Israel's Youth Handball Team Draws With Czech Republic After Last-Second Penalty

Israel's youth handball team earned their first point at the European Championship by drawing 30-30 against the Czech Republic on Thursday. The match ended dramatically with a penalty scored by the Czechs at the buzzer. Israel led for most of the game and had possession with 14 seconds left, but after a timeout, star player Yonatan Pelech lost the ball, allowing the Czechs to equalize.

The game started cautiously, with the Czechs initially leading 3-1, but Israel's strong defense helped them recover quickly. Multiple Israeli players contributed goals, unlike their previous match where Pelech dominated. Goalkeeper Ruben Oanuno made key saves, and Israel reached a peak lead of 14-9 before a two-minute suspension halted their momentum. The Czechs fought back to lead 16-15, but Israel went into halftime ahead 17-16.

The second half remained tight, with Israel maintaining a slight advantage. Players Geva Dagani and Nevo Masika helped push the lead to 23-21 by the 45th minute. Despite a missed penalty by Melul, Israel was ahead 29-26 with four minutes remaining. However, missed opportunities allowed the Czechs to close the gap to 29-28. After a crucial goal by Masika, the Czechs equalized again, and Pelech's second critical mistake in the final seconds led to the tying penalty.

Israel will next face a strong Portuguese team on Saturday at 13:00. The scorers for Israel included Geva Dagani and Nevo Masika with seven goals each, Yonatan Pelech with six, and others contributing as well.