Twice, only goal difference decides in Women's 19 EHF EURO Qualification

Twice, only goal difference decides in Women's 19 EHF EURO Qualification

WIth eight qualification tournaments for the Women's 19 EHF EURO being played over the weekend, there was plenty of room for drama and close decisions.

On two occasions, in Group 2 and in Group 6, it was eventually only the goal difference that decided which teams would go through and for which teams this qualification would be the campaign's end.

In Group 2, Iceland needed a win against Romania in the teams' final match on Sunday. Romania's Andreea Tecar had levelled the match at 22:22 in the 57th minute, but then the nerves got the better of Iceland.

Two technical faults in the subsequent attacks meant that 22:22 was also the score at the final whistle, and with both teams on three points, Romania, with a goal difference of +4, scraped through as second ranked ahead of Iceland (-2). 

In this group, Spain won all their three matches and qualified as first ranked team.

The situation was similar in Group 6 from which only the first ranked team qualified. Friday's game between Portugal and Switzerland had ended in a 25:25 draw.

On Saturday, Portugal beat Georgia 34:15, while Switzerland beat Belarus 32:24. Following Switzerland's 37:19 win against Georgia on Sunday, Portugal needed to beat Belarus by eight goals or more - and they did so in style, crushing the hosts 40:23 to qualify for the Women's 19 EHF EURO 2017.

At the remaining tournaments, Hungary and FYR Macedonia qualified from Group 1. France and Montenegro are the teams that travel to Slovenia from Group 3; they are joined by Croatia and the Netherlands from Group 4.

Sweden and Serbia made the cut in Group 5. Norway in Group 7 and Germany in Group 8.

They join Denmark, Russia, the teams that ranked first second at the Women's 17 EHF EURO 2015, and event hosts Slovenia who were all directly qualified for the final tournament.

The Women's 19 EHF EURO 2017 is being played from 27 July to 6 August.