Sports weekend

Romanian national women's handball team has wasted any opportunity they had to make headway into the semifinals of the European Championship, underway in Denmark. In Krolung on Thursday, in a match counting towards main Group II, Romania sustained a 20-25 defeat by Croatia. Romania has zero points on their record sheet; our national team's next scheduled fixture is the match against Hungary, on December 14.

In news from football, CFR Cluj came in 3rd in Europa League's Group A and failed to qualify for the competition's round of 32. On Thursday, CFR sustained a 1-2 away defeat in the decisive match against Swiss opponents Young Boys Berne. CFR's Croat footballer Gabriel Debeljuh drew first blood on 84 minutes. Then on 90 minutes, French referee Benoit Bastien granted the Swiss a penalty kick because of an otherwise fair-play clash between CFR's goalie and Swiss defender Cédric Zesiger. Young Boys Berne's  Cameroonian footballer Jean-Pierre Nsame turned the kick into a goal and levelled the score. The fate of the match was sealed in the 6th minute of added time, when the German Gianluca Gaudino scored his team's second goal.

The coming weekend will see matches being played, counting towards the 13th round of League One championship. On Friday, FC Botosani are pitted against Astra Giurgiu, while Dinamo Bucharest face Politehnica Iasi. On Saturday, Academica Clinceni play a home fixture against FC Arges. In Medias, the local team Gaz Metan face Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe. The southern Romanian town of Giurgiu, Chindia Targoviste go against Viitorul Constanta. On Sunday, FC Hermannstadt face FC Voluntari, while CFR Cluj are pitted against FCSB. On Monday in the last match of round 13, UTA Arad play Universitatea Craiova. FCSB are at the top of the table, with 30 points, followed by Universitatea Craiova, with 28 points and CFR Cluj, with 24.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

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