Action from the 2015 IHF Super Globe final between Fuchse Berlin and MKB-MVM Veszprem at Duhail Sports Hall yesterday.

By Sports Reporter/Doha

Fuchse Berlin emerged as the 2015 IHF Super Globe champions after they beat MKB-MVM Veszprem 28-27 in a nail-biting encounter in extra time yesterday.
Berlin forged ahead to a two-goal lead early on, maintaining that advantage until Momir Ilic closed the gap to one in the 11th minute (7:6). Veszprem equalised for the first time in the 14th (7:7) but it was not for long.
Berlin’s penalty-scoring hero of the tournament, who knocked Barca out of the Semi-Final after the buzzer in their previous match, scored from seven metres against Roland Mikler in the 16th to push them ahead again before Frederik Petersen ran a fast break (9:7, 17th minute).
Veszprem were chasing and levelled the score with a goal from line player Renato Sulic off a Laszlo Nagy pass in the 24th minute (11:11). But Berlin were having none of it – the German team inched ahead and held a two-goal advantage inside the last two minutes of the half, when Jesper Nielsen was sent off. They retained that lead until the break, but Veszprem were quick to equalise in the second period. It was Sulic who levelled the score again, with a fast break, and Mate Lekai added another seconds later to give the Hungarian team the lead for the first time in the match (15:16).
But two goals for Berlin from the line – first Drago Vukovic then Nielsen – followed by a missed shot from Ilic, meant Berlin crept in front once more (17:16, 36th minute). Christian Zeitz scored an outstanding eret shot to equalise at the 40-minute mark (18:18).
Tension was high as the clock ticked on – Ilic scored a penalty before Mirko Alilovic saved one, but the score remained level until Lekai struck on a fast break again. Berlin answered immediately and with 15 minutes on the clock the score was locked at 20:20.
As the match entered its final four minutes there was nothing separating the teams (24:24). Berlin keeper Petr Stochl made a crucial save with just over two minutes left, followed by another on a Nagy breakthrough inside the last 60 seconds. Berlin had possession with 20 seconds left on the clock and Fabian Wiede shot only to hit the post, sending the match into extra time.
Veszprem came out of the blocks faster again – with two goals (24:26) in two minutes. Berlin’s Kent Robin Tonnesen decreased the difference to one and Stochl backed him up with a superb save before Vukovic placed the ball neatly into the top right corner on the whistle for the break (26:26). In the second period of extra time it was Tonnesen who struck first – and then second, to put Berlin two in front with a minute and a half left (28:26).
Veszprem scored once more but it was Berlin that had possession at the final whistle when they were still one in front. And so the 2014/15 EHF Cup winners added another trophy to their cabinet in what has already been a successful year for the IHF Super Globe debutants.
“I feel super. People need to respect us more. We won today – Barcelona and Veszprem, two finalists of the Champions League. So I’m proud of my team, I’m proud of myself and everybody. The problem is we don’t have time to celebrate – in two day we play a game in the German league.
“But we are very happy, we fought for this, we come here with nothing to lose. We are super happy, we are heroes now!” said centre back Petar Nenadic after the game.
Meanwhile, FC Barcelona defeated Sydney University 30-20 to win the bronze medal. Earlier, Club Africain secured seventh place with a victory over Qatar’s Al-Sadd. In the second placement round match, Al-Ahly Sports Club defeated Esporte Clube Taubate to finish fifth.
Tunisian team Club Africain were the first to score, leading by one goal after five minutes (2:1). A two-minute suspension for Mohamed Hamza Mhadhbi in the ninth minute allowed Al-Sadd to level the score against the five defenders despite the absence of one of their key attackers: Ahmed Abdelhak, who had left the court with a head injury (3:3).
Neither team could find the goal for five minutes after that, until Al-Sadd scored a penalty to take the lead just before midway through the half (3:4), but the Tunisian side answered and the one-for-one game continued.
Club Africain pushed two goals ahead with a breakthrough from Abdelhak Ben Salah (8:6, 23rd minute), but Al-Sadd left wing Faisal Al Kuwari closed the gap to one with five minutes left in the half (9:8). The one-goal difference remained at the break.
Club Africain wasted no time in the second half, beginning with a 6:3 run to lead by four at the 40th minute (15:11). As the match progressed they retained that advantage (18:14, 45th minute). Goalkeeper Idriss Drissi came on for a penalty shot, which he saved to keep Club Africain ahead by five with just over 12 minutes left (19:14).
Al-Sadd right back Mustafa Alkrad scored a perfectly-placed ground shot, taking the score to 23:17 in the 54th minute, but it was too late for the Asian team. When Ben Salah broke through to put the score at 25:20 inside the last two minutes, it was clear the victory and seventh place would belong to the Tunisian side.

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