After a hard-fought win against Brazil in their opener at the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, Romania made it two out of two, without delivering a vintage performance against the Islamic Republic of Iran, 33:15, as they got closer to a main round berth.

GROUP A
Islamic Republic of Iran vs Romania 15:33 (7:16)

Bronze medallists at the W19 EHF EURO 2023, which they hosted, Romania headed with big expectations into the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, but their first match was a wake-up call, as they could only muster a one-goal win against Brazil, after being down three goals in the first half.

The second match, against the Islamic Republic of Iran, was surely going to see Romania as favourites, but exactly how much the Asian team was going to hamper their opponents was there to be seen, especially as Iran scored only 11 goals against the Netherlands in the first match.

Sure enough, Romania jumped to a 7:1 lead after only eight minutes and it looked like the European side was going to win big, regardless of some key players like left back Diana Lixăndroiu or right wing Mihaela Mihai being rested.

However, the rhythm of the Romania attack started to dwindle, as their efficiency dipped to 60%, lower than needed for a big win, as the gap at the break was only nine goals, 16:7, but with Romania managing well their turnovers, conceding the ball only four times with their mistakes.

The plan for Romania was to concede five goals or less in the second half, but their defence, led by goalkeepers Ana Cristea and Ioana Niță, who both had six saves for a 46% saving efficiency, failed to deliver what coach Simona Maior-Pașca wanted.

While key Iran players Nastaran Koudzarifarahani and Fatemeh Merikh combined for only four goals, the Asian side still hit eight goals in the second half, but the gap grew bigger and bigger as the time passed, with Romania using their depth and experience to help enhance this lead.

Romania’s best scorers in the first match, Alisia Boiciuc and Diana Lixăndroiu scored four goals between them, with Boiciuc jumping to the first place in the top goal scorer standings, with 15 goals, as Romania eventually sealed a clear win, 33:15, but by a lower difference than the Netherlands’ one.

This means that the Dutch side will win the group, provided they win against Brazil and the clash between Romania and the Netherlands, on Saturday, finishes in a draw. 

Alkaloid Player of the Match: Elnaz Yarmohammadtouski (Islamic Republic of Iran)