Radio România Internațional

Tag: semifinal

Sports weekend

Ana Bogdan and Sorana Cîrstea on Thursday advanced to the third round of
the Wimbledon tournament. In the second round, Bogdan outperformed US opponent Alycia Parks, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. 30-year-old
And Bogdan as an absolute first in her career has advanced to the third round
at Wimbledon. Sorana Cîrstea plays, however, for the fifth time in the third round
at Wimbledon. We recall that Cirstea in the second round on Thursday defeated 17th-seeded
player at Wimbledon, Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Time now
for news from football. The European Youth Football Championship, jointly
hosted by Georgia and Romania, draws to a close this coming weekend. On
Saturday in Batumi, on the Georgian shore of the Black Sea, in the Championship’s
final, Spain play England. In this past Wednesday’s semifinal in Bucharest Spain
trounced Ukraine, 5-1 while in Batumi, England defeated Israel, 3-nil. Playing
in Group B in Bucharest, the national U-21 Romanian team lost to Spain, nil-3, sustained
yet another defeat by Ukraine, nil-1 and achieved an unassuming blank draw
against Croatia.

This coming
Saturday the domestic football season resumes with the Romanian Super cup. The Ilie
Oana Stadium in Ploiesti plays host to the match pitting Farul Constanţa and Sepsi
OSK Sfântu Gheorghe. Farul had no problem winning the Championship, being, in
Group1, 7 points clear of the runner-up team FCSB of Bucharest. Sepsi got the
upper hand in the Romanian Cup, defeating Universitatea Cluj in the final, 5-4,
after extra time and the penalty shootouts. Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe are the holders
of the Supercup. We recall that in 2022 Sepsi defeated then the champion team
CFR Cluj, 2-1, in Arad. Farul Constanta won the Supercup only once, in 2019,
when the team was named Viitorul. The final was also played in Ploiesti; back
then Gheorghe Hagi’s trainees defeated CFR Cluj, 1-nil.

7 July 2023
Sports roundup

The European Games in Krakow drew to a close on Sunday. All told, Romania won 17 medals, of which 6 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze. Gold went to mountain biker Vlad Dascălu and athlete Claudia Bobocea in the 1,500m race. Also winning gold were Kinga Barabasi and Apor Gyorgydeak in the women’s and men’s individual teqball events, respectively to Bernadette Szocs, in the individual table tennis event, as well as to Romania’s national women’s table tennis team, in the nations’ competition.

Romanian national men’s water polo team came in 6th at the World Cup in Los Angeles. In the fixtures for the 5-11 positions, Romania defeated Olympic champion Serbia, 17-14, and lost to Greece, 8-11. We recall our national team also succeeded a noteworthy performance a week ago, qualifying to the 2024 edition of the European Championship’s final tournament.

In news from tennis, in the final of the WTA 250 tournament in Bad Homburg, an event with 260 thousand USD in prize money, Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Japan’s Eri Hozumi were defeated in the women’s doubles final by Lidia Morozova of the Belarus and Gamarra Martins of Brazil, 6-nil, 7-6. For their performance in Germany, Niculescu and Hozumi were handed a cheque worth 6, 090 USD and were granted 180 WTA points.

The European U-21 football championship jointly hosted by Georgia and Romania has now reached its semifinal stage. The semifinalist teams are Israel, Spain, England and Ukraine. In this past Saturday’s quarterfinal fixtures in Bucharest, Spain defeated Switzerland, 2-1 in extra time. In Tbilisi, Israel grabbed a 4-3 win against Georgia after the penalty shootout. In Cluj on Sunday, Ukraine defeated France, 3-1, while in Georgia’s Kutaisi, England grabbed a 1-nil win against Portugal. The semifinals are scheduled on Wednesday. In Batumi, Israel goes against England, while on Bucharest’s Steaua stadium Spain takes on Ukraine.

3 July 2023
Sports roundup

The European Games in Krakow drew to a close on Sunday. All told, Romania won 17 medals, of which 6 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze. Gold went to mountain biker Vlad Dascălu and athlete Claudia Bobocea in the 1,500m race. Also winning gold were Kinga Barabasi and Apor Gyorgydeak in the women’s and men’s individual teqball events, respectively to Bernadette Szocs, in the individual table tennis event, as well as to Romania’s national women’s table tennis team, in the nations’ competition.

