18.12.2010 17:32
Final spot booked (29-26)
Llorenç Tarrés (enviat especial)
Xavi Pascual celebrated his 100th game in charge of Barça Borges with a a hard fought win over Ademar that sees them through to Sunday’s Copa Asobal final –the twelfth appearance in the club’s history.
Only four teams have beaten Barça Borges since Xavi Pascual took over and Ademar again failed to
join them, despite giving Barça a hard game. Rutenka, Igropulo and,as always, Saric proved decisive
in the win that gives them the chance to go for their seventh Cup title on Sunday.
Good start fizzles out
Laszlo Nagy captained the team and opened the scoring. Juanín García, with four goals, joined
in and Barça were soon 6-3 up as Ademar struggled to deal with Barça’s 6-0 defence and only
Montoro and Cutura looked able to break the hosts’ early hold on the game.
Ademar upped their game, and although Sarmiento kept the goals coming for Barça, Ademar took
advantage of two exclusions which left Barça in numerical inferiority, to move into a 10-11 lead.
Ademar build lead
The game was being played at Ademar’s pace now and the Leon team were forcing
Barça into a series of hurried mistakes as Ortigosa , Vega and the keeper Venio Losert with four
consecutive stops, helped the visitors take a 15-11 lead, which an Igropulo strike cut to 15-12 at
the break.
Rutenka leads the fightback
Whatever Xavi Pascual said to his players at half time seemed to work as they drew
level with three quick goals in the first four minutes. Rutenka now stepped up to the mark and
began to show the kind of dominance expected from one of the world’s best players.
Saric who’d stopped the first shot he’d faced after coming on, but was unable to
stem the tide on the first half, also started to show his worth to the team with a number of fine
stops including two penalties and Barça Borges were back in front after 17 minutes (17-16).
Now the league leaders were firmly in the driving seat and as Saric continued to make some
fine saves, Barça Borges held on against opponents who were increasingly forced to call on their
determination and fight in the absence of the skill needed to overcome Xavi Pascual’s team,
who finally ran out 29-26 winners to ensure their place in Sunday’s final.
Match stats
FC BARCELONA BORGES, 29
REALE ADEMAR, 26
FCB Borges (12+17): Sjöstrand, Rocas (1), Sorhaindo, Nagy (3), Jernemyr, Noddesbo
(1), Juanín (6) (seven starting); Saric, Rutenka (7), Sarmiento (4), Romero, Ugalde, Igropulo (7),
Oneto.
Reale Ademar (15+11): Losert, Cutura (2), Vega (4), Montoro (1), Ortigosa (4),
Andreu (2), Martins (2) (seven starting); Buntic (4), Carou, Chernov, Castresana (3), Mikel (2),
Krivochlykov (2).
Parcials: 4-2, 6-4, 8-6, 9-9, 11-11, 12-15 (half time), 15-15, 18-17, 21-18,
22-19, 25-23, 29-26.
Referees: Raluy López and Sabroso Ramírez.