Grit alone is not enough to win in ASOBAL

Alser Puerto Sagunto lost to Helvetia Anaitasuna 21–25 in a match in which the red-and-whites had set themselves the objective of taking both points, but the balance ultimately tipped the other way. The start of the match was vibrant, and from the first minutes Alser caused the Navarrese side plenty of problems. Throughout the first half, the score remained very even, with the largest lead being two goals; Bruixola’s excellent goalkeeping was particularly noteworthy. Alberto Estornell used his timeout to organise the team on court and try to break the deadlock. In the end, the red-and-whites went into half-time leading 12–10. The second half did not begin particularly well, as Anaitasuna reduced the two-goal deficit (13–13). After ten minutes, Alser failed to take advantage of their numerical superiority on court, and the Navarrese continued to lead by just one goal. During a timeout, Alberto Estonell instructed his players to play with greater concentration, and Latorre came on to provide fresh impetus. With 10 minutes remaining, the score was level at 20–20, but once again poor attacking accuracy and rushed play were exploited effectively by Anaitasuna, who moved three goals ahead—a deficit too great for the red-and-whites to overcome. The final score was 21–25. In short, Alser failed to secure the victory the supporters had been hoping for in a match that remained very even until the closing stages, leaving the team six points from safety. Next Wednesday the 28th, they travel to the Palacio de Vistalegre to face BM At. Madrid in the 23rd round of the ASOBAL league. Alser Puerto Sagunto: Bruixola, Ruiz (3), Sorrentino (4), Moya (2), Stefanovic (2), Sifré (3), Muiña, Nebot, A. Fernández (2), Prendes (3), Cid, Latorre (2) and Berrios. Helvetia Anaitasuna: Alejandro Sánchez, Zuza, Ion Latorre, Carvajal (6), Cristian Martínez, Reig (3), Redondo, Montávez (4), Borragán (2), Schulz, Ragot (4), Bernatonis (3), Moriñigo and Nadoveza (3). Referees: Juan José Gude Prego and Carlos Javier Gude Prego. Exclusions for Alser Puerto Sagunto: Sorrentino, A. Fernández and Prendes; for Helvetia Anaitasuna: Ion Latorre (3), Cristian Martínez (2), Borragán and Nadoveza. Score at five-minute intervals: 1–2, 3–3, 5–5, 7–7, 9–9, 12–10 Half-time, 13–13, 14–25, 19–18, 19–19, 20–22, 21–25. Full time. Municipal Sports Centre “Ovni”. 1,500 spectators.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.