Brazil, Serbia, Iceland and Portugal all made the main round at Germany/Greece 2023 after the evening matches concluded the second day of competition in Hanover and Athens.

Serbia had no issues with Morocco, taking a 38:20 win, while Brazil saw some trouble against Kuwait but navigated it expertly to take a 29:20 win.

• Group C

Brazil vs Kuwait 29:20 (12:11)

It was not the prettiest, not the clearest win for Brazil, but it did get the job done, as the South American team sealed their second consecutive win at Germany/Greece 2023, sealing a main round berth.

After their win against Costa Rica, Brazil were clear favourites against Kuwait, but were struggling throughout the first half, relying once again on their two stalwarts, Michael da Silva Quintino and Hugo Bryan Monta da Silva.

The two combined for seven goals, with Monta da Silva, one of the game's future stars, stealing the show with four goals and three assists. Yet Kuwait somehow still found ways to stay alive, finishing the first half only one goal behind (12:11).

The game's pivotal moment was a 4:0 start of the second half for Brazil, which created a five-goal cushion, proven to be unassailable, powered by the same two players, as Monta da Silva finished the match with nine goals.

Eventually, Brazil's second half performance was pretty flawless, conceding only nine goals, which saw the South American side jump to a clear 29:20 win, with the Asian side failing to get the needed level for all the 60 minutes of the game.

With back-to-back wins, Brazil made it to the main round, as did Portugal, as the last day of the preliminary round, scheduled for Friday, sees the two teams go head to head for the two points to be taken into the next round.

hummel Player of the Match: Hugo Bryan Monta da Silva (Brazil)

 

 

 

• Group G

Morocco vs Serbia 20:38 (10:23)

The result of this match means that both European teams in Group G, Serbia and Iceland, are through to the main round. In turn, Morocco and Chile will continue the tournament in the President's Cup.

On the opening day, Morocco had put a lot of pressure on Iceland before ultimately losing 15:17. But now they conceded 17 goals already by the 26th minute. Serbia took their rivals very seriously and boasted an 86% attack efficiency in the opening half. 

Spurred by right wing Mateja Dodic and left back Milos Kos, the Balkan team opened a 10:3 lead already 10 minutes into the game. Morocco improved their scoring record as the game progressed, but it was not enough for a comeback, so the unstoppable Serbs led by 14 goals at half-time. 

Both Serbian goalkeepers Marko Mrdovic and Luka Krivokapic did a good job, combining for 18 saves, which was one of the factors that helped the Europeans earn two points. In contrast, Morocco's goalkeeping left much to be desired, especially compared to their previous match.
Besides, Serbia have enough depth in their squad, which allows them to rotate the players. After the break, they somewhat slowed down but maintained a big advantage, ultimately cruising to a clear win. 

hummel Player of the Match: Branko Predovic (Serbia)