Poland opened the main round with a hard-fought 28:25 win against Argentina, surviving a difficult first half and relying on big late saves to secure two crucial points.

Main Round, Group III  
Argentina vs Poland 25:28 (15:14)

Poland’s battle with France clearly left a mark, because in their first main round game they were simply not up to the task against the 2024 South and Central America Championship vice-champions. From the first whistle, Argentina were in front and did not relinquish the lead once in the opening 30 minutes.

The closest Poland came was midway through the first half, when they reduced the gap to one (9:8, then 10:9), and ultimately to a half-time deficit of just one, but their inability to find the right defensive response remained a recurring problem. Their attack functioned at a good level, with centre back Karolina Kochaniak leading the way, scoring four goals from four attempts.

On the other side, Argentina, despite a few mistakes, had strong backing from goalkeeper Valentina Meucci, who not only produced a few crucial saves but also scored into the empty net when Poland attempted to shake things up with an extra attacking player. However, once Adrianna Płaczek entered between the posts for Poland, things started to shift. With four saves from six shots, she gave Poland a boost, pulling them back to within one at half-time.

Poland stepped up a gear in the second half, or rather took advantage of Argentina’s drop in energy, and in under ten minutes of play crawled their way back into the game. On the strength of Daria Michalak and Nikola Głębocka, they grabbed their first lead of the day (18:17).

The European side managed to keep their momentum going until the 53rd minute. A stretch of turnovers and missed chances on both sides slowed the rhythm, but Argentina were the first to break through and level the score at 23:23.

It remained tight until the end, but the win ultimately went Poland’s way thanks to their goalkeeper duo. Paulina Wdowiak stopped a penalty, while Płaczek made three crucial saves in the last five minutes, lifting Poland to a vital victory at the start of the main round. The final 28:25 was set by Giuliana Gavilan, who softened Argentina’s defeat with a last-second goal.

Now on four points, Poland keep their hopes for a top-two finish alive, while Argentina, still on zero, lose their quarter-final chances. Poland will try to extend their winning path against the Netherlands next, while Argentina face reigning champions France.

hummel Player of the Match: Elke Karsten (Argentina)