Radio România Internațional

Tag: defeat

Sports Roundup

Romanian
national football team has had a flawed debut confrontation in the fresh edition
of the National League’ Division B. In Podgorica, Romania sustained a nil-2
defeated by the host team, Montenegro. Scoring for the hosts were Stefan Mugoša on 66 minutes and Marko Vukčević in minute 87. Both
goals were made possible because of captain Vlad Chiricheş’s errors of the
pitch. Montenegro definitely had the upper hand tactically but also in one-to-one
confrontations. It took our national squad 94 minutes of play to make at attempted
shot at goal. It was the first official match of Romanian national team’s new
head-coach, Edward Iordanescu. The latter took full responsibility for the
failure. Yet Iordanescu stressed that he did not take over a functional team,
but a team that several times wasted the opportunity to qualify for international
competitions. In another Group 3 fixture as part of League B, in Helsinki, Finland
drew against Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1-all. After the first round, Romania is at
the bottom of the table. On Tuesday in Zenica Romanian faces Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Romania’s defender Iulian Cristea will be unavailable for the match. We recall
Cristea sustained a serious injury early into the match against Montenegro.
According to head-coach Iordanescu, Cristea needs a long recovery break.

Romanian handballer Cristina Neagu has been
designated the most efficient scorer in this year’s edition of the Champions’ League.
Even after the League’s final tournament, held this past weekend in Budapest, all
told, no other handballer was able to score more goals that Neagu’s 110. We recall
Cristina Neagu’s current team, CSM Bucharest, was unable to move past the quarterfinals.
Also, Neagu, for the seventh time running, was included in the dream team of
the Champions League’s season, created according to the supporters’ votes.
33-year old Neagu has also been included in the All-Star team before, in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021. Norway’s
Vipers Kristiansand have won this year’s edition of the Champions League. In the
final Vipers outclassed Gyor of Hungary, 33 to 31. Playing for Gyor was Romanian
national team’s pivot, Crina Pintea, who scored three goals.

The southern Romanian
city of Craiova this past weekend played host to Romania’s International Athletics
Championships. However, Romania’s top-flight athletes were abroad taking part
in top international competitions. For instance, distance runner Mihaela
Bobocea, has had an eventful week. On Tuesday at the international competition
in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, Bobocea came in 4th in the 1,500m
race. However, her timing secured Mihaela Bobocea the ticket for the World
Championships held in July in the USA, but also the European Championships held
in Germany, in July. This past Friday in Manchester, in World Athletics Continental Tour contest, Bobocea won the 800m race. Then In
Morocco on Sunday, at the international contest in the Moroccan capital city Rabat,
Bobocea cam in 5th in the 1,500 m race, in a competition as part of the Diamond
League circuit.

(EN)

6 June 2022
Sports flash

Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea on Wednesday advanced to the
quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Lyon, an event with 193 thousand Euros
up for grabs. In the tournament’s round of 16, Cirstea defeated Switzerland’s Stefanie Vögele, 6-3, 7-5. On her way to the semi-finals, on Friday Cirstea will face Hungary’s Anna
Bondar. We recall Cirstea faced Bondar only once, in Budapest, in 2019, in the
first round, when the Romanian defeated her opponent, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. According
to the WTA rankings made public earlier this week, Cirstea is 31st-placed.
Should Sorana reach the final in Lyon, she is sure to outclass Simona Halep,
who is 21st-placed according to the same rankings. Sorana Cirstea
could thus become the best-placed Romanian tennis player according to the WTA
rankings.

In news from men’s tennis, this coming Friday and
Saturday, in Spain’s Marbella, Romania’s team goes against Spain, in a Davis
Cup playoff match counting towards the competition’s final tournament. For the
match against Spain, to be played on a clay court, Romania-s non-playing
captain, Gabriel Trifu, has summoned a team made of Marius Copil, Nicolae
Frunză, Ştefan Paloşi, Gabi Adrian Boitan and Horia Tecău.

