Sports Round-up
Let’s begin with women’s handball, where Romanian clubs were in
action on Sunday in the Champions League. In Group A, CSM Bucharest
defeated the Danish side Odense 31-27 in an away match. Cristina
Neagu was CSM’s top scorer, with 10 goals. CSM’s goal keeper, the
Norwegian international Marie Skurtveit Davidsen, also had a good
play, defending 14 throw-ins. The Romanian side keep their second
place in the group, at equal points with group leaders Bietigheim but
with a lower goal average. They will next play the Czech side Banik
Most the following Sunday at home.
Florin Orban, 10.10.2022, 10:39
Let’s begin with women’s handball, where Romanian clubs were in
action on Sunday in the Champions League. In Group A, CSM Bucharest
defeated the Danish side Odense 31-27 in an away match. Cristina
Neagu was CSM’s top scorer, with 10 goals. CSM’s goal keeper, the
Norwegian international Marie Skurtveit Davidsen, also had a good
play, defending 14 throw-ins. The Romanian side keep their second
place in the group, at equal points with group leaders Bietigheim but
with a lower goal average. They will next play the Czech side Banik
Most the following Sunday at home.
In the Champions League Group B, Rapid Bucharest defeated the Danish
vice-champions Team Esbjerg 34-32 at home. Rapid were leading by 7
goals at some point during the match, but then inexplicably dropped
their level and Esbjerg caught up, before Rapid pulled themselves
together to win the match. Dorina Korsos, Lorena Ostase and Sorina
Grozav were Rapid’s top scorers, with five goals each. Rapid are in
second place in their group with 7 points, the same as the French
side Metz, who have a higher goal average and are in the top
position. Next Saturday, Rapid will be playing away in Podgorica,
against Buducnost.
Let’s
move on to gymnastics next. Romania won seven medals at the 2022
Mersin World Cup in Turkey, namely four gold, one silver and two
bronze. Ana Maria Bărbosu won the gold in uneven bars, balance beam
and the floor exercise; Gabriel Burtănete won the gold in vault;
Andreea Preda won the silver in the floor exercise and a bronze in
balance beam; while Andrei Muntean won the bronze in parallel bars.
This was the last test for the Romanian gymnasts ahead of the
upcoming World Championships hosted by Liverpool between 29th
October and 6th November.
Let’s
end this round-up with football. After Sunday’s qualifying draw for
the 2024 European Football Championship hosted by Frankfurt, Romania
are in a relatively easy group, alongside Switzerland, Israel,
Kosovo, Belarus and Andorra. The two best-ranked sides in each group
will qualify for the final tournament to be hosted by Germany between
14th June and 14th July 2024. The preliminary
matches will take place between March and November 2023.
In
domestic football, the 13th leg of the Romanian
Superleague was held at the weekend. On Friday, FC Voluntari defeated
Mioveni 3-1 and FC Argeş defeated Universitatea Craiova 1-nil. On
Saturday, Universitatea Cluj defeated Hermannstadt 1-nil and Rapid
drew 1-all against Botoşani. On Sunday, Farul Constanţa defeated
Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe 1-nil and FCSB defeated Petrolul Ploieşti
2-nil. In the final leg matches on Monday, FC U Craiova are playing
Chindia Târgovişte and UTA Arad are playing CFR Cluj. Farul
Constanţa top the ranking with 30 points, followed by Rapid
Bucharest, who are five points behind. (CM)
