Greece meets Spain in U15 European Championship Final

Greece and Spain competed in the final of the European Championships in Split. Nine months later, the U15 teams from both nations will once again face off in Croatia for the continent’s top honor.

In their journey to the final, Greece delivered a remarkable performance by defeating the reigning champions Hungary 12-11 in the semi-finals. The match showcased a closely contested battle between two dominant female teams. However, Greece managed to secure a crucial advantage with consecutive goals in the final quarter, maintaining their lead until the end.

Spain relished a more comfortable path to the final against the junior Setterosa team, establishing a commanding 5-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the game. From that point onward, they effectively controlled the match until the final whistle (14-8). Spain now can become the first team to win multiple U15 women’s European Championship titles in addition to their gold medal in 2019 in Kirishi.

The two sides already met in the group stage, with Spain trumping the Greeks on that occasion 8-5.  The Greeks now, however, will get a chance at revenge in the biggest game of the tournament. 

In the classification matches, the host nation Croatia has the opportunity to secure their highest-ever finish at a junior European tournament if they defeat the Netherlands in tomorrow’s 5th place play-off. The Croats, who finished 6th in the previous two U15 European Championships, performed impressively today, winning against Germany with a score of 13-7. This victory sets up an encounter with the Netherlands, who emerged victorious with an 11-9 win over Serbia in the second half of their match. Serbia and Germany will compete for the 7th place position.

Turkiye required a goal from their captain, Ned Yildiz, in the final eighty seconds of their match against Romania (14-15) to secure a top-ten finish in Zagreb. Yildiz showcased her leadership by scoring five goals during the game.

Turkiye will face Israel in the 9th-place play-off after notable performances from Dorfman, Fein, and Roitman, who each scored hat-tricks, helping the Israeli’s secure a 13-6 victory over Czechia.

Ireland is highly likely to defeat Ukraine tomorrow, securing 13th place, while Slovakia’s commanding ten-goal win (16-6) against the Yellow-Blues today ensures they avoid finishing at the bottom of the championship.

Day 5, U15 Women’s European Championships, Zagreb