10.06.2014, 02:25
Poland, Czech Republic fight for EHF Euro Qualification in Group 3

PREVIEW: With Wednesday's match against EHF EURO champions, Montenegro, in mind, Poland have already set their focus on the decisive qualifier against Czech Republic on Wednesday

Poland, Czech Republic fight for EHF Euro Qualification in Group 3

Two rounds before the end of the Women’s EHF EURO 2014 Qualification in Group 3 only one thing is certain: the first place for Montenegro, winners of the EHF EURO 2012 in Serbia . 

The second place, however, will be taken by either Czech Republic or Poland. 

The two Slavic neighbours face on Saturday, 14 June in Brno (live on ehfTV.com), Czech Republic in a decisive battle in which everything might happen.  After four rounds have been played, Poland and Czech Republic have accumulated four points each.

Before the match in Brno throws off, both Czech Republic and Poland will try to win their games on Wednesday in which the Czechs face Portugal and Poland meet Montenegro (live on ehfTV.com).

Even though Czech Republic is going to play away, their victory is taken for granted by the Poles, as Portugal failed to take a single point so far in this qualification campaign.

Poland’s aim for themselves is to take at least one point from the match against EHF EURO 2012 champions Montenegro, and head coach Kim Rasmussen counts on the spectators’ support as more than 5,000 are expected to turn up in the new sports hall in Czestochowa –  it would mean a new record attendance for a women’s national team match in Poland.

The team’s fourth rank at the World Championship 2013 has done much to increase the sport’s popularity, recently proven by 4,000 people who attended the fifth national championship play-off between MKS Selgros Lublin and KGHM Metraco Zagłębie Lubin.

Montenegro will come to Poland with some new, less well-known players and everyone is curious how much court time head coach Dragan Adzic will give to his first choice players from Montenegrin club side Buducnost Podgorica. 

Polish back court ace Kinga Byzdra, who plays for Buducnost, knows many of Wednesday’s opponents well, but says that the Polish team does not have much time to change anything in the concept.

The only possible thing, she says, is to reduce the mistakes and focus on your own handball. Byzdra: “No matter which players Dragan (Adzic) will choose, we don’t want to take just one point, we want to win.”

Back in October Kim Rasmussen players lost 19:22 against Czech Republic at home in front of 4,3000 spectators in Lublin.

Should Poland lose and Czech Republic win on Wednesday, Poland would need to beat Czech Republic by four goals or more in order to qualify.

However, if they take at least a point against Montenegro, everything becomes a bit more simple from the Polish point of view: Whoever wins, qualifies for the Women’s EHF EURO 2014 in Hungary and Croatia.

“The World Championship in Serbia was a great adventure and we all understood how important the team role was,” said Polish goalkeeper Anna Wysokinska, hoping that team spirit will help her and her teammates to qualify for the second major international tournament in a row.

TEXT: Michal Pomorski / ts