Current Macedonian and Croatian champion, Vardar and CO Zagreb have opened SEHA GSS League's F4 in Novi Sad with their semi-final clash. More than 2,000 people in SPENS sports hall have decided to spend their Friday afternoon watching the best handball in the region. 

Both teams have started the game carefully, playing the best they can in defense and not risking much in attack. Result of that kind of approach was the result 2:2 in the 8th minute of the match. Teams were playing goal-by-goal until 15th minute and 4:4. After that, and for the next 10 minutes it seemed like there is only one team on SPENS' court - Vardar. Their magnificent 6:0 series mainly led by Brumen and Markovic has brought them a big advantage. Luckily for Zagreb, they have slowed down a bit after that and Stepancic has managed to bring Zagreb 'back into the game' and reduce the goal gap along with fantastic Ivic who has replaced Stevanovic on the goal. Stepancic was the best scorer of the first half with 4 goals and a buzzer-beater for final 10:12 for Vardar. On the other side Brumen scored 3 for Macedonian champion. 

Vardar has opened the second half in a much better way. Igor Karacic, their most important player and MVP of the match simply has not allowed the team from Zagreb to come on egal in moments when they were getting seriously closer. Strahinja Milic was on the other side magnificent with 15 saves in the end, 9 more than CO Zagreb's goalkeepers which has surely been the reason for such a goal difference in the end. Zagreb was simply not on the required level and for a win over such a strong opponent you need to play the best match of the season. Vardar's advantage was slowly getting bigger and bigger and has in the end reached +8. Final result was 22:30 for Macedonian team.

CO Zagreb's best scorers were right backs, Luka Stepancic with 4 from the first half and Mario Vuglac with 6, mainly from the second half. Croatian duo was on the other side the best in Macedonian team's roster. Luka Rakovic scored 4, Igor Karacic 7 goals. 

Statements after the match: 
Boris Dvorsek, CO Zagreb's coach: 
- I believe this was a well deserved win for Vardar. Everything was in my opinion clear after 20 minutes, when they've managed to make 6:0 series. We weren't playing good at all in the first half and it has decided the match. One of the reasons is surely that we're out of competitive rhytm. We haven't played a competitive match for almost a month and it surely affects team's performance. 

Mario Vuglac, CO Zagreb's right back: 
- We've prepared for this match for a long time and we knew what we can expect from Vardar but this was definitely not the right Zagreb. We've opnened the match in a very bad way and it was later very hard to catch such a good team like Vardar. 

Raul Gonzales, Vardar's coach: 
- This was a hard match for us and in my opinion, final +8 goal difference is not so real. Kozlina was great in defense, Milić had many saves... We were on a required level today. I believe Zagreb has a great potential with all these young players but they still need to work. 

Igor Karacic, Vardar's middle back: 
- We've played an outstanding match today. Zagreb is good but maybe too young at the moment for anything bigger. Coach Gonzales has brought much good things into Vardar. We've surely become a much better team. Speaking of the F4 final match, I'd like to play against Meshkov. Not because I think they are weaker but because of my brother. I would be great to play against him and fight for the title.