The Fraikin Granollers continues to write its legend in Europe. Another feat by Antonio Rama’s players, with a stellar Jan Gurri with 9 goals, and the leadership of the incombustible Antonio GarcÃa (6), led the Vallesans to the final of the European League, the second club competition, by striking down the Goppingen by 31-29.
The Catalan team, in their second final four of the old EHF, will face Füchse Berlin in the final this Sunday (6:00 p.m.), who defeated Montpellier 29-35.
Fraikin Granollers, who reached the final four in Flensburg as the theoretically weakest team (by squad, winners and budget, a twelfth part of Göppingen, Füchse and Montpellier), was able to knock out the German team (14th in the Bundesliga) with a waste of courage, dedication and ambition of the young cubs from Valles.
The second half was huge, with a 6-1 run, from 18-21, the greatest disadvantage (after 35 minutes) until 24-22 put by Jan Gurri, the young center-back from La Roca who scored 9 goals, surpassing his already masterful performance in the quarterfinal exhibition against Flensburg (he then scored 8).
Granollers suffered tremendously, but overcame an adverse score, the minority in the stands and the tough game -at times aggressive- from Göppingen (Blagotinsek deserved more than a suspension due to a blow to Gurri’s face).
After a good start (2-1 from Yusuf), Granollers went blank for 7 minutes and conceded a 1-4 draw that led to a good start (3-5). With goals from Antonio GarcÃa and Gurri (4 in that section), the team from Valles turned the game around, going from 3-5 to 11-10, a 7-5 run, which forced the Germans to stop time .
Göppingen took a breather from the hand of Lindenchrone and took a 2-goal lead until the break (16-18). But Granollers did not disengage.
The second half of Fraikin Granollers was superb. Despite the fact that they resumed the game 3 down (16-19, 18-21), Antonio Rama’s team pulled from their user manual: intensity, excellent goalkeeping with Rangel, speed in transitions and an uncomplexed impudence from the Gurri children , Sergi Franco or Faruk Yusuf, who began to turn the tables: the 6-1 run was devastating, to get 2 (24-22, 47 minutes away) and begin to believe in the final.
Despite the fact that Göppingen burned their last ships and came to take a rental goal (25-26, m. 50), in the last 10 minutes Granollers no longer gave up the initiative. Gurri’s arm did not tremble, nor did a brave Esteban Salinas in the pivot, Yusuf or Sergi Franco, and with 30-28 with 30 seconds to go, he certified the pass to the final.
Granollers will opt for its third EHF after 27 years. Far away is the 1996 of the Atavin, Viver, Quino Soler, Ugalde, Xavi Pérez or Jaime GarcÃa…
