Bahrain Fade After Bright First Half Against Brazil

From Hope to Handoff

Bahrain’s run at the 11th IHF Men’s Youth World Championship came to another frustrating turn yesterday in Cairo, where Brazil claimed a 33–25 win int he 21st–24th place stage. Before reaching this round, Bahrain had endured a rough group stage — losses to Japan and hosts Egypt, plus a lone 31–27 win over South Korea, weren’t enough to reach the main draw. In the President’s Cup, they briefly found their rhythm, defeating the United States and earning a draw with Tunisia.

Balanced Start, Brutal Finish

In front of 140 spectators at the Covered Hall in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, Bahrain matched Brazil stride for stride in the first half, trailing only 14-13. But Giuliano Martins Ramos’s side seized control after the break, outscoring Raed Almarzooq’s team 19-12.

Numbers Tell the Story

Brazil took 49 total shots at 67% efficiency, paced by Marcos Oliveira (6/10), George Michael Melo De Siqueira (6/8), and Diogo Pieper Borja’s flawless 4/4. Bahrain managed 39 shots at 64% efficiency, with Abbas Ali leading on 6/8 and Sayed Majeed Almuhafda perfect at 4/4. Penalty execution told a tale — Brazil were 100% (1/1), Bahrain 80% (4/5) — but technical faults loomed larger: 23 for Bahrain versus 14 for Brazil.

Between the Posts

Goalkeeping numbers were respectable on both sides: Muriel Ré Soares posted 9/26 saves (35%) for Brazil, while Mohamed Abdulhusan’s 12/30 (40%) kept Bahrain in range until fatigue and errors set in. Brazil’s 54% attack efficiency over 61 possessions, coupled with clinical fastbreaks (6/10) and breakthroughs (8/11), cracked Bahrain’s defensive schemes.