Just like in the women’s competition with champion Brazil, the men’s handball event at these Pan Am Games held a special prize for the winners: direct qualification for the Paris Olympics. As this event coincided with an official date of the International Handball Federation (IHF), each country called up their European-based stars, with Argentina and Brazil as top contenders for the title, and Chile lurking in the background.
The Albiceleste began to break the game before halftime (14-16) and sealed the final in an extraordinary second half (25-32).
In 2019, the ‘verdeamarelha’ missed out on the final, and in this edition, they finished third after overcoming the United States 27-28 in an exhilarating duel.
Brazilians and Argentinians had asserted their dominance in the group stage and in the semifinals (the Portuguese speakers beat the United States 40-27, while the Spanish speakers defeated the hosts 33-26). Therefore, everything was set for a sensational final, reminiscent of the 2018 Pan American Championship, which Argentina won 24-29.
Brazil started more accurately, and the defensive duo of Thiagus Petrus (Barcelona, Spain) and Rogerio Moraes (Melsungen, Germany) effectively contained the Argentine frontline (10-8, min. 18). It was the spectacular performance of central player Pedro Martínez (Colegio Ward, Argentina) that began to shift the game, proving crucial for his team to go into halftime with the lead (14-16).
The Albiceleste continued to lead the game in the second half, although the final remained open with 12 minutes to go (21-23), coinciding with a couple of goals from Rudolph Hackbarth (REBI Cuenca, Spain).
However, the Brazilian defensive ‘center’ began to crack, and the ‘Gladiators’ made distinctions in both defense and attack, once again led by orchestrator Pedro Martínez. They knew how to target the weakest link in that defensive group, Barcelona’s Haniel Langaro, thus increasing the lead to the final score of 25-32.
With permission of Nicolás Bono’s six goals from eight attempts (Cherbourg Manche, France), the standout performer was Pedro Martínez with three goals and excellent decision-making. The best Brazilian player was Jean Pierre Dupoix with six goals (three from the seven-meter line).
In this manner, the team led by Guillermo Milano efficiently retained the gold in the Pan American Games, once again keeping their South American arch-rival at bay. Perhaps even more importantly, they earned the right to participate in the Paris Olympics. This led to a historic celebration among the players, coaching staff, and the dozens of fans. The title was well-deserved.
On the other hand, Brazil will have to vie for their spot in the extremely challenging Pre-Olympics, featuring some of the most formidable teams from the Old Continent, including the European runner-up Spain, for instance.
