The Image for Alser, the Points for León

 Alser Puerto Sagunto were beaten 30–26 away at the Palacio de los Deportes de León, where only Barça and Atlético have won and German side Kiel drew in the Champions League. Alser put in an excellent performance and only in the final ten minutes, with a 6–0 run, had to surrender to the evidence of the difference in firepower. It is paradoxical for the red-and-whites that the home coach complained about his absentees and having only 13 Asobal players, to justify the tight scoreline, when facing a team that has not had all 14 of its Asobal players available for a single match and had to set off at eight in the morning to arrive in León at seven in the evening.

But returning to what happened on the court, only Martin Stranvosky’s superb 12-goal performance and Vernio Losert’s saves (55% effectiveness), together with the difference in refereeing criteria during the decisive period (incidentally, the ‘regular’ referees assigned to Alser in León), meant that the first victory over a Champions League giant in the Asobal league did not go to the red-and-whites. Backed by a masterful Bruixola and an attacking combination seeking clear chances, without the haste of previous matches, the red-and-whites won the first half 15–17, with all the players involved contributing in attack.

The second half began evenly, but Vernio Losert’s presence in goal, replacing Alamo at half-time, caused Alser’s scoring efficiency to plummet. From 26–25, the score moved to 30–25, with two red-and-white suspensions and none for Reale during that period, meaning the match was once again broken open in favour of the stronger side.

In the end, it was a great match by Alser Puerto Sagunto, serving only to strengthen the positive feelings generated by their performances against Barça and León. Their next match is one of the eleven finals awaiting Alser. This time they will play at home, welcoming the other Valencian team, Torrevieja, in a high-voltage encounter at the Ovni on Saturday 3 March at 4 pm, with the cameras of the second regional channel, Nou Dos, broadcasting live.

Technical details

Reale Ademar León: Álamo (Losert); Cabanas (2), Andreu (1), Borges (3), Ruesga (3), Stranovsky (12, 3 p), Ferrer (1), Goñi (2), Carou (-), Antonio García (3), Baena (1) and Cutura (2).

Alser Puerto Sagunto : Bruixolá (Ibáñez); Sorrentino (3), Chelu Cid (1), Stefanovic (2), Sifré (4), Tarrasó (4), Prendes (4), Ruben (1), Moya (6, 2 p), Angel (1), Alegre, Del Saz (-), and Nebot (-).

Referees: Ruiz and Zapico (Asturias). Suspensions for Cabanas and Ferrer of Reale Ademar; and for Sorrentino, Bruixola, Sifré and Fernández of Alser Puerto Sagunto.

Scores every five minutes: 2–3, 4–5, 7–8, 10–10, 12–13, 15–17 (half-time), 17–19, 22–21, 24–23, 25–25, 28–25 and 30–26 (full-time).

Palacio Municipal de Deportes de León. 2,500 spectators.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.