In a fixture counting towards the European Championship’s
preliminaries, Romania’s national women’s handball team in Mioveni this past Wednesday
sustained a 28-35 defeat by Denmark, the bronze medalist team at the World championships
in December 2021. After a one-year gap, or
thereabouts, Romania’s best handball player of the moment, Cristina Neagu, was
on the pitch but was unable to make the difference to the national team’s
advantage. According to the second preliminary group rankings, Denmark is at
the top of the table, with 6 points, followed by Romania, with 3. Austria is 3rd-placed,
with 1 point, while bottom-of-the-table Feroe Islands team has zero points on
its record sheet. The first two teams secure their ticket to the final tournament.
Romania’s return leg against Denmark is scheduled in Odense this coming Saturday.

Matches counting towards the last-but-one round, the 29th, of
the regular football season have been played this week. On Tuesday, in Ploiesti,
in the south, Chindia Târgoviște defeated
UTA Arad, 1-nil. Also on Tuesday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe grabbed a 3-1 away win
against Dinamo Bucharest, while F C U Craiova secured a 3-2 home win against Rapid
Bucharest.

On Wednesday in Bucharest, Academica Clinceni defeated
Gaz Metan Mediaș, 2-nil, while in Mioveni, also in the south, Universitatea Craiova
secured a 3-nil away win against CS Mioveni. Also on
Wednesday, CFR Cluj grabbed a 1-nil away win against FC Voluntari. On Thursday,
Farul Constanta take on FC Botosani, while FC Arges face FCSB.

CFR Cluj is at the top of the as-it-stands table, with 73 points. FCSB is
the runner-up team, with 59.

(EN)

—–

3 March 2022
Sports flash

Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea on Wednesday advanced to the
quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Lyon, an event with 193 thousand Euros
up for grabs. In the tournament’s round of 16, Cirstea defeated Switzerland’s Stefanie Vögele, 6-3, 7-5. On her way to the semi-finals, on Friday Cirstea will face Hungary’s Anna
Bondar. We recall Cirstea faced Bondar only once, in Budapest, in 2019, in the
first round, when the Romanian defeated her opponent, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. According
to the WTA rankings made public earlier this week, Cirstea is 31st-placed.
Should Sorana reach the final in Lyon, she is sure to outclass Simona Halep,
who is 21st-placed according to the same rankings. Sorana Cirstea
could thus become the best-placed Romanian tennis player according to the WTA
rankings.

In news from men’s tennis, this coming Friday and
Saturday, in Spain’s Marbella, Romania’s team goes against Spain, in a Davis
Cup playoff match counting towards the competition’s final tournament. For the
match against Spain, to be played on a clay court, Romania-s non-playing
captain, Gabriel Trifu, has summoned a team made of Marius Copil, Nicolae
Frunză, Ştefan Paloşi, Gabi Adrian Boitan and Horia Tecău.

In a fixture counting towards the European Championship’s
preliminaries, Romania’s national women’s handball team in Mioveni this past Wednesday
sustained a 28-35 defeat by Denmark, the bronze medalist team at the World championships
in December 2021. After a one-year gap, or
thereabouts, Romania’s best handball player of the moment, Cristina Neagu, was
on the pitch but was unable to make the difference to the national team’s
advantage. According to the second preliminary group rankings, Denmark is at
the top of the table, with 6 points, followed by Romania, with 3. Austria is 3rd-placed,
with 1 point, while bottom-of-the-table Feroe Islands team has zero points on
its record sheet. The first two teams secure their ticket to the final tournament.
Romania’s return leg against Denmark is scheduled in Odense this coming Saturday.

Matches counting towards the last-but-one round, the 29th, of
the regular football season have been played this week. On Tuesday, in Ploiesti,
in the south, Chindia Târgoviște defeated
UTA Arad, 1-nil. Also on Tuesday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe grabbed a 3-1 away win
against Dinamo Bucharest, while F C U Craiova secured a 3-2 home win against Rapid
Bucharest.

