Austria made it to the main round with a record win over Chile (41:11), their highest in history at the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, as Denmark sealed their place in the next phase of the competition as well.
 
In Group A, Portugal shrugged off a shaky start to clinch their second win in as many games (41:19), building a path to a main round berth after their clear win against Algeria.
 

• Group A

Algeria vs Portugal 19:41 (8:15)
 
A six-minute and 21 seconds fruitless stint for Algeria turned the game on its head and delivered Portugal’s first warning sign for this game, with the European side using a 4:0 run to open their first lead in the second game at the 2023 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship for the two sides in Group A.
 
Portugal opened a 6:4 lead at that moment, but it was not until the end of the first half that the European side first managed to widen the gap, especially after Algeria briefly lost two players, Bendiab Mohamed Ali and Hamdaoui Salah Eddine, due to injuries.
 
In fact, Portugal had another 6:1 run to close the first half, as goalkeepers Deniz Gunes and Gonçalo Morgado started to frustrate Algeria’s attack, combining for seven saves and a 43% saving efficiency, with the African side failing to kickstart their attack once again.
 
Led by Filipe Monteiro in attack, Portugal quickly became unstoppable and enjoyed a better start to the second half, as their superiority was overwhelmingly clear, especially through a better depth, which helped widen the gap even further and ensure another successful game for the European side, after their previous win from Wednesday against Rwanda.
 
A constant flurry of fast breaks, which saw Portugal convert their chances arising after Algeria’s turnovers, helped the European side create more and more on the attacking side, eventually controlling the game without a hitch, as left wing Nuno Oliveira scored seven of his nine goals of the game in the second half.
 
With their second win in as many games (41:19), Portugal improved their chances for a main round berth, which will be sealed mathematically provided that Croatia do not lose against Rwanda in the next game of the group.
 
However, the real test for the European side will come on Saturday, when they face hosts Croatia, while Algeria have the chance to open their account against Rwanda in an all-African crunch tie.
 
hummel Player of the Match: Nuno Oliveira (Portugal)

 

 

 

• Group E

Austria vs Chile 41:11 (19:3)

Without any problems, Austria claimed their second straight win at the World Championship by 30 goals against Chile. So both European teams in Group E, Austria and Denmark, have secured their spots in the main round, while Chile and Mexico will proceed to the President's Cup.

On Saturday, Austria will meet Denmark in a duel for the top spot in the group and points to carry over to the net stage. In turn, Chile and Mexico will face off on the same day, hoping to claim their maiden points at the tournament. 

The Austrians were dominant throughout the entire match, and notably, Chile were limited to just three goals in the opening 30 minutes. The South Americans had 33 turnovers in the game, and Austria's goalkeepers Leon Bergmann and Marko Bogojevic did a good job.

In the end, this duo combined for 11 saves and a 50% save efficiency. Chile somewhat improved their attack after the break, but the Europeans maintained steady control of the game. Elmar Böhm became their top scorer with seven goals, while Clemens Möstl and "hummel Player of the Match" Stefan Wuzella added six goals each.

Austria did not score so many goals as in their opening match against Mexico, where they netted 49 times. However, the Europeans boasted a 79% shot efficiency and hit the 40-goal mark again, and their firepower helped them to secure a spot among the top 16 teams of the World Championship. 

hummel Player of the Match: Stefan Wuzella (Austria)