Faroes through to main round on World Championship debut

Paraguay were left to wait another two years for their elusive main round debut at an edition of the IHF Women's World Championship after putting in their best performance in Trier, eventually losing to the Faroe Islands 36:25 in group D.

Group D
Faroe Islands vs Paraguay 36:25 (16:13)

Just under 3,000 fans at the SWT Arena waved goodbye to the Faroe Islands as the European nation closed their preliminary group H campaign in Trier with a victory which saw them qualify through to the main round of the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship in Dortmund which starts next week.

After their historic victory against Spain on Friday (28 November) Faroe Islands captain Pernille Brandenborg had stopped all talk of a main round spot until after this match and only if they had it confirmed.

Now she can, knowing that two wins and four points confirms their passage through into unchartered water, not least playing a fourth game in a championship, something the senior side have not done yet after recording a trio of games at their European championship debut last year before heading home.

The Faroes made two changes to the squad that made history last week Marianna Eystberg replacing Maria Weyhe and young goalkeeper Gylta Á Neystabo replaced by the experienced Annika Fridheim Petersen.

Paraguay coach Marizza Faria welcomed back influential centre back Delyne Leiva, after the captain missed their last game against Montenegro due to an elbow injury, while, for the second game running, Sabrina Fiore watched and encouraged her side from the stands on crutches having had a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament of her left knee confirmed.

And with both teams knowing a loss could see them out of contention for a main round spot or a win seeing them through, it was a blistering start at the Faroes took no chances, starting with Brandenborg and the supremely-talented Jana Mittun.

By the time the opening 30 minutes were up, the Europeans had led between three and five goals throughout and Mittun and Brandenborg were getting used to life on the bench.

With 10 minutes of the second half gone, adjustments were needed from Claus Leth Mogensen on the Faroes bench and a timeout was taken with his side four up (23:19).

Up until this match, the South Americans had kept their losses against Montenegro and Spain to less than double-digits, but as the realisation came, coming into the last quarter and seven behind (26:19), the steam ran out and the Faroes’ capitalised, extending their lead to 11.

Both the Faroe Islands and Spain moved to the main round, with Paraguay now heading for the President's Cup after this third consecutive loss.

hummel Best Player of the Match: Liv Sveinbjornsdottir Poulsen (Faroe Islands)