On Wednesday in Bucharest, Academica Clinceni defeated
Gaz Metan Mediaș, 2-nil, while in Mioveni, also in the south, Universitatea Craiova
secured a 3-nil away win against CS Mioveni. Also on
Wednesday, CFR Cluj grabbed a 1-nil away win against FC Voluntari. On Thursday,
Farul Constanta take on FC Botosani, while FC Arges face FCSB.

CFR Cluj is at the top of the as-it-stands table, with 73 points. FCSB is
the runner-up team, with 59.

(EN)

—–

3 March 2022
Sports flash

The Doha tennis tournament, with 2,600,000 USD in
prize money has no Romanian tennis players left in the competition. The last Romanian
tennis player to have competed in the women’s singles, Jacqueline Cristian, sustained
a second-round defeat as she abandoned the confrontation with Russian opponent Daria
Kasatkina. Having won the first set, 6-2, in the second set Cristian sustained a
right-knee injury and was taken away from the court in a wheelchair.

The Romanian team Volei Alba Blaj this past Wednesday
in Targu Mures sustained a nil-3 defeat by Turkish opponents, Eczacibaşi Istanbul,
in a match counting towards the first leg of women’s volleyball CEV Cup semifinals.
Romania’s vice-champion team Volei Alba Blaj conceded
defeat after only one hour and 22 minutes of play. Volei Alba Blaj are highly unlikely
to advance to the competition’s final. The second leg of the tie is scheduled
on March the 1st in Istanbul.

Eczacibaşi is one of Turkey’s best teams, whose record
is impressive, including the winning of the Champions League in 2015 and of the
CEV Cup in 1999 and 2018.

In news from men’s volleyball, Arcada Galaţi and Steaua
Bucharest this past Wednesday have qualified for Romanian Cup’s Final Four tournament.
Arcada Galați defeated holders Dinamo Bucharest 3-nil, having secured a first-leg,
3-1 away win. Steaua succeeded a 3-nil win against Olimpia Titanii Bucharest.
In the first leg Steaua had also won, 3-1. The Final Four tournament also
includes SCM ”U” Craiova, who outclassed Ştiinţa Baia Mare, 3-nil and 3-1,
respectively, and SCM Zalau, a team that outperformed Explorari Baia Mare,
3-nil and 3-2, respectively.

In a friendly game held in Spain’s Marbella, Romanian women’s national
football team defeated the team of Northern Ireland, 1-nil. The game’s only
goal was scored by Diana Marcu on 63 minutes. According to the FIFA rankings,
Romania is 42nd-placed, while Northern Ireland is 46th.

In the debut game as part of the training stage in Spain,
Romania sustained a 1-6 defeat by Austria. Romania’s national women’s football
team on April 8th takes on Switzerland at home, while on April 12,
Romania faces Croatia, away. Both fixtures count towards the 2023 World Cup
preliminaries.

(EN)

24 February 2022
Sports flash

The Doha tennis tournament, with 2,600,000 USD in
prize money has no Romanian tennis players left in the competition. The last Romanian
tennis player to have competed in the women’s singles, Jacqueline Cristian, sustained
a second-round defeat as she abandoned the confrontation with Russian opponent Daria
Kasatkina. Having won the first set, 6-2, in the second set Cristian sustained a
right-knee injury and was taken away from the court in a wheelchair.

The Romanian team Volei Alba Blaj this past Wednesday
in Targu Mures sustained a nil-3 defeat by Turkish opponents, Eczacibaşi Istanbul,
in a match counting towards the first leg of women’s volleyball CEV Cup semifinals.
Romania’s vice-champion team Volei Alba Blaj conceded
defeat after only one hour and 22 minutes of play. Volei Alba Blaj are highly unlikely
to advance to the competition’s final. The second leg of the tie is scheduled
on March the 1st in Istanbul.

