It has gone as expected in the preliminary round of the 2022 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship: Group A, B and C will see, effectively, play-offs to decide the final team through to the main round, while the ‘Group of Death’, Group D is an interesting three-way battle for the second and third spots.

Starting with Group A, late last night the world champions and hosts Greece confirmed their last 12 spot with a 2-0 victory over Thailand, while earlier in the afternoon debutants Portugal secured their second win too with a victory over Mexico.

Those two play each other for top spot, and more importantly, to carry through an extra two points into the main round, while Mexico and Thailand play off for that final main round spot. Whoever wins goes through. Whoever loses, goes out.

It’s the same in Group B and C for the final qualification places – in Group B, Vietnam and the USA play off and in Group C Uruguay and Australia play off.

Those two groups will see Denmark and Spain go head-to-head and Netherlands and Argentina do battle for the top spots and those extra two main round points.

Group D is where it gets interesting and the drama is further added to by the fact that, unlike the other three groups, the two remaining games are at different times due to their presence on the central court for broadcast purposes.

Currently, Germany are the only team through, on four points. They throw-off their clash with Norway at 15:50 and with the head-to-head record against two teams, a loss against Norway for the European champions will mean only they take two instead of four points through to the main round.

A win for Norway over Germany will confirm their safe passage through too as they will move up to four points and cannot be caught by the bottom-ranked team, Hungary, currently without a point after two losses.

Throwing-off just under an hour later is Hungary versus Brazil. If Brazil win, they are through and Hungary are out. If Hungary lose it gets a little bit more complicated.

If Germany defeat Norway and Hungary defeat Brazil then Norway, Brazil and Hungary will be on two points each and it goes to a mini league between the three teams for the final spot.

If Hungary defeat Brazil 2-0 all three teams will be on the same points won but Hungary will have the better period difference (+1) compared to 0 of Norway and -1 of Brazil, so Brazil will go out.

It gets even more complicated if Hungary defeat Brazil via a shoot-out, 2-1. In this scenario all three teams will be on the same points won, periods won, periods lost and period difference against each other. It will then come down to points scored and conceded against each other. 

Norway are on 0 different in the head-to-head points difference with both Hungary and Brazil starting on a -6 head-to-head difference. In this case, Hungary will need a seven-point or more advantage should they win the shoot-out, anything less and Brazil stay in.