Romanian national men’s water polo team came in 6th at the World Cup in Los Angeles. In the fixtures for the 5-11 positions, Romania defeated Olympic champion Serbia, 17-14, and lost to Greece, 8-11. We recall our national team also succeeded a noteworthy performance a week ago, qualifying to the 2024 edition of the European Championship’s final tournament.

In news from tennis, in the final of the WTA 250 tournament in Bad Homburg, an event with 260 thousand USD in prize money, Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Japan’s Eri Hozumi were defeated in the women’s doubles final by Lidia Morozova of the Belarus and Gamarra Martins of Brazil, 6-nil, 7-6. For their performance in Germany, Niculescu and Hozumi were handed a cheque worth 6, 090 USD and were granted 180 WTA points.

The European U-21 football championship jointly hosted by Georgia and Romania has now reached its semifinal stage. The semifinalist teams are Israel, Spain, England and Ukraine. In this past Saturday’s quarterfinal fixtures in Bucharest, Spain defeated Switzerland, 2-1 in extra time. In Tbilisi, Israel grabbed a 4-3 win against Georgia after the penalty shootout. In Cluj on Sunday, Ukraine defeated France, 3-1, while in Georgia’s Kutaisi, England grabbed a 1-nil win against Portugal. The semifinals are scheduled on Wednesday. In Batumi, Israel goes against England, while on Bucharest’s Steaua stadium Spain takes on Ukraine.

3 July 2023
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
Athlete of the week

Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest have
advanced to the Champions League’s play-offs, coming in 5th
according to the League’s Group A final rankings. If they want to make headway into
the quarterfinals, in late March CSM Bucharest will have to prove their mettle against
Russian opponents ȚSKA Moscow.

In the last fixture as part of the group stage,
CSM Bucharest this past Sunday played a home game against Danish opponents Team
Esbjerg. The game ended 29-all. CSM narrowly missed the win, as guest team Esbjerg
turned a last-second 7-meter throw into a goal. CSM had a good run for the
game, while Cristina Neagu was again the most efficient scorer, with 10 goals
on her record sheet. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate
Neagu the Athlete of the week.

CSM’s match against Esbjerg was the second game
when Cristina Neagu’s being on the court made the difference for the second
time around in the last week. In this past Wednesday’s domestic championship
fixture, Neagu’s last-gasp equalizer in CSM’s match against Gloria Bistrita Nasaud
saved her team from a surprising defeat. The match ended 23-all, with 10 of CSM’s
goals being scored by Neagu, who also set the final score, coming up with the equalizer
in the last minute of play.

Cristina Neagu was born in Bucharest on August
26, 1988. She made her debut with School Sports Club number 5. As a junior
handballer, Cristina was designated the world’s best handballer several times beginning
2005, when the Romanian national squad walked away with the silver medals as part
of the European Juniors’ Championships held in Austria. In 2006 Cristina Neagu was
signed up by Rulmentul Brasov. In 2010 she played for Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea,
the team with which she reached as far as the Champions League final. Oltchim
was dismantled, so Cristina Neagu was signed up by Buducnost Podgorica, the
team with which, in 2015, she won the Champions League. Neagu has been playing
for CSM Bucharest since 2017. In 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, The International Handball
Federation designated Neagu the world’s best handballer, The Romanian thus
became the first handballer in history to have won the trophy four times.

Cristina Neagu’s record with the national team
includes a bronze medal won as part of the European Championship jointly hosted
by Denmark and Norway in 2010, and another bronze medal won as part of the
World Championship in Denmark in 2015. In 2021 Cristina Neagu decided to retire
from national-level competition, temporarily, in order to better focus on her
club activity. However, later on Cristina made public the fact that she would return
to the national team in 2022.

(EN)

22 February 2022
Athlete of the week

Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest have
advanced to the Champions League’s play-offs, coming in 5th
according to the League’s Group A final rankings. If they want to make headway into
the quarterfinals, in late March CSM Bucharest will have to prove their mettle against
Russian opponents ȚSKA Moscow.