Eczacibaşi is one of Turkey’s best teams, whose record
is impressive, including the winning of the Champions League in 2015 and of the
CEV Cup in 1999 and 2018.

In news from men’s volleyball, Arcada Galaţi and Steaua
Bucharest this past Wednesday have qualified for Romanian Cup’s Final Four tournament.
Arcada Galați defeated holders Dinamo Bucharest 3-nil, having secured a first-leg,
3-1 away win. Steaua succeeded a 3-nil win against Olimpia Titanii Bucharest.
In the first leg Steaua had also won, 3-1. The Final Four tournament also
includes SCM ”U” Craiova, who outclassed Ştiinţa Baia Mare, 3-nil and 3-1,
respectively, and SCM Zalau, a team that outperformed Explorari Baia Mare,
3-nil and 3-2, respectively.

In a friendly game held in Spain’s Marbella, Romanian women’s national
football team defeated the team of Northern Ireland, 1-nil. The game’s only
goal was scored by Diana Marcu on 63 minutes. According to the FIFA rankings,
Romania is 42nd-placed, while Northern Ireland is 46th.

In the debut game as part of the training stage in Spain,
Romania sustained a 1-6 defeat by Austria. Romania’s national women’s football
team on April 8th takes on Switzerland at home, while on April 12,
Romania faces Croatia, away. Both fixtures count towards the 2023 World Cup
preliminaries.

(EN)

24 February 2022
Sports roundup

Romania’s national rugby squad on Saturday trounced Tonga
in a test-match, 32-20. The Oak Leaf Knights’ Tudor Bodnar and Florin Surugiu succeeded
two tries, with Tudor Boldor successfully scoring both. It was also Boldor who
twice scored a penalty kick. Romanian national team’s other 12 points were
scored by Daniel Plai, also from penalty kicks. Romania national team’s recent
victory triggered a swap in their favour: according to world rankings, Romania climbed
one notch up, being 15th- placed, while Tonga are 16th- placed.
Romanian national team’ s record in the autumn of 2021 includes a 29-14 win against
Uruguay, in a test match hosted by a stadium in Verona, Italy, and a 56-14 win against
the Low Countries team. The latter match was played in Bucharest on November
13. Both fixtures were played as part of Rugby Europe Championship 2021.

In women’s handball this past Saturday, CSM Bucharest succeeded
a 27-21 home win against Ferencvaros Budapest. In a match counting towards
Champions league’s group A. Head-coach Adrian Vasile’s trainees thus took their
revenge as a week ago, they were outclassed by Ferencvaros by the narrowest of
margins, thanks to a last-second goal scored by the Hungarians. CSM’s top
scorer was again Cristina Neagu, who scored 9 goals. The win against
Ferencvaros earned CSM the 4th place in group A. At the end of the competition’s
group stage, the first two teams compete straight in the quarterfinals. To
advance to the League’s upper stages, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th placed teams will have to prove their mettle in the playoffs.
The Champions League will be resumed earlier next year, when CSM play an away game
against Brest in France on January 8th.

Also in women’s handball, in the European League this time,
SCM Ramnicu Valcea advanced to the competition’s group stage, following a
double win against Spain’s Super Amara Bera Bera, whom they defeated 34-28 at
home and 29-27 in San Sebastian this past Saturday. Măgura Cisnădie outclassed
Hungarian opponents Debrecen on aggregate, 22-all away from home and 25 -21 on
home court, this past Saturday. Also on aggregate, Gloria Buzau was eliminated from
competition by Norway’s Storhamar, after a 26-all home draw this past Sunday and
a previous 27-31 defeat in Norway.

