Recap day 4
The morning game between Israel and Finland started evenly, but from the beginning of the second quarter, Israel picked up the pace and secured an easy victory with a score of 66-36. Israel will play for places 5-6 on the final day, while Finland will compete for places 7-8.
In the Austria-Spain game, Spain started strong, and a few consecutive ball steals put them on an uncatchable lead. Spain continued to increase their advantage throughout the game, which ended with a clear score of 29-66. Austria will now face Finland for places 7-8, while Spain will meet Israel in the placement match for 5-6.
Poland and Czech Republic met in the day’s third game. Poland took control early, and the game was a consistent display of Polish dominance. The gap grew steadily throughout, ending at 55-37, securing Poland’s spot in the final and promotion to the A-division. The Czech Republic will play in the bronze medal match on Sunday.
In the final game of the evening, Sweden made a few good interceptions early on and seemed to be pulling away, but Italy caught up. The second quarter was evenly matched, and the teams went into halftime tied. The third quarter continued with back-and-forth scoring, with tries at both ends. In the fourth quarter, Sweden pulled ahead by a few tries, which Italy couldn’t overcome, and the game ended with Sweden winning 46-48. Italy will face the Czech Republic in the bronze medal match on Sunday, while Sweden will meet Poland in the final. Sweden also secured their spot in the A-division.