Since its inception, the Handball World Cup has dragged on a problem, the superiority of Europe over the rest of the world, but the fans may be more upset about another matter: their current competition system.

With the two group stages and the order of the calendar, the best games are scheduled before the quarter-finals and too often they end up watery.

The duel between Spain and Hungary this Monday was an example.

With the two teams classified, only the first place in the group was in dispute and one of them, Hungary, decided to save the effort, give up the victory.

The prize was dodging France in the quarter-finals, but it didn't matter.

Despite the fact that neither Brazil nor Poland demanded him in the previous appointments, the Magyar team offered rest to all its holders and gave Spain the group leadership.

It was a strange decision, so much so that it forced the cabal: What if Hungary was doing the right thing?

At the end of the day, with its triumph, Spain will face the also fearsome Norway in the quarterfinals and if it goes to the semifinals, it is very possible that Denmark, current Olympic and world champion, will wait for it.

His path is not flat either.

In any case, Spain confirmed that there is no more serious team, these gentlemen are not interested in experiments.

With an average age of over 31 years, with two World Cups and two Europeans in the showcases, the players have already seen it all and know that the best method is to always play to win.

The only exception, eight years ago, at the home World Cup, but that was a special event in every way.

While Hungary, taking advantage of the substitutes available by the covid protocol, left in the stands its best player,

Mate Lekai

, its goalkeeper

Roland Mikler

,

Bence Banhidi

and

Pedro Rodríguez

, Spain came out with everything, with

Raúl Entrerríos, Joan Cañellas

and

Jorge Maqueda

in the first line, and the doubt lasted eight minutes.

In that very short period, the team led by Jordi Ribera distanced themselves (7-2) and then dedicated themselves to continue working as if they were in a normal match.

Only a poorly managed inferiority and the distractions of

Álex Dujshebaev

allowed Hungary to cut its disadvantage, but at halftime everything was already sentenced (21-14).

In the second half, strangely,

Jordi Ribera

did not give in either, he kept his regulars on the track, and the difference shot up to scandal (28-16) before the final relaxation.

Spain finished the second group phase with inertia and will appear before Norway without doubts.

In their first game in the World Cup, that draw against Brazil, questions were raised, these were repeated later against Poland, but in the last week, especially in their victory against Germany, the team has accelerated until reaching the pace that led them to celebrate the last European.

The opponent on Wednesday in the quarterfinals, Norway, is a strange opponent, who the team has not faced in a tournament for a while, and very focused on its star:

Sander Sagosen

, the best player in the world.

The lack of references, the youth of the group and its growth in Bundesliga teams, in which Spain only has one representative, will pose a challenge, but there is time.

There is no more serious team than this selection, these gentlemen do not like experiments.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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  • Handball World Cup

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See links of interest

  • Work calendar

  • Las Palmas - Leganés

  • Parma - Sampdoria

  • Atlético de Madrid - Valencia, live

  • Spain - Hungary, live

  • Athletic Club - Getafe