The road to a World Championship place has narrowed to a single match. Israel's under-20 handball side were beaten 35:23 by Iceland at the M20 EHF EURO in Romania on Friday lunchtime, a placement-round defeat at the Turda Arena that leaves Sunday's fixture — against the loser of Croatia's meeting with hosts Romania — as the last remaining chance to secure 15th place, the finishing position that Israeli reports say carries qualification for the age group's World Championship.
Israel arrived severely under-strength. Hebrew-language coverage of the squad, known domestically as the reserve national team, put four players out of contention: the first-choice goalkeeper and a centre back through injury, a third player suspended for the rest of the tournament, and a fourth sidelined since the opening match. Against opponents of Iceland's pedigree, the gap in numbers told quickly.
It did not begin badly. Iceland squandered two penalties in the opening minutes and would finish the afternoon nought from three from the seven-metre line, according to the official match sheet, while Israel edged 2:0 in front.
The lead proved a mirage. Iceland moved 4:2 ahead and pulled steadily clear, through 16:6 to 20:9 at the interval, as Israel's attack broke down repeatedly against a well-drilled defence and a goalkeeper who ended the day with 20 saves from 43 Israeli attempts.
The second half was played out with the result beyond doubt. Israel's coaching staff used the closing period to give court time to players who had featured only sparingly across the tournament, while Iceland kept scoring through a strikingly even spread — ten different Icelandic players found the net. Just 78 spectators were recorded at the Turda Arena for the midday throw-off.
Ben Gross led Israel's scoring with five goals, Yonatan Pelach added four, and Liam Madar and Idan Mena contributed three apiece. In goal, Yehonatan Benshitrit was kept busy, credited with ten saves from 36 shots faced.
The defeat caps a bruising fortnight. Israel finished third in Group F, losing 42:33 to Sweden and 39:31 to Romania either side of a 43:33 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, before a 30:35 defeat to Czechia in the rankings phase. Their best result of the trip followed, a 39:31 victory over Poland, but Thursday's 33:31 loss to the Faroe Islands routed them into Friday's meeting with Iceland.
Everything now rests on Sunday. Beat whichever of Croatia or Romania loses their placement tie, and this depleted group will have salvaged a World Championship ticket from a difficult campaign; lose, and the tournament ends in Turda with nothing to show for it but hard lessons.
