Men’s water polo: Greece, Serbia, Hungary and Croatia went to the semi-finals
The quarter finals of the 17th FINA Men’s Water Polo World Championship will take place on Tuesday in the afternoon and in the evening. /fina-budapest2017.com/
The qualification matches took place in the morning, with the following results:
For the 15th place:
Canada – South Africa 9-6 (1-2, 4-1, 2-1, 2-2)
For the 13th place
France – United States 8-10 (1-0, 2-3, 3-4, 2-3)
For the 9th-12th places
Brazil -Japan 7-9 (1-3, 3-4, 1-1, 2-1)
Kazakhstan - Spain 6-18 (0-4, 1-5, 1-3, 4-6)
M33
In the first quarter final
Montenegro-Greece 7-12 (0-1, 2-5, 1-4, 4-2)
Hajós Alfréd Swimming Complex, referees: Alexandrescu (ROU), Flahive (AUS)
Montenegro: Lazovic – Drasko Brguljan 1, Petkovic 1, Draskovic, Radovic 2, Misic 1, Cuckovic. Subs.: Scepanovic (gk), Banicevic, Darko Brguljan 1, Radovic, Ukropina, Murisic 1. Head coach: Vladimir Gojkovic
Greece: Flegkas – Genidounias 1, Delakas, Fountoulis 4, Kolomvos 1, Gounas 2, Vlachopoulos 1. Subs.: Dervisis 1, Kapotsis, Pontikeas, Argyropoulos 1, Mourikis 1. Head coach: Theodorus Vlachos
Photos: Máté Balogh/Bp2017
Montenegro got to the quarter finals directly by winning its group. Even point saving against Canada went easily for the team. The Greeks had a much more difficult task getting into the quarter final. This training has proved to be useful.
Greece beat Spain 8-7, went down against Serbia 11-6, and they succesfully faced off Japan 14-4.
The olympic bronze medallist national team started the quarter final better. Gounas made Greece lead the game by the middle of the quarter by scoring the only goal of the first part. Angelos Vlachopoulos increased their lead, soon followed by the tricky action of Georgios Dervisis, 0-3.
After the score of 4-1, Sasa Misic scored for Montenegro, but the Greeks have proved to be much better at shooting on target, they increased their lead to five goals. Aeskasandar Radovic succesfully hit through the wall, being fuelled by anger (2-6), but the European Championship’s silver medallist couldn’t get any closer until the break.
The disappointment of the players of Montenegro may have intensified in the third quarter as after the score of 3-0, the Greeks’ lead grew up to the score of 9-2, mostly due to Ioannis Fountoulis’s incredible gameplay.
By the beginning of the fourth quarter, Montenegro faced the seven goal advance of Greece, something they couldn’t handle. The team didn’t succeed in turning the match around.
Greece got through to the semi finals!
M37
Serbia-Australia 15-5 (4-1, 4-2, 4-2, 3-0)
Hajós Alfréd Swimming Complex, referees: Naumov (RUS), Ohme (GER)
Serbia: B. Mitrovic – V. Rasovic 1, M. Cuk 2, D. Pijetlovic 2, Aleksic 1, Filipovic 3, Prlainovic 2. Subs.: G. Pijetlovic (kapus), Mandic, Randelovic 1, Ubovic, Jaksic 1, S. Mitrovic 2. Head coach: Dejan Savic
Australia: Hrysanthos – G. Ford, Kayes 1, Gilchrist 1, Younger 1, A. Ford, Hollis. Subs.: Putt, Power 1, Edwards 1, Fannon, Brooks. Head coach: Elvis Fatovic
Without exaggeration, it would have been a world sensation if the Australian team would defeat the Olympic champion, world champion, European Champion and World League winner Serbian team, the potentially winner of the World Championships.
The Serbs have become a group leader and the Australians have suffered from the French for a comeback, after the Hungarian and Italian nationals have been defeated them easily. Of course the Brazilians were beaten for the eight, so they could face the title defender today.
The Serbs started well, 30 seconds were enough to get the first goal, by Milos Cuk, Filip Filipovic doubled the advantage, Jarrad Gilchrist could beautify not much later. At the beginning of the second quarter Dusko Pijetlovic's goal resulted a 5-1 Serbian lead, and it was encouraging for the Fatovic team to catch to 5-3 in the second quarter after a few minutes.
After that, Serbia has initiated the rockets so Stefan Mitrovic had three more goals, made the advantage to five goals before the big break.
The Serbs demonstrated in this match - as usual - that the national team members were equally successful, at the end of the third quarter, when 12-5 were the result, and five players were on two goals.
