Hungary followed Montenegro to two points on the Group C table as they started their 24th IHF Women’s World Championship campaign with a decisive win over Kazakhstan. When Hungary held a 14-goal advantage at the break, it was clear the two points were all but decided, and the European side did not falter as the clock ticked towards full-time. 

GROUP C
Hungary vs Kazakhstan 39:15 (22:8)

Initially it was a level game, with some great saves from Kazakhstan keeper Iulia Poilova playing a key role as her side kept in touch through the opening – but by the 10-minute mark, Hungary’s superior strength had begun to show. 

As his team cruised to a clear lead, 10:4, at the end of the first quarter, Hungary coach Kim Rasmussen was able to rotate his bench extensively and allow every player, including all three goalkeepers, some time on court to break in their Japan 2019 campaign. Kazakhstan also made some changes, with Zhannat Aitenova coming into goal for Poilova. 

However, all the momentum was with Hungary and Kazakhstan could do little to counter that. The European side’s dominance was clear to see in the fact that their wings were the top scorers early on, thanks largely to fast breaks scored after profiting from strong defence. At the 20-minute mark, left wing Nadine Schatzl tallied five goals and right wing Viktoria Lukacs counted four. 

Hungary hit a 10-goal lead inside the first period, and as they extended their advantage the result became very clear. Hungary never dropped their intensity and used the match to practice different defensive systems. By the time the clock showed 45 minutes, 27:13, the European team were clearly on the way to victory. 

hummel Player of the Match: Aniko Kovacsics, Hungary