Iceland vs Brazil 32:27 (15:10)

Gabriel Ceretta Jung was the first to score and Rangel Luan Rosa began with a save, opening the match strong for Brazil. Top scorer of the competition, Iceland right wing Oeinn Rikharesson (seven goals) , scored a fast break to put their first point on the board soon after, though they were already disadvantaged by a two-minute suspension and coach Einar Gudmundsson decided to try the additional player in place of a goalkeeper tactic for the first of many times. 

Just after the fifth minute Omar Magnusson scored a penalty goal before Rikharesson struck again, then Hakon Styrmission scored his first and Iceland suddenly had a three-goal advantage (5:2, eighth minute). Brazil coach Ivan Bruno Maziero called a time-out, but the Pan American side continued to struggle against the Iceland defence with two shots blocked in the next attack alone. 

Leonardo Dutra Ferreira scored two strong outside shots in consecutive attacks but Iceland quickly increased their advantage to double Brazil’s score midway through the half (10:5). Iceland’s defence often kept Brazil working until passive play was called while they used fast breaks as their main weapon in attack. Two suspensions – for Pedro Umbelina Junior and Gabriel Oliveira Gondim – did not help and around the 20-minute mark, Rosa was almost the only part of Brazil’s game keeping them in the match (11:6). 

Iceland were playing seven-on-six and missed a quick change to allow Caue Ceccon Baptista to score into the empty goal, then Rosa made a save to keep the score at 13:9 with just under five minutes left in the half. 

With the score at 14:9 Egill Magnusson was sent off for two minutes and goalkeeper Gretar Gudjonsson went out to give Iceland six players in attack. When they returned to defend they forgot they had no goalkeeper – but Brazil’s attack also failed to notice until it was too late, missing the chance to decrease the score line and keeping a five-goal gap at the break. 

In the second half Iceland held their lead as Brazil worked hard but appeared to be running out of steam. Iceland conceded some more goals with no goalkeeper, but otherwise their only trouble was Rosa and with 15 minutes on the clock, they retained a five-goal advantage (23:18). 

Brazil came back within one goal as the clock neared the ten minutes, but by the 55th Iceland had reasserted their lead with a save from Gudjonsson keeping the score at 28:25. Minutes later Rikharesson scored his seventh to put Iceland ahead by five once more (30:25), and with just two minutes remaining, their semi-final place was confirmed. 

Norway vs Slovenia 29:34 (13:16)

Norway were first to score with an outside shot from centre back Magnus Fredriksen, but Slovenia showed their intention for the game when they were at the other end of the court in seconds – and the pace of the match was set. 

Two Slovenia penalties within a couple of minutes put the Balkan team in front by two in the eighth (3:5), and Norway brought in Simen Nicola Schoenningsen who scored a rocket into the top left corner in his first attack (4:6, 10th minute). 
When right back Blaz Janc (… goals) scored his fourth goal – a fast break in the 14th minute – to put Slovenia ahead by three, Norway coach Geir Erlandsen called a time-out of the match (5:8) and the Scandinavian side came back. 

Urh Kastelic saved a fast break in the 23rd but Tilen Sokolic was sent off for two-minutes as Malus and Janc were marked out (10:11). Norway equalised in the next attack (11:11) and Slovenia coach Klemencic Janez called a time-out just as they began to flounder. Slovenia pulled ahead once more to lead 13:15 inside the last two minutes of the half, when Malus scored a spectacular Kempa off Janc to give Slovenia a three-goal lead at the break. 

When the match resumed Slovenia made an immediate statement with another Kempa goal by Malus (13:17). The game continued at full speed, with Slovenia still ahead by three when they received two suspensions – to Darko Stojnic and Sokolic (his second of the game). They allowed Norway to score only on that period, but goalkeeper Tilen Leben received a direct red card for a collision outside the circle not long after and Schoenningsen scored the resulting penalty (23:24, 44th minute). 

Norway equalised as the match moved into its last 15 minutes (24:24), before Sokolic scored a breakthrough that initiated a surge from Slovenia. Just past the 50-minute mark they had recorded a 0:5 run with three consecutive saves from Kastelic that kept Norway from scoring for a crucial six minutes (24:29). 

The victory-confirming goal aptly came from the captain – a jump shot from Malus, putting the score at 28:33 with two minutes on the clock. Nejc Planinc finished the game in style with a trick shot that was the last goal of the match. 

France vs Sweden 35:28 (20:16)

France scored from their first attack and then saved the first Swedish attack - a pattern that was repeated throughout the game which France won comfortably thanks to their incredible speed in both athleticism and thought.

12 goals from centre back Aymeric Minne tells you all you need to know about who was the stand out player from France but their whole team pulled together to nullify the Swedish threat from Felix Claar and his colleagues.

Such was their total dominance of the opening proceedings that Swedish coach Ulf Nystrom called his first time out after just 6:25 on the clock, and even with three French turnovers in a row, they were still 9:8 up after 12 minutes.

Nystrom still had not seen enough from his side as he called his second time out after 23 minutes - and three minutes later he was shown the yellow card for stamping his foot in anger - but the level of the French was underlined just before half time as Minne scored a beautiful ‘kempa’ goal after being set up by the influential Melyvn Richardson - who went on to score five goals in the game.

At 21:16 the second half started much the same as the first with France scoring straight away and Minne scoring the bulk of his haul, with eight goals.

French coach Eric Quintin was later given a two-minute suspension for encroaching onto the court such was his enthusiasm to get his instructions across and for his team to play for the full 60 minutes. 

Etienne Mocquais took his turn on the bench for his coach but by that time France had clearly won as Sweden knew the game was up - and quite apt for the game was not only France scoring last as well, but with recent addition Matthieu Limousin striking and the way France have qualified for their semi-final against either Spain or Denmark was pure first class.

Spain vs Denmark 23:18 (13:8)

Spain set up a semi-final against France as they completely outplayed Denmark for the whole match, but the real strength in their team started at the back; goalkeeper Xoan Ledo played the whole 60 minutes and saved 18 out of 36 shots he faced - an incredible 50% save rate.

Such was his performance you felt sorry for the Danes who tried everything to break him down but could not succeed.

The first half summed up the battle for Denmark as they could only manage eight goals as Spain went into the break 13:8 up thanks to a 5:0 run earlier on including three goals from Daniel Dujshebaev.

The second half was more of the same but between the 40th minute and 49th minute no goals were registered with either team as they both struggled to break through.

But when Dujshebaev struck home with seven minutes left to make it 19:15, Spain clearly knew they had the game in the bag - in a perfect symbol of his game, the final Danish attack saw Ledo pluck the ball out of the air as he grabbed it with two hands, close to his chest.

Coach Alberto Suarez Menendez will also have something close to his chest as he plots to overcome France in the semi-final on Wednesday.

Photos: IHF / www.uralhandball2015.com / Handball Federation of Russia