“Tricolor” storm in Rotterdam » Romania beat Japan and MATHEMATICALLY qualified for the next phase of the women's handball WC! Victory with BONUS

• Reporter Adrian Jitea and photojournalist Ionuț Iordache are in Rotterdam with the Romanian national team and transmit all the information and images that matter
• Also today, in Romania's group, the Denmark-Croatia match will be played, from 21:30, liveTEXT on GSP.ro.

Extended weekend day, large community of Romanians in the Rotterdam area and its surroundings. The feeling of unity multiplied by the approach of the national day. A team of hearty girls worth shouting for. All the planets and all the satellites aligned in Rotterdam on Saturday night for a large attendance and a big match atmosphere.

Good news from traffic too. Today, the bus stopped confusing the intersections, and Ovidiu Mihăilă's students left early for warm-up.

Romania, many fluctuations in the first half of the confrontation with Japan

Iulia Dumanska certainly took advantage of this period and came out “on fire”. He blocked three shots in the first few minutes. Rebeca Necula put aside the “kamikaze” style and turned into a sniper, a “bullet” directly in the vincul. The good signs from the start of the match did not last long.

The problems reported by Andreea Popa were not resolved at yesterday's training. Large spaces in defense, you can also add to the aggressiveness chapter. Somehow, halfway through the half, the Asian women were in the lead.

The selector changed in goal, Curmenț entered inspired. Sorina Grozav did not miss from 7 meters, Lorena Ostase continued the metronomic course of the recent period.

Eva Kerekes' achievements were also impressive. Her detachment from the ground makes time stand still. A relaxation rarely seen in handball, active hands and defensively.

The Romanians managed it until the break and took the advantage, score 16-14.

Always in front, Romania managed the end excellently and got the victory

If anything was lacking, it was cursive. Excellent moments, goal from Andreea Popa's own half, followed by steps through the opponent's semicircle.

The Japanese women kept to themselves. With a quarter of an hour left in the match, the scoreboard indicated a perfect balance.

The “Shinkansen” derailment was produced by Mihaela Mihai. The winger of the CSM Bucharest champion went “short”, and found the link in the long corner.

Ovidiu Mihăilă inspiredly asked for a time-out in the 55th minute. The scheme designed for Sorina Grozav brought the goal. Immediately, Andreea Popa removed the emotions with a penetration from the right inter. Final score: 31-27.

It wasn't the total handball you dreamed of, but it's a big win in the big picture of the tournament. Romania is sure to enter with at least two points in the main group, where it will face the “baller” Hungary, over Switzerland and over Senegal. About the calculations in that phase, another time. Now a moderate celebration. There are many aspects to correct, but a base to quietly build on.

In the last round, on December 1, Romania closes the group in front of the favorite Denmark.

FINAL. Romania – Japan 31-27

Final match. 31-27. VICTORY FOR ROMANIA!
Min. 57. 29-25. Gooooo Lorena Ostase! 4 goal difference.
Min. 55. 27-24. After a time-out requested by Mihăilă, Grozav penetrated alone and scored excellently.
Min. 53. 25-24. Back on the field, Dumanska saved a shot from 7 meters, but Japan then scored from the position.
Min. 50. 24-23. Two goals in a row for Japan. Haruno Sasaki injured herself and was lying on the floor.
Min. 47. 24-21. 3 goal difference! Elena Roșu shows presence of mind and scores with an empty net.
Min. 46. ​​22-21. Necula stops a better run by the Japanese and Romania returns to the lead.

Min. 43. 20-19. The tricolors miss several opportunities to distance themselves to 3 goals, and the Japanese score on the counterattack.
Min. 39. 19-17. Stunning long-range goal for Andreea Popa.
Min. 38. 17-17. Romania fails to take full advantage of its numerical superiority.
Min. 34. 16-16. Japan equalizes and has numerical superiority. Romania has not yet scored in the second half of the match.
The start of the second half.

The end of the first half. 16-14. 15 excellent seconds for the tricolors: Bianca Curmenț defended a shot from 7 meters and then, after the time-out, Necula scored from a long distance.
Min. 28. 14-14. The Japanese manage to equalize, after choosing to play 8 against 7.
Min. 25. 13-11. Some hurried actions by the Romanians, after some solid defensives.
Min. 23. 12-11. Lorena Ostase is very attentive, recovers the ball, and Romania takes the lead.
Min. 20. 10-10. Grozav scores for the 5th time and equalises.
Min. 17. 8-8. Difficult moment for Ovidiu Mihăilă's band. 2 minute ban for Necula.

