The Serbian men’s water polo team was defeated by Montenegro with a score of 14:13 (3:3, 4:4, 3:4, 4:2) in the second round of Group A at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto.
Montenegro scored the first goal of the match, after Strahinja Gojković converted an attack with a player more. Serbia responded excellently, playing tougher in defense, and Vuk Milojević scored two consecutive goals to give the Serbian national team its first lead – 2:1.
Viktor Urošević then used the extra player and increased the lead to 3:1. Montenegro then took advantage of several mistakes by Serbian water polo players and equalized with two goals, so the first quarter ended with a score of 3:3.
Montenegro opened the second period better and used the extra man twice in the first 90 seconds to take a 5:3 lead. Serbia then raised the level of play in defense, while Vasilije Martinović was in the mood in attack. He scored all three of Serbia’s goals in that part of the second quarter and brought another equalizer – 6:6.
Dušan Banićević returned the lead to Montenegro, but Nikola Lukić tied the score at 7:7 with a brilliant goal 24 seconds before the end of the first half.
Serbia started the third quarter well. Luka Pljevančić, Bogdan Gavrilović and Marko Dimitrijević scored three consecutive goals for a 10:7 lead. Montenegro pulled one back through Dušan Matković, and Dušan Trtović then scored for 11:8.
At the end of the third period, Montenegro reduced the deficit with goals from Aleksa Ukropina and Đuro Radović, so Serbia led 11:10 with eight minutes left.
Dušan Trtović increased Serbia’s lead to 12:10 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but then Montenegro made a big comeback. Strahinja Gojković equalized with two consecutive goals, and then Balša Vučković and Aljoša Mačić completed a four-goal streak for Montenegro’s lead of 14:12.
After Serbia’s timeout, Vasilije Martinović reduced the score to 14:13 with 55 seconds left. The Serbian water polo players had a chance for the last attack, but Đorđe Vučinić hit the post 13 seconds before the end, so Montenegro preserved the minimal advantage and achieved victory.
The most efficient player in the Serbian team was Vasilije Martinović with four goals, while Dušan Trtović and Vuk Milojević scored two each. Luka Pljevančić, Viktor Urošević, Marko Dimitrijević, Nikola Lukić and Bogdan Gavrilović scored one goal each.
Serbia will play against Greece in the final round of Group A on Tuesday, September 1, at 5:30 p.m.
Serbian national team captain Vasilije Martinović congratulated the Montenegrin team on a great match and pointed out that Serbia had the match in its hands for most of the match.
– First of all, I would like to congratulate the Montenegrin team on a great match and, of course, my team on their fight. We had the match in our hands for the most part. However, there was a decline, primarily in defense, where we allowed ourselves some mistakes that we really shouldn’t have made, which, let’s say, made us a little nervous and which we certainly suffered from in attack, which ultimately contributed to this result. We turn, of course, to the match on Monday against the Greek team, where we will give our maximum to qualify for the play-offs of the competition. We missed a couple of clear chances in attack, which, as I said, made us a little nervous in defense, where we really got nervous and did some things that we didn’t agree on, but we turn to the tournament – said Martinović.
Serbian national team coach Vladimir Vujasinović said that the match was tied and that in the end it was decided by the details.
– It was up and down throughout the game. They had a little lead at the beginning, then we did. All in all, even if the game had ended in a draw, that might have been the best result for a match like this. We fell a little at the end, we lost a little concentration at some points in the middle of the fourth quarter. However, they are a team that has been playing together a little longer, they have more of that collective experience and they used that in the end. I would praise the guys, they fought from start to finish. As I said, the details decided it, so nothing, let’s move on. In the next round we play against Greece, we need to win and get through to the semifinals – said Vujasinović.
Serbia – Montenegro 13:14 (3:3, 4:4, 4:3, 2:4)
SERBIA: Misovic, Pljevancic 1, Stanojevic, Urosevic 1, Trtovic 2, Milojevic 2, Vucinic, Dimitrijevic 1, Bozovic, Martinovic 4, Lukic 1, Gavrilovic 1, Glusac, Chonkic.
Coach: Vladimir Vujasinovic.
MONTENEGRO: Đurović, Vujović, Đ. Radović 2, Stupar 1, Mačić 1, Banićević 1, Ukropina 1, Vučković 1, Sladović 1, Spajić 1, Matković 1, V. Radović, I. Radović, Gojković 4.
Coach: Dejan Savic.
Player more: Serbia 5/7, Montenegro 7/10.
Peterci: Serbia 0/0, Montenegro 0/0.
Referees: Maxim Gerasimov (Great Britain), Alex Marquez Mas (Spain).
