22.11.2018, 04:02
Three left backs who can make the difference

THREE TO LOOK OUT FOR #3: Cristina Neagu and Veronica Kristiansen are well-established names in their national teams, but rookie Tjasa Stanko is also likely to make an impact at the Women’s EHF EURO 2018

Three left backs who can make the difference

For many teams in women’s handball, the left back is a crucial position. Usually they are strong players with an impressive ability to score goals.

The next part of the ‘Three to look out for’ series features three left backs, who are determined to shine in the spotlights at the Women’s EHF EURO 2018.

Cristina Neagu, Romania

What’s more to say about Cristina Neagu? The 30-year-old left back does it all for the Romanian national team, being usually deployed for the whole 60 minutes of the game in attack and defence. CSM Bucuresti’s star will be decisive in Romania’s quest to better the fifth place from the Women’s EHF EURO 2016.

Only Bella Gulldén has scored more goals than Neagu over the past four Women’s EHF EURO competitions. But the Swede’s tally of 158 goals came over four tournaments, while Neagu has reached 148 despite missing the 2012 event due to injury.

But shooting is only one facet of Neagu’s multi-developed game, as she can also bring a defence on its knees with shrewd passes that cut like a knife through butter.

While she was the top goal scorer in the Women’s EHF Champions League last season, the Romanian star stated that she was not in top form in the 2017/18 season. Now back at full strength, Neagu is taking Europe’s top club competition by storm again, leading with 49 goals after the group matches.

 

 

 

 

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Who are the 3 left backs to look out for in 7️⃣ days at the #ehfeuro2018? ⠀ @veronicakristiansen - NOR ⠀ @cristinaneaguofficial - ROU ⠀ @tjasastanko - SLO ⠀ #handballissime ⠀

Un post condiviso da EHF EURO (@ehfeuro) in data:

Nov 22, 2018 at 4:43 PST

Tjasa Stanko, Slovenia

Named the best young player of the Women’s EHF Champions League last season, Tjasa Stanko has also left her mark on the Slovenian team. At only 21, Stanko is already one of the most capped players in Slovenia’s roster, with 99 goals scored over 48 matches.

An explosive, creative and intelligent left back, Stanko has run riot in the Women’s EHF Champions League for Krim last season, scoring 55 times in her maiden season. She has pushed on with stellar form again this season, scoring 26 times in Krim’s six group matches, while also displaying maturity with an out-o-the-box steal in crunch time against Podravka, that ultimately brought her team a point.

Her partnership with right back Ana Gros could prove decisive for Slovenia, as Stanko already has the experience of a final tournament last year, when she scored 28 times in six games at the World Championship 2017 in Germany.

Slovenia will most likely need a gem of a tournament from the young player, as they face France, Montenegro in Russia in one of the toughest groups at the Women’s EHF EURO 2018.

Veronica Kristiansen, Norway

In 2014, a 23-year-old left back said that she wanted to become a staple of the Norwegian national team. Fast forward four years and Veronica Kristiansen has been an integrant part of the team that won the gold medal at three major events in a row - the Women’s EHF EURO in 2014 and 2016 and the World Championships in 2015.

At 1.75 metre not the tallest player, Kristiansen has a powerful shot, an amazing technique and is a key weapon in Norway’s free-flowing style. She scored just 20 goals for Györ in the Women’s EHF Champions League Group Matches as she needs time after switching to a team outside Scandinavia for the first time.

However, her struggles were not there when she played for Norway. She scored 16 goals for the national team in three friendly games against Denmark, France and Poland in late September.

TEXT: Adrian Costeiu / ew