The Ukrainian national team went into its final match of the preliminary round of the World Championship against the French handball players already knowing the result of the "Romania – Macedonia" match. In that confrontation, Gheorghe Tadici's team won quite predictably – 29:22, and at this stage of the competition collected the maximum "harvest" of points – 10 (only the Russians, who played in Group "A", managed the same). Therefore, in the meeting with the reigning champions of the Old World, the Ukrainians would have been satisfied with even a draw... \n \nBoth teams did not want to take too many risks, as evidenced by the start of their "duel." By the 7th minute of the match, the teams had not produced a single breakaway: the emphasis was on positional attack and "sticky" defense. As for the debut goal in this game, Anastasia Borodina organized it already in the 34th second with a long-range shot. \n \nWhat is interesting is something else: while the Ukrainians took turns setting up Syukalo, Vergelyuk, Borodina, and Radchenko for shots, and traditionally Reznir took the seven-meter throws, our opponents built almost their entire game through the 21-year-old Anzhelika Spincer. The French team's top scorer at this world championship (over 5 matches she threw 37 goals), she scored both from long range and after breakthroughs down the left wing. In addition, Spincer also "worked" on the seven-meter line, so it is no wonder that by the 21st minute of the match she had already scored her 8th goal, while France's total was 9 (9:10)! And there would have been even more if not for the selfless (and at the same time cool-headed) play of our goalkeeper Tetyana Vorozhtsova: over the course of the match she saved 15 of 40 shots. \n \nThe Ukrainians constantly went ahead in the score, but in the first half they managed only once to increase the lead to 2 goals – 10:8 (after Oleksandra Reznir converted a seven-meter throw). Instead, the reigning world champions were lucky enough to "feel" themselves as leaders only for a moment – 12:11, but the "blue-and-yellows" quickly restored the balance thanks to a spectacular breakthrough by Olena Radchenko and made no more such "gifts" to their opponents. \n \nIt is also worth mentioning a kind of "déjà vu" for Leonid Ratner. During the match for "bronze" at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens between the national teams of Ukraine and France, our coach's excessive activity near the substitutes' bench forced the referees to remove him to the stands. As Leonid Anatoliyovych later said, he deliberately took this step to "fire up" his charges. Back then he succeeded: our girls won – 21:18, earning the right to climb onto the coveted podium of honor... \n \nAnd now, at the world championship in Saint Petersburg in a match against the same Frenchwomen, Leonid Ratner was again "punished" by the representatives of Themis: first he received a yellow card, and before the break also a two-minute suspension... Be that as it may, such a turn of events in a game against Valérie Nicolas and company is already bringing us success for the second time... \n\nAnd indeed, the Ukrainians' play in the second half deserves a considerable portion of compliments. A desperate breakthrough by Maryna Vergelyuk through the center of the French defense, a spectacular breakaway and a "nine" from the captain of the "blue-and-yellows" Natalya Lyapina, a successful seven-meter throw and a "sting" from the right wing by Olena Reznir, and Ratner's team leaves the opponents behind – 20:16! \n\nThrough the efforts of Isabelle Wendling and Myriam Korfanty, the "blue-and-whites" make an attempt to "cling" to their opponents, but in vain! The nervousness and excessive roughness in the defense of the French national team lead to two consecutive two-minute suspensions of its players, and the awarding of a "pair" of seven-meter throws against Nicolas's goal. Both "verdicts" were calmly executed by Reznir, after which the combination Vergelyuk – Lyapina increased the Ukrainians' advantage to 9 goals – 28:19! There were only some 3 minutes 54 seconds left to play... As they say, the job was done. \n\nThe final score – 32:27 in favor of the Ukrainians – took them to the next round of the world championship, and moreover from second place! Before the start of the main stage of the competition, the Romanians have 4 points, Lyapina and company – 2, the Frenchwomen – 0. At the same time, the three national teams that ended up in the same group with the above-mentioned teams have the following "starting" points: Denmark – 4 points, Germany – 2, and 0 – for Brazil. \n\nImmediately the words of the playmaker of the Ukrainian national team and the Austrian "HIPOBANK" Tetyana Shynkarenko came to mind, which she said after the 2005 Turchyna Cup: "I am sure that we will be able to get through the preliminary round of the world championship. That is one hundred percent.... And then? We will try..." \n\nUKRAINE – FRANCE – 32:27 (14:14, 18:13) \n\nUKRAINE: Tetyana Vorozhtsova – saved 15 of 40 shots, Mariya Makarenko – 0/2; Olena Reznir – 11 goals, Olena Radchenko – 5, Anastasia Borodina – 4, Maryna Vergelyuk – 3, Natalya Lyapina – 3, Iryna Shutska – 2, Ganna Syukalo – 2, Olena Yatsenko – 1, Oksana Sakada – 1, Tetyana Shynkarenko, Regina Shymkute, Iryna Shybanova \n\nWorld Championship – 2005. Saint Petersburg. \n\nResults of the final, 5th round of the preliminary round. \n\nGroup "D". \n\nArgentina – Cameroon – 21:20 (10:10, 11:10) \n\nRomania – Macedonia – 29:22 (18:8, 11:14) \n\nUKRAINE – France – 32:27 (14:14, 18:13) \n\n1. Romania – 10 \n2. UKRAINE – 7 \n2. France – 6 \n3. Macedonia – 5 \n4. Argentina – 2 \n5. Cameroon – 0 \n\nFrom each group, the top three teams advance to the main round of the tournament, and they retain the points earned in matches among themselves at the preliminary stage of the competition. Therefore, taking this indicator into account, before the start of the next stage of the championship we have the following standings table for our group:\n\nGroup 2. \n\n1. Denmark – 4 (goal difference +10) \n2. Romania – 4 (+5) \n3. Germany – 2 (+7) \n4. Ukraine – 2 (+2) \n5. France – 0 (-7) \n6. Brazil – 0 (-17) \n\nSCHEDULE OF MAIN ROUND MATCHES OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN OUR 2nd GROUP (match start times are indicated in Kyiv time!): \n\nMonday, December 12. \n\nGermany – France (start – 16.00) \nBrazil – Romania (18.00) \nUKRAINE – Denmark (20.00) \n\nTuesday, December 13. \n\nRomania – Germany (16.00) \nUKRAINE – Brazil (18.00) \nDenmark – France (20.00) \n\nWednesday, December 14 – rest day \n\nThursday, December 15. \n\nBrazil – France (16.00) \nGermany – UKRAINE (18.00) \nDenmark – Romania (20.00) \n\nP.S. The teams that take the first two places in their groups will reach the semifinals of the world championship.