San Fernando become first Argentinian team in 26 years to win the South and Central American Men's Club Handball Championship

06 Jun. 2023

San Fernando become first Argentinian team in 26 years to win the South and Central American Men's Club Handball Championship

For the first time in history, an Argentinian side will represent the South and Central American Handball Confederation (SCAHC) at the IHF Men's Super Globe after San Fernando HB clinched the title at the 2023 South and Central American Men's Club Handball Championship.

11 teams lined up at the start of the competition, which took place in the Ginásio Poliesportivo Henrique Villaboim in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with five sides from Brazil and two sides each from Argentina, Chile and Paraguay vying for the trophy in the competition, which had 25 matches between 30 May and 3 June.

In the group phase, several sides proved to be contenders, including reigning champions Handebol Taubaté, who took clear wins, 31:20 against Handebol Cascavel, 40:18 against Paraguay's Club Olimpia, and 41:22 against Chile's Ovalle Balonmano.

Hosts EC Pinheiros also clinched three wins in the three games they played, while San Fernando BM had the strongest attack in the group phase, dishing out two clear wins, 48:26 against Luque HC from Paraguay and 42:15 against DPV Kutral from Chile.

Taubaté, Pinheiros, San Fernando and the best-placed side from the second place in the three groups, Handebol Cascavel, were the semi-finalists, with the two games delivering some excellent action in the Ginásio Poliesportivo Henrique Villaboim in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In the all-Brazilian semi-final, Taubaté needed five goals from both Gustavo Silva and Guilherme Valadão Gama to take a 24:22 win over Brazilian rivals Cascavel. At the same time, San Fernando HB edged closer to history with an eight-goal game from centre back Juan Pablo Fernández, as they produced a huge surprise, eliminating Pinheiros with a 34:29 win.

The final was even more dramatic. Taubaté had a 17:12 lead at half-time, only for San Fernando to mount an astonishing comeback, tying the game after 60 minutes (28:28).

While left wing Federico Fernandez scored nine times and right wing Patricio Orlandi added eight goals, San Fernando went clear to a 35:33 win, taking their first title in the SCA Men's Club Handball Championship.

It was the first time in the last 26 years that an Argentinian side became the champions in the SCA Men's Club Handball Championship, with the last Argentinian winner of the competition being Nuestra Señora de Luján in 1997, after a win against another Brazilian side, Metodista.

"All my life, I have dreamt about this, we tried to make it, and we finally did it. Everybody knows what it means to win against Brazilian teams. We are very, very happy to do it," said Federico Fernández, according to the official website of the Argentinian Handball Federation.

EC Pinheiros finished on the third place after winning the bronze medal game, 33:27, against Handebol Cascavel.

The MVP of the competition was Taubaté's Pedro Martínez, while the top scorer was Club Olimpia's Joao Ribeiro, who scored 36 goals, including a 16-goal outing in the match against Handebol Cascavel.

Photo: German Paez