The Serbian youth water polo team, players under 18, won 6th place at the World Championship in Portugal.
After losing in the quarterfinals to the Spanish national team, coach Miloš Saković’s team first defeated Italy 18:15 (5:3, 6:7, 2:2, 5:3) in the playoff for 5th to 8th place, and then lost to Greece 13:8 (5:1, 5:3, 0:2, 3:2) in the final match for 5th place.
The most efficient player for the Serbian national team was Milan Zelić with 3 goals, while Drobnjaković, Nešković, Rahpejma, Vasiljević and Munćan each scored once. For the Greeks, Angelopoulos stood out with 3 and Pacillinakos with 2 goals.
The young water polo players of Greece opened the match much better. The Greeks quickly took a 3:0 lead, Serbia reduced the deficit with a goal by Uroš Rahpejma, and at the end of the first period the referees awarded 3 penalties to Greece, 2 of which were converted, so that the first break was led by Hellas 5:1.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Zelić scored a goal for 5:2, but Zuzidis brought the Greeks back to +4 in the very next attack. By halftime, the Greeks scored 4 more goals, three of which were scored by Angelopoulos, and two by the Serbs, through Munćan and Drobnjaković, so the score went into the break at 10:4.
In the first two quarters, the Greeks had better goal conversion — Greece 6/3, Serbia 7/2 — as well as a better shooting percentage, Greece 47%, Serbia 26%.
In the third quarter, better defense by the Serbian youth and two goals by Milan Zelić brought our national team to an acceptable 4-goal deficit, with the hope that a complete turnaround can be achieved in the final period.
Unfortunately, the last quarter began with goals from the Greeks. Leonidakis scored for 11:6, and Levantis for 12:6. Our young national team players responded in kind — Vasiljević for 12:7 and Nešković for 12:8 — but it was too late for something more than a defeat. The final score of 13:8 was set by Deligianis, with a goal in the attack with a player more.
Greece – Serbia 13:8 (5:1, 5:3, 0:2, 3:2)
GREECE: Berdes, Levantis 1, Angelopoulos 3, Leonidakis 1, Lampatos 1, Chatzis 1, Motsias 1, Pacilinakos 2, Bitsakos, Saros, Zouzounis 1, Damigos, Deligianis, Mantsouridis.
SERBIA: Kosanovic, Vojinovic, Neskovic 1, Drobnjakovic 1, Bistrovic, Zelic 3, Rahpejma 1, Vasiljevic 1, Pavlovic, Papic, Peles, Djordjevic, Gosic, Muncan 1, Kreckovic.