In the last fixture as part of the group stage,
CSM Bucharest this past Sunday played a home game against Danish opponents Team
Esbjerg. The game ended 29-all. CSM narrowly missed the win, as guest team Esbjerg
turned a last-second 7-meter throw into a goal. CSM had a good run for the
game, while Cristina Neagu was again the most efficient scorer, with 10 goals
on her record sheet. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate
Neagu the Athlete of the week.

CSM’s match against Esbjerg was the second game
when Cristina Neagu’s being on the court made the difference for the second
time around in the last week. In this past Wednesday’s domestic championship
fixture, Neagu’s last-gasp equalizer in CSM’s match against Gloria Bistrita Nasaud
saved her team from a surprising defeat. The match ended 23-all, with 10 of CSM’s
goals being scored by Neagu, who also set the final score, coming up with the equalizer
in the last minute of play.

Cristina Neagu was born in Bucharest on August
26, 1988. She made her debut with School Sports Club number 5. As a junior
handballer, Cristina was designated the world’s best handballer several times beginning
2005, when the Romanian national squad walked away with the silver medals as part
of the European Juniors’ Championships held in Austria. In 2006 Cristina Neagu was
signed up by Rulmentul Brasov. In 2010 she played for Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea,
the team with which she reached as far as the Champions League final. Oltchim
was dismantled, so Cristina Neagu was signed up by Buducnost Podgorica, the
team with which, in 2015, she won the Champions League. Neagu has been playing
for CSM Bucharest since 2017. In 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, The International Handball
Federation designated Neagu the world’s best handballer, The Romanian thus
became the first handballer in history to have won the trophy four times.

Cristina Neagu’s record with the national team
includes a bronze medal won as part of the European Championship jointly hosted
by Denmark and Norway in 2010, and another bronze medal won as part of the
World Championship in Denmark in 2015. In 2021 Cristina Neagu decided to retire
from national-level competition, temporarily, in order to better focus on her
club activity. However, later on Cristina made public the fact that she would return
to the national team in 2022.

(EN)

22 February 2022
Sports weekend

Romanian
rower Catalin Chirila on Friday advanced to the semifinal of the men’s canoe
single 1000m race in Tokyo. Chirila won the first heat of the qualifiers. On
Saturday morning, Catalin competes in the first semifinal, jointly with seven
other competitors. The first four rowers in descending order book their ticket
for the final, to be held also on Saturday. In heat 4, Victor Mihalachi came in
5th. Mihalachi also competed for the quarterfinals, where he was
again 5th-placed, so he failed to qualify to the semifinals.

All
Romanian wrestlers who fought in Tokyo on Friday sustained defeats from the competition’s very first round. In the 97-kilogram category, Albert Saritov was
overpowered by Cuban-born Italian challenger Abraham Conyedo Ruano. In the
50-kilogram category as part of the women’s version of the competition, Alina
Vuc was outclassed by European title holder, Bulgaria’s Miglena Georgyeva
Selishka.

On
Sunday, javelin thrower Alexandru Mihaita Novac competes in the final of the
event. On Wednesday, Novac’s throw of 83 meters and 27 centimeters, which is
also a personal record for the Romanian, took him to the final. Alexandru Novac
came in 4th in Group A and was 7th-placed, overall.

In
news from football, the coming weekend will see matches being played, counting
towards domestic League One’s fourth round. On Friday, FC Botosani take on UTA Arad
and CS Mioveni face CFR Cluj. On Saturday in Clinceni, the local side Academica
play FC U Craiova. In the southern Romanian town of Pitesti, FC Argeș receive
the visit of Rapid from Bucharest. On Sunday, Dinamo Bucharest play Chindia
Targoviste in Buzau. On the National Arena in Bucharest, FCSB face Gaz Metan
Medias. The fourth round’s closing fixture on Monday will see Farul Constanta
playing Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. In Craiova, the local side Universitatea play FC
Voluntari. CFR Cluj are at the top of the table with 9 points, followed by
Rapid Bucharest and FC Botosani, with 7 points each.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

6 August 2021
Sports weekend

Romanian
rower Catalin Chirila on Friday advanced to the semifinal of the men’s canoe
single 1000m race in Tokyo. Chirila won the first heat of the qualifiers. On
Saturday morning, Catalin competes in the first semifinal, jointly with seven
other competitors. The first four rowers in descending order book their ticket
for the final, to be held also on Saturday. In heat 4, Victor Mihalachi came in
5th. Mihalachi also competed for the quarterfinals, where he was
again 5th-placed, so he failed to qualify to the semifinals.

