Portugal win Group B, USA seal second win of the day

Portugal secured the first place in Group B at the 3rd IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship, after clinching their third win in as many matches, 2:0, against Chile.

In the other match of the day, USA extended their winning streak to two matches, dealing France a 2:0 loss,making it to four points, as they can finish second in the group, provided Japan do not win against Brazil.

GROUP A
France vs United States of America (5:7; 5:7)

Before the start of the match, France were last in the standings, with two losses, while the USA team were on two points, after their earlier win against Japan, therefore a win would have set the American side on the path towards one of the second places in the group.

But until then, USA had to win against France, which improved after conceding 26 points against Japan in their opener, and were properly motivated to clinch their maiden win at the IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship.

And the match did not disappoint, with the two sides trading blows throughout the first set, with France taking the lead first, but USA gaining more and more momentum in the second part of the first set, especially as their team captain, Jeffrey Townsend, became unstoppable.

Townsend scored six of the seven USA points in the first set, helping the American side clinch a 7:5 win, and piling on the pressure even more on France, which needed a stronger outing in the second set and especially a better finishing, after missing half their shots in the first 10 minutes.

The second part had the same story, with France taking an early lead, but USA bouncing back, but this time Chayse Wolf and Samuel Armas took control of the match, each finishing with four points. This time around, USA had a larger lead and France missed two spin shots in the last 90 seconds, enabling the American side to clinch an other 7:5 win in the set and, subsequently, the two points.

With four points, the USA are now second in the group and will finish there, provided Brazil will not lose against Japan. On the other hand, France are due to finish fourth and will meet Portugal in the quarter-finals.

GROUP B
Portugal vs Chile 2:0 (8:6, 9:6)

Portugal won Group B, after their third consecutive win, throwing off their maiden appearance at the IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship with a flawless performance in the preliminary round, displaying a 100% winning efficiency.

Their last win came against Chile, but it was not for the lack of trying from the South American team, which really gave it their all to try and stop the champions of the 2022 World and European Wheelchair Championship.

But with Ricardo Queiros, the top point scorer of the competition in superb form, as he scored 12 points, improving his overall tally at the 2024  IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship to 34 points, the European side looked unstoppable, more experienced and sharper in the key moments of the match.

This is why they dominated both sets, especially in the second one, when Queiros hit two spin shots, to create the much-needed gap to deliver Portugal their win, as Chile lamented the disqualification of Luz Carrasco, after two suspensions, missing their player in the attack.

With a 8:6 and 9:6 win in each set, Portugal delivered a 2:0 win over Chile, as they finished on the top of the group, being unassailable after their 2:1 win over Egypt earlier on Wednesday. On the other hand, Chile’s win against India will likely see the South American side finish third, only a India win against Egypt being able to send them fourth in the standings.