In news from football, this past weekend saw matches being played,
counting towards League One’s 16th round. On Friday in Giurgiu, Sepsi
Sfântu Gheorghe defeated Academica Clinceni, 2-nil, while in Ploiești, Chindia
Târgoviște held Rapid Bucharest to a 2-all draw. On Saturday, in Ovidiu in the
south-east, Farul Constanta were held by UTA Arad to a blank draw, while CFR
Cluj grabbed a 2-nil away win against FC U Craiova. On Sunday, FC Argeș secured
a 3-2 win against Universitatea Craiova. In Bucharest, FCSB secured a 3-1 win
against FC Botosani. On Monday, CS Mioveni take on Gaz Metan Medias, while FC
Voluntari play Dinamo Bucharest. CFR Cluj are at the top of the table, with 42
points, followed by FCSB, with 34.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

22 November 2021
Sports roundup

Romania’s national rugby squad on Saturday trounced Tonga
in a test-match, 32-20. The Oak Leaf Knights’ Tudor Bodnar and Florin Surugiu succeeded
two tries, with Tudor Boldor successfully scoring both. It was also Boldor who
twice scored a penalty kick. Romanian national team’s other 12 points were
scored by Daniel Plai, also from penalty kicks. Romania national team’s recent
victory triggered a swap in their favour: according to world rankings, Romania climbed
one notch up, being 15th- placed, while Tonga are 16th- placed.
Romanian national team’ s record in the autumn of 2021 includes a 29-14 win against
Uruguay, in a test match hosted by a stadium in Verona, Italy, and a 56-14 win against
the Low Countries team. The latter match was played in Bucharest on November
13. Both fixtures were played as part of Rugby Europe Championship 2021.

In women’s handball this past Saturday, CSM Bucharest succeeded
a 27-21 home win against Ferencvaros Budapest. In a match counting towards
Champions league’s group A. Head-coach Adrian Vasile’s trainees thus took their
revenge as a week ago, they were outclassed by Ferencvaros by the narrowest of
margins, thanks to a last-second goal scored by the Hungarians. CSM’s top
scorer was again Cristina Neagu, who scored 9 goals. The win against
Ferencvaros earned CSM the 4th place in group A. At the end of the competition’s
group stage, the first two teams compete straight in the quarterfinals. To
advance to the League’s upper stages, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th placed teams will have to prove their mettle in the playoffs.
The Champions League will be resumed earlier next year, when CSM play an away game
against Brest in France on January 8th.

Also in women’s handball, in the European League this time,
SCM Ramnicu Valcea advanced to the competition’s group stage, following a
double win against Spain’s Super Amara Bera Bera, whom they defeated 34-28 at
home and 29-27 in San Sebastian this past Saturday. Măgura Cisnădie outclassed
Hungarian opponents Debrecen on aggregate, 22-all away from home and 25 -21 on
home court, this past Saturday. Also on aggregate, Gloria Buzau was eliminated from
competition by Norway’s Storhamar, after a 26-all home draw this past Sunday and
a previous 27-31 defeat in Norway.

In news from football, this past weekend saw matches being played,
counting towards League One’s 16th round. On Friday in Giurgiu, Sepsi
Sfântu Gheorghe defeated Academica Clinceni, 2-nil, while in Ploiești, Chindia
Târgoviște held Rapid Bucharest to a 2-all draw. On Saturday, in Ovidiu in the
south-east, Farul Constanta were held by UTA Arad to a blank draw, while CFR
Cluj grabbed a 2-nil away win against FC U Craiova. On Sunday, FC Argeș secured
a 3-2 win against Universitatea Craiova. In Bucharest, FCSB secured a 3-1 win
against FC Botosani. On Monday, CS Mioveni take on Gaz Metan Medias, while FC
Voluntari play Dinamo Bucharest. CFR Cluj are at the top of the table, with 42
points, followed by FCSB, with 34.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

22 November 2021
The Athlete of the week

One of last week’s
headline-hitting events in women’s professional tennis was the WTA tennis tournament
in Linz, Austria, an event with 190,000 Euros up for grabs. US Open winner Emma Raducanu
was one of the seeded players in Linz, alongside former WTA leader Simona Halep.
Of the Romanian tennis players who competed in Linz, best-placed was Jaqueline Cristian,
who played her first women’s singles final in a WTA tournament, in Austria. Reason
enough for Radio Romania International to designate Jaqueline Cristian the Athlete
of the week.

