DUNAFERR DEMOLISHES ASTROC SAGUNTO

Dunaferr playedtheir first match after the tragic loss of their Hungarian international pivot,Anita Kulcsár in Sagunto. Even though the players had not experienced the athmosphereof a high-stake clash for nearly a fortnight, they were quite determined andpromised that they would do their utmost to commemorate their deceased teammatewith an away victory.

Before the first whistle,the Spanish organizers paid a touching tribute to Kulcsár by playing a videofeaturing some of her finest goals projected on a giant screen. The homeplayers, who had faced her as an opponent on the court two weeks before, werealso visibly moved. The two team’s captains walked hand in hand to an emptychair that had Kulcsár’s No. 22 jersey laid on it and jointly placed theirflowers on it.

After the sad moments, thehandballers began to focus on the game, and the two side’s sharp shooters,Medved and Radulovics showed their value again early in the match. Both teamsapplied the characteristic 3-2-1 defence. Cristina Mayo’s girls have indeedlearned this system very well, Oncina showed an excellent performance at thetop of this pyramid formation. However, the home side could not utilise theiropportunities efficiently enough, as Pálinger was brilliant, especially againstthe wings, but she saved several centre shots as well. Dunaferr excelled infastbreaks, their tight defence threw the Spanish attackers off balance and thesteals often resulted in quick goals by Nagy and Pigniczki. By the middle ofthe first half, the visitors amassed a significant lead (7-12), which Medved’sside could only reduce somewhat before the break (13-17).

The high tempo was evenincreased a little bit in the second half. The game was very spectacular withfine players on both sides, but the more experienced Hungarian teamoutperformed the hosts in every aspect of handball. Pálinger, who was in topform throughout the clash, showed some of the finest saves of her life,intimidating the wings and even the seasoned Medved, who missed severalpenalties. However, the home side did their utmost to win on home soil and didmanage to reduce the gap to 3 goals in the 54th minute. At that point,Dunaferr’s Szilárd Kiss had a timeout and must have given some very usefuladvice to his players, as they produced a 4-0 run in the final five minutes,earning an away victory of 26-33.

A proper homage to thememory of a tragically lost teammate, indeed.

Text: Sandor Joo

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