Croatia and Brazil continue on their path to a medal, and to each other

As sure as sand gets everywhere, even when you think you have managed to not let any grains slip into your bags or shoes, Croatia and Brazil will certainly meet once again at The World Games.

Just as they have done in 2009, 2013 and 2017, they are set to line up on the sand again down the line at this 2022 edition in Birmingham, Alabama.

Both won their final preliminary round games 2-0 today, Croatia against Qatar and Brazil against the hosts, USA. Both have now got victories in all their games played in Alabama and both topped their preliminary groups.

Against Qatar in the three-team group A, Croatia never allowed the Asian runners-up a lead or chance. Their 29:20, and 22:18 win included a further 16 points from 2022 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship MVP and top-scorer Lucian Bura.

"We knew that Qatar was a good team and we prepared well,” said Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Markovic to Beach Handball Croatia. 

“The first set was excellent offensively and defensively, and this can be seen in the score. In the second set, we started a little worse, but in the end, it was an excellent game in defence and attack that decided.”

Brazil had a tougher test in their clash with the USA in front of a passionate home crowd at Sloss Furnaces – and facing their former coach Antonio Guerra Peixe, who was on the sidelines as an assistant having helped the squad prepare for Birmingham 2022.

The first period went to plan for the reigning champions who raced to a 6:0 lead after 90 seconds putting them beyond reach to eventually win 27:24.

But the second period was another story. The South Americans were only ahead twice, for a total of 38 seconds after the USA had led by six at one stage.

Despite a last-second Nailson Amaral single-point miss at the end of the period, Brazil won the golden goal period through Gil Pires, eventually, after both sides had missed chances in a dramatic and tense ending.

The USA's Jacob Garcia top-scored in the game with 20 points, one of just three scorers for the home side in the game. Pires grabbed 17 points for the Brazilians.

“The USA team grew a lot in the last years,” said Pires to ihf.info after the match. “They have a consistent attack with excellent and talented players. We had luck that the game happened on a Monday today as the arena wasn't as crowded as it was on Sunday with their fans.

“But the people that were there improved them a lot. All the time that we play with some noise, even if it is against us, the game gains in emotion.”

That emotion was added to by the familiar sight of Peixe on the sidelines.

“It will be always hard,” said Pires about seeing his former mentor in a team USA uniform on the sidelines. “First of all, because he knows us like a father knows his sons. He knows our strong and weak points and probably prepared them to minimise our potential.”

“But the Brazilian team always come to make each game like a final,” he added. “Every time we get a victory, it’s a feeling of mission accomplished.”

In the final game of the men’s preliminary round, Argentina got their first win, a 2-0 (30:18, 20:10) victory over winless Puerto Rico. Argentina’s Santino Sposito top-scored with 18 points.