Two powerhouses, Croatia and Hungary, opened the Rotterdam Cup with expected victories. Croatia beat Turkey, 19:10, and Hungary defeated the home team, the Netherlands, 12:9, in the first round of the preparation tournament.
Both favorites started slowly.
Croatia earned a 3:1 lead at the beginning of the match against Turkey. However, the Turks then produced a 4:0 run and built a 5:3 advantage in the 12th minute. Still, at halftime, Croatia was one step ahead (7:6). The Croats dominated in the following 16 minutes. Led by Loren Fatovic (5 goals) and Andrija Basic (3), they recorded a 19:10 (3:2, 4:4, 6:3, 6:1) victory.
The Netherlands was ahead of Hungary for most of the second match of the first day. The Dutch had a 4:2 lead at the first break and extended their advantage to 6:2 early in the second quarter. By halftime, the score was 6:5 in favor of the Netherlands. In the third period, the Dutch managed to regain a two-goal lead (9:7). In the final quarter and a half, the Hungarians scored five unanswered goals, ultimately winning the match 12:9 (2:4, 3:2, 5:3, 2:0). Krisztian Manhercz scored three goals for the winning team.
More articles about the European Championships
