The Serbian men’s water polo team won the bronze medal at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, after defeating Spain 12:8 (5:2, 3:3, 2:2, 2:1) in the third-place match.
Coach Vladimir Vujasinović’s team took the lead after one minute and seven seconds, when Đorđe Vučinić used an extra player. Spain equalized just 11 seconds later with a goal from Marco Vals Ferrer from the penalty spot, but Vasilije Martinović quickly converted the score to make it 2-1.
Paul Prat Esteba tied the score at 2:2 with a player more, after which the Serbian water polo players played even better. Nemanja Stanojevic returned the lead to Serbia with a precise shot from six meters, and Dusan Trtovic used the player more to make it 4:2. Vuk Milojevic scored from six meters 49 seconds before the end of the opening period and set the score of the first quarter – 5:2.
Bogdan Gavrilović scored from the center position after 29 seconds of play in the second period for a big 6:2. Paul Daura Gomez reduced Spain’s deficit with a player more, but Serbia continued to control the score.
Martinović made it 7:3 with his second goal midway through the second quarter, and then was sure of a five-goal lead from the penalty spot. Spain managed to get closer in the final seconds of the half. Ignasi Bargallo Garcia scored from six meters, while Tomas Perone Garrido converted a player more for 8:5 27 seconds before going into the break.
The third quarter was quiet for just over four minutes. After Serbia’s timeout, Martinović scored his fourth goal of the game with a direct shot from six meters after a foul, increasing the lead to 9:5.
Daura Gomez cut the deficit to 9:6, but Gavrilović returned Serbia’s four-goal lead with his second goal a minute and 52 seconds before the end of the period. Saul Granados Moreno made it 10:7 after three quarters just 27 seconds later.
Ten seconds before the end of the third period, Gerard Gil Sedo committed his third personal foul, and was suspended for the rest of the game with the right to be substituted.
Spain had a chance to reduce the deficit after 53 seconds of play in the final quarter, but Prat Esteba hit the post from the penalty spot. Martinović scored his fifth goal in this period after two minutes and 29 seconds of play for 11:7.
Daura Gomez reduced the lead to 11:8 just 20 seconds later, but Spain failed to get any closer until the end. Martinović, two minutes and 58 seconds before the final whistle, cleared all doubts with his sixth goal and made the final score 12:8.
The most efficient player in the Serbian national team was captain Vasilije Martinović with six goals. Bogdan Gavrilović scored two, while Nemanja Stanojević, Dušan Trtović, Vuk Milojević and Đorđe Vučinić scored once each. Milan Glušac played the entire match and made eight saves.
Serbia coach Vladimir Vujasinović emphasized after the match that the goal was to win the gold medal, but that it was important for the team to rise after the semi-final defeat and finish the competition on the winner’s podium.
– Congratulations to the boys and the coaching staff for finding the strength to get through a difficult moment together. This was important because of their work and dedication over the past two months. In the end, this is a nice ending, we have a much clearer picture of everything and I think a great future awaits us – said Vujasinović.
He added that Serbia has a good player base and that it is necessary to continue working and maintain the motivation that the water polo players showed during the summer.
– It’s not just the medal that matters to us, but also the way we played against all the teams and the way we fought. That’s what gives us hope for a better tomorrow – concluded the Serbian coach.
Serbian national team player Bogdan Gavrilović stressed that it was not easy to recover after the semi-final defeat to Italy, but that the team showed character in the duel with Spain.
– It was very difficult to recover from such a defeat to Italy in the semi-final, in which I believe we played water polo at a high level and deserved to reach the final. All of this is experience that we will, hopefully, use in the future. I would like to congratulate the team for recovering from a difficult defeat. I am very glad that we showed character and defeated Spain with a fairly convincing result. We kept the game in our rhythm from the first quarter and did not let the advantage melt away – said Gavrilović.
He added that the team’s success is more important than his individual performance.
– I think that individual performance is the least important, because without a team it is impossible to give a good performance. I am very satisfied and grateful to all the guys for the superb atmosphere that accompanied us all summer. I hope that in future national team actions we will be even better and achieve even better results – concluded Gavrilović.
Spain – Serbia 8:12 (2:5, 3:3, 2:2, 1:2)
SPAIN: Pina Vega, Villamayor and Villar, Perone Garrido 1, Gil Sedo, Bargallo Garcia 1, Bonet Saez, Bustos Sanchez, Granados Moreno 1, Perez and Rodriguez, Prat Esteba 1, Vals Ferrer 1, Daura Gomez 3, Teclas Guillen, Garcia Sales.
Coach: David Martin Lozano.
SERBIA: Misovic, Pljevancic, Stanojevic 1, Urosevic, Trtovic 1, Milojevic 1, Vucinic 1, Dimitrijevic, Bozovic, Martinovic 6, Lukic, Gavrilovic 2, Glusac, Conkic.
Coach: Vladimir Vujasinovic.
Player more: Serbia 4/8, Spain 3/6.
Peterci: Serbia 1/1, Spain 1/3.
Referees: Marco Ercoli (Italy), Maxim Gerasimov (Great Britain).
