Sports Weekend

Florin Orban, 10.12.2021, 11:37

Romania’s women’s handball team
failed to qualify in the quarter-finals of the World Championships hosted by
Spain. On Thursday, Romania lost 31-30 to the Netherlands, the defending world
champions. The Romanians, coached by Adrian Vasile, put on their best
performance in this final tournament, but the Dutch players’ experience made
the difference at the end of the match.

Crina Pintea, who scored 6 goals,
was nominated the best player of the match. Cristina Laslo also scored 6 times
for Romania. The national team lost all chances to finish on one of the 2 top
places in Main Group 2 and to move up into the quarter-finals. Their next match,
against Puerto Rico, is scheduled for Saturday.

In men’s handball, Dinamo Bucharest Thursday
defeated the Ukrainian side Motor Zaporoje, 33-29, in the Champions’ League Group
B. This was the 3rd win for the Romanian club this season, but the
team is still ranking last in its group with only 6 points. The competition
will be resumed next year, with the Romanian champions due to take on Barça in
Bucharest on February 17.

Romanian football champions CFR Cluj
saw their presence in this year’s Europe Conference League season ending with a
victory. Coach Dan Petrescu’s team won 1-0, on home turf, against the Czech
side Jablonec. In the Group D ranking, Cluj comes 4th, with one win,
one draw and 4 defeats.

This weekend also sees matches
counting towards the 19th leg of the top Romanian football league. The
2 matches on Friday, FC U Craiova vs. Academica Clinceni and Rapid Bucharest vs.
FC Argeş, will be followed on Saturday by games pitting UTA Arad against FC
Botoşani, FC Voluntari against Universitatea Craiova, and FCSB against Gaz
Metan Mediaş. On Sunday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe take on Farul Constanţa, and CFR
Cluj on CS Mioveni. The last match in the leg, Dinamo Bucharest vs. Chindia
Târgovişte, is scheduled for Monday.

In the current standings, Cluj are on top
with 48 points, followed by FCSB with 40. (tr. A.M. Popescu)