All
Romanian wrestlers who fought in Tokyo on Friday sustained defeats from the competition’s very first round. In the 97-kilogram category, Albert Saritov was
overpowered by Cuban-born Italian challenger Abraham Conyedo Ruano. In the
50-kilogram category as part of the women’s version of the competition, Alina
Vuc was outclassed by European title holder, Bulgaria’s Miglena Georgyeva
Selishka.

On
Sunday, javelin thrower Alexandru Mihaita Novac competes in the final of the
event. On Wednesday, Novac’s throw of 83 meters and 27 centimeters, which is
also a personal record for the Romanian, took him to the final. Alexandru Novac
came in 4th in Group A and was 7th-placed, overall.

In
news from football, the coming weekend will see matches being played, counting
towards domestic League One’s fourth round. On Friday, FC Botosani take on UTA Arad
and CS Mioveni face CFR Cluj. On Saturday in Clinceni, the local side Academica
play FC U Craiova. In the southern Romanian town of Pitesti, FC Argeș receive
the visit of Rapid from Bucharest. On Sunday, Dinamo Bucharest play Chindia
Targoviste in Buzau. On the National Arena in Bucharest, FCSB face Gaz Metan
Medias. The fourth round’s closing fixture on Monday will see Farul Constanta
playing Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. In Craiova, the local side Universitatea play FC
Voluntari. CFR Cluj are at the top of the table with 9 points, followed by
Rapid Bucharest and FC Botosani, with 7 points each.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

6 August 2021
Romania at the Olympic Games

Romania’s national football team has booked its ticket
to the Tokyo Olympic Games following a 56-year gap. We recall that the last time
Romanian took part in an edition of the Olympics was also in Japan, in 1964.

Romania’s national team back then had a spectacular
qualification trail for the Olympics. Two preliminary rounds had been required
in order to achieve that. In the first leg against Denmark, Romania succeeded a
3-2 win, away, and everybody was pretty relaxed regarding the return home leg.
It’s just that the Danish did not agree to that, so much so that in Bucharest,
they had grabbed a 3-nil advantage halfway through the first half of the match.

Yet Romania scored twice and a play-off match
followed, according to regulations, which was hosted by Turin in Italy. After
90 minutes of regular play, the display of the scoreboard showed 1-all. Extra
time had to be played, and in 117th minute, the winning goal was
scored by Mircea Sasu, who played for the B-division team Minerul Baia Mare.
The second preliminary round saw Romania facing Bulgaria. Back then Romania
made short work of their opponents, winning 2-1 on home turf and 1-nil, away.

In the Olympic tournament, Romania was ascribed to
Group A, alongside Mexico, Iran, and the so-called team of united Germany,
actually an East-German lineup. On October 11, 1964, Romania defeated Mexico,
3-1. Then on October 13, a 1-all draw followed, against Germany. On October 15,
Romania grabbed a 1-nil win against Iran and then made it to the quarterfinals,
being the runner-up team in Group A while the team from East Germany was at the
top of the table.

One of the best teams at that time, Hungary, was Romania’s
challenger in the fight for a place in the semifinals. In the game venued by a
stadium in Yokohama, on October 18, 1964, Hungary’s Tibor Csernai drew first blood
on 2 minutes. Romania’s captain Gheorghe Constantin wasted the team’s biggest
chance to level the score when the referee granted Romania a penalty kick six
minutes before the final whistle. Hungary did turn into a goal the penalty kick
they were granted shortly afterwards, again thanks to Tibor Csernai. In the
semifinals, Hungary trounced Egypt, 6-nil, also winning the final against
Czechoslovakia, 2-1.

22 March 2021