Record-breaking win sees Brazil clinch main round spot
01 Dec. 2023
Brazil remained perfect after two rounds at the IHF Women's World Championship after sealing a clear win 46:15 against Kazakhstan. With two wins out of two matches, Brazil became the first team of Group G to seal their main round berth, while Kazakhstan will have to wait for Ukraine's outcome against Spain before these two sides clash in the last round in Frederikshavn.
Group G
Kazakhstan vs Brazil 15:46 (5:25)
Right from the start of the match, Brazil showed they were taking every game seriously and imposed their rhythm on the match. Kazakhstan were trailing from the start and after Tansholpan Jumadilova's suspension, Brazil went on a 9-0 unanswered run, to create a big gap.
Just like against Ukraine, goalkeeper Bárbara Arenhart proved to be an insurmountable obstacle for Kazakhstan's players, stopping nine out of 14 attempts she faced throughout the game. The Asian side managed to break the pattern after ten minutes with a beautiful in-flight goal, courtesy of Tansholpan Jumadilova and Zhanerke Seitkassym, but the gap was still huge, 10 goals, 15:5, with nine minutes to go in the first half.
That was also Kazakhstan's last goal until the break and their goalless period extended to the 33rd minute, setting their attack efficiency at only 26 per cent. Netting only five goals in the first half was also their second-worst outing in the first 30 minutes in their World Championship history.
Kazakhstan did improve in the second half, bringing their overall attacking efficiency to 38 per cent, but their defence could not stop Brazilian players. Once again, every player wearing the blue jersey got their minutes on the court and 11 out of 14 of them scored at least three times. Kazakhstan's top scorer was Kristina Radayeva who scored four times and brought her World Championship tally to nine.
Eight minutes before the final buzzer, Brazil hit the 40-goal mark and they topped it with six more goals, sealing a 46:15 win. This is Brazil's highest number of goals scored in World Championship history and their second-highest win. Their previous record was netting 45 goals in a +33 win against Australia at the 2009 World Championship.
“It was a tough match for us, we had problems in defence. Brazil played quick and their back players were amazing. We had a lot of mistakes and I am disappointed by this game. However, this is a great experience for us,” concluded Kazakhstan's head coach Yevgeniy Shishkin.
Brazil now eye the top-notch match against Spain, which could be a battle for the top spot in the group, provided Spain beat Ukraine later today.
“We were focused on the match and we continued with a good play like we did against Ukraine. We achieved the goals we have set for this game and I can be satisfied,” said Brazilian head coach Cristiano Silva after the match.
hummel Player of the Match: Adriana Cardoso De Castro (Brazil)
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