Min. 15. 7-8. Goal on counter attack for Japan. The Japanese are very good at nullifying our pivot game.
Min. 13. 6-6. The 3rd goal for Grozav, the 2nd from 7 meters.
Min. 9. 4-4. Some quick attacking moves by the tricolors and the Japanese equalize once more.
Min. 6. 4-2. Japan equalized, but 2 more Romanian goals followed: a “bomb” by Rebeca Necula and a throw to the net by Eva Kerekes.
Min. 4. 2-0. This time, Sonia Seraficeanu beats Japan's goalkeeper. Previously, Sorina Grozav had scored from 7 meters.
Min. 2. 0-0. The game started with a parade of each goalkeeper. Yuliya Dumanska continues her evolution from the match against Croatia.
Start the match! Over 2000 Romanian fans are in Rotterdam Ahoy!

UPDATE 18:50 » More than 1000 Romanian supporters at this moment

At this moment, over 1000 Romanian supporters are present in the stands of the arena in Rotterdam. Japan is supported by 20 fans.

The players come out of the locker room!

UPDATE AT 18:45 » The warm-up is over, we are getting ready for the match!

UPDATE AT 18:30 » The gallery has arrived!

The drums of the gallery reached the stands. The atmosphere is better than that of the first day.

UPDATE AT 18:10 » The two handball players who did not catch the sheet

The two handball players left by Ovidiu Mihăilă out of the game sheet are goalkeeper Elena Șerban and right winger Alicia Gogîrlă. Both seemed at peace with the decision, smiling and chatting with fans in the stands.

Surprisingly, Romania will not have any left-handed players in the 9-meter line.

UPDATE 18:00 » The first good news! Today I arrived on time

After the incident before the match against Croatiathe Romanian delegation took all its precautionary measures. He arrived early and went out first in the warm-up. Asma and Sonia Seraficeanu were amused by the music playing in the speakers

UPDATE 16:50 » Many Romanian fans at Rotterdam Ahoy

An impressive support from the tricolor supporters is foreseen. Several hundred are already around the arena or on the terraces inside. Much more than in the debut match. Obviously, being Saturday, the Romanians from nearby cities came to the gym.

Romania – Japan, live from 19:00 in group A of the Women's Handball World Championship

Romania started the World Championship exactly as it should, with a clear victory against Croatia, score 33-24. The selector Ovidiu Mihăilă also noted the fact that the tricolor handball players escaped without injuries.

There are still aspects to be worked out, something recognized by the Andreea Popa center. More aggressiveness in defense would be useful, but form will gradually improve over the course of the tournament.

The stakes of the match with Japan

The victory against Croatia was synonymous with access to the next phase. Romania can only lose qualification in a utopian scenario. If the paper calculations were to be respected, and the favorites Denmark would win everything, to miss the qualification the following would have to happen:

• Romania to lose to Japan
• Croatia to beat Japan
• It would reach a ranking in 3, where the goal difference from the direct matches would count. The “tricolors” look fantastic (+9), impossible to miss the intermediate objective.

But Romania does not think of a wrong step against Japan. Because the thought flies further, to the quarter-finals. A triumph today would mean that the “tricolors” end up with a dowry of at least two points in the main group. There they will have 3 more matches, against Hungary, Switzerland and, most likely, Senegal. This results in a group of 6, with the two best national teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

Until then, stop Japan. A dispute in which Romania starts as a big favorite in the view of the bookmakers, odds 1.11.

I told them, adaptability is very important in a World Championship. It is important to keep our personality, we will find the solutions to face Japan. Even though they have had good results lately, they beat Angola. It's hard to read, we have to raise the physical level. The important thing is that I'm done with all the healthy girls today. The game against Japan is the continuation of work, a chance to hope for what many do not believe about this team at the World Cup

– Ovidiu Mihăilă, the Romanian national women's handball coach

Ranking of group A from the Women's Handball World Championship:

The schedule and results in the Romania group:

• November 27 » Romania – Croatia 33-24
• November 27 » Denmark – Japan 36-19
• November 29, 19:00 » Romania – Japan
• November 29, 21:30 » Croatia – Denmark
• December 1, 19:00 » Japan – Croatia
• December 1, 21:30 » Denmark – Romania

Romania's squad for the World Championship:

• Goalkeepers: Iulia Dumanska (Minaur), Bianca Curmentă (Corona Brașov), Elena Șerban (Danurea Brăila)
• Far right: Sonia Seraficeanu (Gloria Bistrița), Mihaela Mihai (CSM Bucharest)
• Inter right: Alicia Gogîrla (SCM Craiova)
• Coordinators: Rebeca Necula (Rm. Vâlcea), Alisia Boiciuc (Corona Brașov), Andreea Popa (Brăila Danube), Elena Roșu (Brăila Danube), Cristina Laslo (Gloria Bistrița)
• Pivots: Lorena Ostase (Gloria Bistrita), Sonia Vasiliu (Slatina), Asma Elghaoui (Rm. Vâlcea)
• Left Integers: Sorina Grozav (Corona Brașov), Maryia Skrobic (Rapid)
• Far left: Gabriela Dumitrascu (Corona Brașov), Eva Kerekes (Gloria Bistrița)

VIDEO. Oana Manea, Luminița Paul and Daniel Grigore prefaced the duel between Romania and Japan at GSP Handball