In Round 14 of the Hungarian Championship, league leaders and still undefeated Pick Szeged hosted the squad from the neighbouring city of Orosháza, which include former Pick Szeged, RN Löwen and Veszprém playmaker DánielBuday and Szeged-born right wing ÁkosBalda. The home team had two missing players: Marko Lasica who has been injured for many weeks and team captain Attila Vadkerti who suffered a finger injury before the match. Two young player were put in their place.
Since defeating Veszprém, Pick Szeged has been soaring , they won last week’s bout against Cegléd by a record goal difference (43-18), so Orosházára couldn’t have great expectations about this match. Juan Carlos Pastor’s team started the match accordingly, dominating the first seven minutes (8-1). Mindegia had to be substituted in the middle of the first half due to a slight injury, and even though Pick’s pace slightly decreased they still managed to increase the difference by the end of the first 30 minutes (18-9).
In the second half every Pick player stepped on court, young Stojanov even scored his first ever goal in the league. Buday’s play sometimes resembled his old days. Pick players were reckless in attack from time to time so Orosháza managed to avoid a very heavy defeat (33-20).
Coach Pastor’s work is taking shape more and more, his team’s play is coherent, confident and they are the odds-on favourite to win the first leg of the EHF Cup round 3match in Lisbon against Benfica on Saturday.
Best scorers: Kekezovic (5), Larholm, Sulc (4-4) / Németh (5)
Text: Gábor Várkonyi, Péter Butty
Photo: www.pickhandball.hu