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Sagosen leads Norway through to main round

15 Jan. 2023

Sagosen leads Norway through to main round

The 2017 and 2019 runners-up Norway are now through to the last 24 at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship after another focused performance against an Argentina side that has one chance left to progress. 

Group F

Norway vs Argentina 32:21 (16:12)

Norway coach Jonas Wille swapped out Sander Øverjordet for Erik Toft as he made one change from his opening-day team who took down North Macedonia with ease on Friday.

On the opposite side, Argentina’s influential right back Federico Pizarro missed the match due to illness, as left back Fabrizio Casanova got his first Poland/Sweden 2023 minutes.

An even opening gave way to a two-goal Norway lead after seven minutes (4:2) thanks to an unlikely source – two Diego Simonet turnovers. Still, he ensured that his side stayed in contention, at least until the quarter-of-an-hour mark.

By this time, with Sagosen sinking home, the Europeans were 10:7 ahead and coach Guillermo Milano took his first time out, which had the desired effect – they came within one (9:10).

But as soon as they had caught up, they were behind again as Norway stretched their lead to four (24:20) with five minutes of the half remaining and did not look back.

“The match was divided into two periods – the first 20 minutes Argentina came good, but we made some adjustments and we came good,” said Norway’s Vetle Aga Eck. “The last 40 minutes were a good game for us.”

“We adjusted a lot of things from the last match,” said Argentina’s Pedro Martínez Cami. “To win a match like this, we need to play a perfect match because Norway are one of the favourites for the title. It was difficult for us to keep the level for 60 minutes, but we showed we can compete.”

The South Americans now face North Macedonia in their final match on Tuesday (17 January), with the winners progressing to the main round. They will be joined by both the Netherlands and Norway, who face off in the final group F preliminary match immediately afterwards for the group win.

hummel Player of the Match: Sander Sagosen (Norway)