Sloppy first half, Montenegro put their foot down, and Icelandic progression – and here are Ola Selbys 3 takes after Montenegro beat Iceland, 36–27.
Sloppy first half
Let me start by being honest: this was far from the best match of the championship. Not even close. Iceland committed six technical errors in the first five minutes alone, which is simply unacceptable. They didn’t score a single goal during that stretch either.
Luckily for Iceland, Montenegro were only marginally better. When it took Iceland almost nine minutes to score their first goal, Montenegro had only managed three. Montenegro looked sluggish – although that’s not unusual for this team before they suddenly burst into life.
What stood out the most, even though the match picked up in the second half, was the low tempo, the technical errors, and the poor finishing. At times it looked as if the game didn’t matter – even though it absolutely did for both teams.
Montenegro put their foot down
Montenegro led 14–11 at halftime, and although it looked relatively stable, the match was far from decided. But early in the second half, it effectively was. Montenegro opened with a 7–2 run, suddenly stretching the score to 21–13.
The big difference for Montenegro was their technical errors. After committing nine of them in the first half, they only made a couple in the second, and that shift made all the difference.
Iceland keep getting better
It’s now impossible for Iceland to reach the quarterfinals. They needed to win this game, but Montenegro were simply the better team. Elin Rosa Magnusdóttir impressed the most (again). Fast, tough, and with a sharp shot – a truly enjoyable player to watch. Strangely, she was taken off in the second half just when she was at her hottest.
Iceland’s championship isn’t over, and they still have plenty to play for, but it’s worth stating that Iceland keep improving with every tournament. This will be Iceland’s best championship so far, and I’m sure that the next time they play a World Championship, I’ll be writing the same thing again. An impressive development with plenty of exciting players!