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If words are missing, there are tears and hugs.
Tears for an unprecedented result. The hugs of an epic achievement.
Also the tears for Alfredo Quintana that, for example, António Areia did not contain, two weeks after an irreparable loss and also shortly after the sound of the horn that confirmed the Portuguese victory. by 29-28, towards the Olympics.
This is one of the greatest achievements in the history of Portuguese handball. Heroically accomplished. Extraordinary. With a lot of heart and head. And with the Quintana shirt, never forgotten, on the National Team bench.
Suffice it to say that Portugal entered the final four minutes to lose by three goals (25-28). From then on, he did not suffer any more goals from France who, although without an audience, played the pre-Olympic in his country, in Montpellier.
Iturriza and António Areia relaunched their hopes at a glance (27-28) and, after a whirlwind of emotions and a 28-goal draw with one minute left, Rui Silva took off after recovering a Portuguese ball in the individual mark and almost signed a unthinkable lap, six seconds from the end. France responded and scored, but the referees considered the possible tie at 29 invalid. And the Portuguese match was released.
After sixth place in Euro 2020 and having been one step away from the “quarters” of the World Cup, approximately a month and a half ago, handball in Portugal continues to make history. He goes to Tokyo, to the Olympic Games, in which Portugal until now has only been represented by football in a collective modality.
And it goes with Quintana in everyone’s thoughts and hearts. From António Areia, Portugal’s top scorer tonight (six goals) to the coach. From all the FC Porto teammates in the national team to the rest. Everyone counts and will continue to count, in July, to make history again for a country and for a name that, among the posts, has made Portuguese vibrate in recent times.
Courage and head after a false entry
Portugal got into the game badly. They lost 9-3, but Paulo Pereira reassured the hosts with the time discount, to stop a France that marked everything and nothing. I already remembered the duel of the Worlds …
With three exclusions in the Gauls until the break and the readjustment given by the coach, Portugal kept its head, had courage and launched into the game and the result. He reduced it to 5-11 and then left France for eight minutes without scoring, signing a 3-0 run that brought the game to 8-11. The progressive improvement took the game into halftime with 12-13, the minimum margin that kept Portugal connected to the game.
In the second part, total balance. The striker never saw a two-goal difference until the 50th minute, when France reached 23-25. Guillaume Gille’s team took off, yes, but hardly.
In the end, the last flight to victory was the Portuguese.
It was resilience. Holding Rui Silva with his arms raised. The multiple hugs and smiles. From the career of André Gomes to the bravery of Iturriza, also visibly moved.
Ah, it must be said that now comes the tattoo of the Olympic rings. The internal bet on this tab.
And it also remains to say that not everything was bad for France despite the defeat: it continues with Portugal facing the Olympic Games in group 2 and the powerful Croatia, which already beat Tunisia this Sunday (30-27) falls by the goal difference.
