds to score their first goal against Brazil and, by that time, the South American side were already up 4:0.

With Brazilian goalkeeper Rangel da Rosa boasting a 77.7 per cent save rate after stopping seven shots in the first 12 minutes, Spain needed a wake-up call.

And it came in the form of a change in defence called by coach Jordi Ribera, who shifted from the traditional 6-0 to a more aggressive 5-1 that meant trouble for Brazil.

Therefore, the 4:0 run mustered by Spain was no surprise, helping them tie the game at 6:6 in only three minutes.

As goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas started getting in his rhythm, a flurry of fast breaks followed for Spain, with Germany/Denmark 2019 All-star right wing Ferran Sole scoring four goals from five shots, and the European powerhouse went into the break with a three-goal lead (16:13).

It looked like business as usual for the experienced Spanish side, which only needed to keep Brazil in check in the second half to secure their first win at Egypt 2021.

However, in spite of them missing their coach Marcus Oliveira and influential line player Thiagus Petrus, Brazil turned the game around.

It all started with a 5:0 run, powered by left back Haniel Langaro, Brazil’s top scorer in the game.

As Spain failed to score in eight minutes and seven seconds, Brazil cut the gap to only one goal (23:24) with 13 minutes to go.

Spain failed to notice the red flags in their game, while the South American side came closer and closer with the final buzzer fast approaching.

With Langaro and experienced line player Rogerio Moraes in superb form, both in attack and in defence, Brazil took the lead back for the first time in the second half, with only 30 seconds to go (29:28).

It prompted Spanish coach Jordi Ribera to take a time-out to gain one point at least and his team did exactly that, with 39-year-old centre back Raul Entrerrios scoring the last goal of the game with five seconds left on the clock, equalising at 29:29.

It was a dream start for Brazil at this World Championship, snatching a point from the reigning European champions, as Spain will have to do a little soul-searching before their next game, a must-win match against Poland.

hummel Player of the Match: Haniel Langaro, Brazil

Photo: Egypt 2021