In the end, Filipovic was the only player made 3 points, with the Serbs having won 10 in total for the quarter finals.
M36 - 3rd quarterfinal
Hungary-Russia 14-5 (5-0, 3-1, 3-3, 3-1)
Alfréd Hajós Swimming Pool, 7300 spectators, Referees: Severo (Italian), Buch (Spanish)
Hungary: V.Nagy - Vámos 2, Hosnyánszky 4, Gór-Nagy, Dénes Varga 4, Erdélyi, Hárai 1. Replacement: Turkish, Manhercz 3, Zalánki, Á.Decker, Mezei. Head Coach: Tamás Märcz
Russia: Statsenko - Vasilyev, Merkulov, Nagaev 1, Kholod, Lisunov 1, Shepelev. Replacement: Korneev (goalkeeper), Lazarev, Dereviankin 1, Bugaychuk 2, Ashaev, Suchkov. Head Coach: Sergey Evstigneev
After winning their group the World Championship’s 6th place holder Hungarian national team earned a three-day break to prepare for tonight’s game.
The Russians did not rest, but instead they have beaten the Spaniards by some surprise for the eight. The Hungarian and the Russian national team met last time at the European Championship in Belgrade last year, ended up with 12-6 for the Hungarians.
Norbert Hosnyánszky scored the first goal of the match in advantage, at the end of the first minute (1-0). Viktor Nagy was able to defend himself in a man's disadvantage, so the game went pretty well for the Hungarians.
The beginning of the second quarter also started with a similar scenario: Viktor Nagy defended the fifth Russian shot, while Dénes Varga scored 6-0.
Ivan Nagaev broke the goal silence from the Russian side, with a nasty goal, almost from the base line to Viktor Nagy's goal line, quite unexpectedly. The Hungarian national team did not detract from this.
The second half started with lightning fast two Hungarian goals, so we could record in 10-1, this match will be pulled by the Hungarian national team, so after 2013 we can play again for the medal. Russia then doubled the number of goals at the end of the third quarter, but it did not endanger the sure Hungarian leadership - especially that Hosnyánszky fired again with succsess (11-4).
There are not many questions left for the last quarter, the Hungarian national team win the match with confidence, so they are facing Greece in the semi-final.
M37 - 4th quarterfinal
Croatia-Italy 12-9 (3-2, 2-3, 3-1, 4-3)
Hajós Alfréd Swimming Complex, referees: Stavridis (GRE) Schwartz (ISR).
Croatia: Bijac – Loncar, Jokovic, Buljubasic, Buslje 1, Setka 2, Garcia Gadea 4. Subs: Macan, Fatovic, Vukicevic 1, Sukno 4, Krapic, Marcelic (gk). Head coach: Ivica Tucak.
Italy: Tempesti – Gitto, Figlioli 2, Presciutti, Nora, Renzuto Iodice 3, Bodegas 1. Subs: di Fulvio 1, Mirarchi, Fondelli, Aicardi 2, Bertoli, Volarevic. Head coach: Alessandro Campagna.
However, Croatia came to the quarter-finals with flawless results and have finished in the last ten years at all world championships on the podium, could not have considered themselves the unquestionable superior of the match. The opponent was the three-time Olympic World Champion and Europe champion Italy. Although the Italians have not been in the top three since the silver medal at the London Olympics, may you be any team, you have to fear them.
During the group events, the Hungarian team was fooled by them gaining a worthy tie. According to the paper form, the Croatians scored the first goal by Setka and then the second, but the Italians did not let their opponents out too much out of the sight and they made it always even.
In the second quarter the battle continued, with teams running head-to-head. The Italians were particularly impressive front of the goal line, so the teams went from 5-5 to the big break.
The Italians’ momentum did not break in the third quarter either, thanks to Captain Figlioli, they scored the first goal and took the lead for the first time. However, the Croatians did not allow their opponents to be happy for a long time, with Sandro Sukno's fourth bomber they took the lead again.
The third quarter ended with the two goals advantage of the Croatians.
In the fourt period, the latter continued to increase the advantage, which seemed to be easy to keep up till the end of the game. However, the Italians had second thoughts, and with Bodegas's beautiful move, then with Rencontro Iodice's strike back to a one goal-disadvantage. Not for long. The Croatians played fully disciplined, and finally won the game of the day with three-goal advantage.
27 July, Thursday:
For 11th place:
10:30 – Brazil-Kazakhstan
For 9th place:
12:00 – Spain-Japan
For 5-8th places:
13:30 – Montenegro-Russia
15:00 – Australia-Italy
Semifinals:
20:30 – Greece-Hungary
22:00 – Serbia-Croatia