Rotterdam, Netherlands – Austria’s women’s handball team continued their remarkable run at the 2025 World Championship on Sunday with a decisive 27-23 victory over Argentina. The win not only marks the team’s second consecutive triumph in Group E, following a prior win against Egypt, but also secures their advancement to the main round of the tournament. facing a challenging field of competitors, this result demonstrates the growing strength of Austrian handball on the international stage.
Austria’s women’s handball team secured their second consecutive victory at the World Championship on Sunday, defeating Argentina 27-23 in Rotterdam. The win guarantees the Austrian squad a spot in the main round of the tournament and ensures they will carry at least two points forward. This result marks a significant step for the team as they navigate a challenging competition field.
“The joy is immense,” said Austria team head coach Monique Tijsterman following the match. “We won the game in defense; we were truly aggressive. That was so important for the team’s morale.” Captain Ines Ivancok-Soltic, named Player of the Game with eight goals, expressed her excitement in a post-match interview: “We can hardly believe it. I am incredibly proud of the team for handling this so confidently.”
Despite traveling to the championship with a depleted roster, the Austrian team demonstrated a strong fighting spirit, mirroring their performance in Friday’s 29-20 win against Egypt. Goalkeeper Lena Ivancok was a key contributor, delivering numerous saves and achieving a 32 percent save rate. “She was incredible,” Tijsterman commented. Ivancok-Soltic and Klara Schlegel led the offensive charge, scoring crucial goals throughout the game.
Dominant Second Half Follows Tight First
Tijsterman started the same lineup that proved successful against Egypt. After falling behind 3-3 early on, Austria faced a scoring drought lasting over seven minutes. However, a 5-0 run within ten minutes shifted the momentum, giving them an 8-7 lead. The first half concluded with a 12-12 tie, as Ivancok-Soltic converted a penalty shot with just ten seconds remaining – a potential go-ahead goal for Argentina was ruled to have come a fraction of a second too late.
Austria came out strong after halftime, quickly building a 16-13 advantage and maintaining control for the remainder of the match. Despite Argentina’s greater experience, the young Austrian team, bolstered by Ivancok’s continued strong performance, maintained a comfortable lead. The ejection of Argentina’s top scorer, Elke Josselinne Karsten, in the 47th minute further aided Austria’s cause.
This victory brings Austria’s head-to-head record against Argentina to 3-2, following previous defeats at the 2021 World Championship (29-31) and in a March 2023 friendly in Spain (25-26). In Sunday’s other Group E match, the Netherlands defeated Egypt 37-15 (18-10), taking the group lead. A draw against the Netherlands on Tuesday will be enough for “Oranje” to secure the group win.
(Source: APA)