In Linz,
Jaqueline Cristian played the qualifiers and in the last round she was
outclassed by Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in three sets, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. Cristian
was nonetheless included in the tournament’s main draw as a lucky loser. In the
first round, Jaqueline Cristian defeated Russia’s Kamila Rahimova, 2-6, 6-2,
7-5. The Romanian went past the tournament’s round of 16 as Sweden opponent Rebeca
Peterson pulled out of the match when in the very first set, Cristian had a 5-2 lead.
In the quarterfinals, Jaqueline Cristian defeated Russian opponent Veronika
Kudermetova, 6-3, 7-6. In the semi-finals, Cristian’s scheduled match against Simona
Halep was no longer played since the former WTA player pulled out of
competition because of an injury. In the final, Jaqueline Cristian was
dramatically defeated by Alison Riske of the USA, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, after two
hours and 24 minutes of play.

Jaqueline
Cristian was born on June 5, 1998, in Bucharest. She won 10 ITF women’s singles titles and a similar number of titles, 10, in the doubles version of the
tournaments she played in. In 2015, at BRD Bucharest Open, Jaqueline Cristian
made her debut in a WTF tournament, in the women’s doubles, pairing up with Elena
– Gabriela Ruse. It was also in Bucharest and also pairing up with Elena -
Gabriela Ruse that Jaqueline Cristian played her first women’s doubles final in
2019. Back then Cristian and Ruse were defeated by the Slovak-Czech pair made
of Viktória Kužmová and Kristýna Plíšková.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

16 November 2021
The Athlete of the week

One of last week’s
headline-hitting events in women’s professional tennis was the WTA tennis tournament
in Linz, Austria, an event with 190,000 Euros up for grabs. US Open winner Emma Raducanu
was one of the seeded players in Linz, alongside former WTA leader Simona Halep.
Of the Romanian tennis players who competed in Linz, best-placed was Jaqueline Cristian,
who played her first women’s singles final in a WTA tournament, in Austria. Reason
enough for Radio Romania International to designate Jaqueline Cristian the Athlete
of the week.

In Linz,
Jaqueline Cristian played the qualifiers and in the last round she was
outclassed by Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in three sets, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. Cristian
was nonetheless included in the tournament’s main draw as a lucky loser. In the
first round, Jaqueline Cristian defeated Russia’s Kamila Rahimova, 2-6, 6-2,
7-5. The Romanian went past the tournament’s round of 16 as Sweden opponent Rebeca
Peterson pulled out of the match when in the very first set, Cristian had a 5-2 lead.
In the quarterfinals, Jaqueline Cristian defeated Russian opponent Veronika
Kudermetova, 6-3, 7-6. In the semi-finals, Cristian’s scheduled match against Simona
Halep was no longer played since the former WTA player pulled out of
competition because of an injury. In the final, Jaqueline Cristian was
dramatically defeated by Alison Riske of the USA, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, after two
hours and 24 minutes of play.

Jaqueline
Cristian was born on June 5, 1998, in Bucharest. She won 10 ITF women’s singles titles and a similar number of titles, 10, in the doubles version of the
tournaments she played in. In 2015, at BRD Bucharest Open, Jaqueline Cristian
made her debut in a WTF tournament, in the women’s doubles, pairing up with Elena
– Gabriela Ruse. It was also in Bucharest and also pairing up with Elena -
Gabriela Ruse that Jaqueline Cristian played her first women’s doubles final in
2019. Back then Cristian and Ruse were defeated by the Slovak-Czech pair made
of Viktória Kužmová and Kristýna Plíšková.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

16 November 2021