Only Barça could overcome Alser Puerto Sagunto’s youth team

Photograph: Miguel Del Rio

Alser Puerto Sagunto’s youth team ended a brilliant season with a spectacular Spanish Championship group stage. After failing to qualify a youth team for the Spanish Championship since 1977, the players coached by Vicente Sos and Goyo Puerta have returned magnificently to the top ranks of Spain’s finest academies. Their third-place finish in Valencia took them to Can Barça, where, alongside the all-powerful hosts, they faced the island representatives: the champions of the Balearic Islands, the long-standing acquaintance of Porto and former club of Carlos Cepedal, Handbol Eivissa, and the champions of the Canary Islands, BM Villa de Ingenio.

The opening match against the Canarians last Friday ended in a great 27–21 victory. Saturday brought the big challenge: FC Barcelona, champions of Catalonia and one of the contenders for the final Spanish Championship title, having ruthlessly thrashed the players from Ibiza 54–15 on their debut. It was an outstanding match for the red-and-white youngsters, who, despite losing 33–26, produced a performance worthy of framing, and the all-powerful Barcelona had to use everything at its disposal, at the highest level, to overcome the red-and-white resistance. The parents and red-and-white supporters who attended the match speak highly of the football, heart and fighting spirit shown on court against a superior opponent, who nevertheless had to work extremely hard to win.

The youth team’s brilliant performance ended with a 37–29 victory over Eivissa, securing second place overall in the group stage. It is a shame that only the group winners qualify for the final Top 8, but this group will surely continue both in the reserve team and in the Liga ASOBAL. In fact, much of the group is training under Alberto Estornell to complete high-level training sessions.

It is great news for the club to know that its youth players are capable of competing at the highest level, and further proof that BM Puerto Sagunto has all the social and sporting conditions needed to remain an elite club. The next step is to pool our financial efforts so that these generations can take their rightful place in the elite of Spanish handball.

Congratulations, youth team—you are truly magnificent!

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.