Ferencvaros won its 3rd Hungarian Cup in a row. The reigning European champion defeated Szolnok in the final game of the 2020/21 national cup. An exciting and balanced match was decided after a penalty shootout. Ferencvaros won 19:18 (13:13 regular time).
After today’s win, Ferencvaros became the first club that has 20 Hungarian Cups in its treasury. Until today, Ferencvaros and Ujpest shared the record with 19 trophies each.
Besides, Ferencvaros continued its magnificent series of victories in big finals. This was Ferencvaros’ 10th consecutive win in the final matches or finals of the playoffs series. In the last three years, Ferencvaros has won two LEN Euro Cups (2017, 2018), two Hungarian championships (2018 and 2019), Champions League (2019), two LEN Super Cups (2018 and 2019), and three Hungarian Cups (2018, 2019, 2021). The European champion won the trophy in the 2020/21 Hungarian Cup without Denes Varga, the winner of the 2019 Total Player Award, and Gergo Zalanki. The two are out of the team because of injuries.
Vasas defeated BVSC 10:7 in the third-place match.
2020/21 Hungarian Cup, Final Four, Day 2
Final
Szolnok – Ferencvaros 18:19 (5:4, 4:3, 1:3, 3:3, PSO 5:6)
Szolnok: Filipovic 4, Ge. Kovacs 4, Schmolcz 1, Angyal 1, A. Nagy 1, Jansik 1, Konarik 1.
Ferencvaros: Fountoulis 5, Vamos 4, Jansik 2, Jaksic 1, Kallay 1.
Penalty shootout: 1:0 Filipovic, 1:1 Vamos, 2:1 Konarik, 2:2 Fountoulis, 2:2 – Soma saved Kovacs’s shot, 2:2 – Kallay hit the post, 3:2 A. Nagy, 3:3 Jansik, 4:3 Drasovic, 4:4 Jaksic, 5:4 Filipovic, 5:5 Vamos, 5:5 Vogel saved shot from Konarik, 5:6 Fountoulis.
Ferencvaros and Szolnok fought a hard battle from the first whistle. In the first quarter, the distance between the sides was never larger than two goals. Ferencvaros was in front in the opening minutes (1:0, 2:1, 3:2). In the 6th minute, Szolnok water polo players gained its first lead (4:3). After the first quarter, they led 5:4.
Ioannis Fountoulis equalized in the first possession in the second quarter (5:5). Szolnok answered with two goals. In the third minute of the 2nd period, the distance between the sides was two goals for the first time (7:5). Ferencvaros managed to cut the deficit (6:7 and 7:8). However, Szolnok had a 2-goal advantage at halftime. Four seconds before the middle break, Filip Filipovic scored from a distance for 9:7 (that was his 4th goal this evening).
After 16 goals in the first half, both teams tightened their defenses, so there were “only” four goals in the third quarter. Ferencvaros erased the deficit in the 6th minute of this period (9:9), but Gergo Kovacs replied immediately and put Szolnok ahead once more (10:9). Five seconds before the last break, Ioannis Fountoulis scored his 5th goal to level the score -10:10.
In the first minute of the final period, Szilard Jansik converted a man-up, and Ferencvaros went ahead (11:10).
The last four minutes saw five goals. Danyal Angyal equalized (11:11), but Marton Vamos gave Ferencvaros a new lead (12:11) with his fourth goal.
On the other side, Gergo Kovacs netted two action goals within 36 seconds and Szolnok retook the lead – 13:12 with 01:24 minutes remaining on the clock. Szolnok was very close to the win, but 19 seconds before the end Ferencvaros forced an exclusion. Just three seconds before the final buzzer Mark Kallay equalized (13:13) and the thrilling match entered the penalty shootout.
The hero of the penalty shootout was Ferencvaros goalkeeper Soma Vogel, who saved two shots (Kovacs and Konarik).
Bronze-medal match
BVSC – Vasas 7:10 (2:1, 3:3, 0:2, 2:4)
BVSC: Meszaros 2, Csapo 1, M. Nagy 1, Pasztor 1, Gyarfas 1, Irmes 1.
Vasas: Batori 4, Brguljan 3, Randjelovic 3.
Vasas won the bronze medal after defeating BVSC 10:7. Vasas was the favorite, but BVSC didn’t surrender easily. Moreover, BVSC led for most of the first half. They had a 5:3 advantage in the 15th minute. Vasas then took control and scored three straight goals to enter the last quarter with a 6:5 lead. BVSC equalized 19 seconds after the start of the 4th quarter. But, Vasas responded with three goals for a safe 9:6 lead. Vasas celebrated a 10:7 win. All 10 goals for Vasas were scored by three players – Bence Batori (4), Drasko Brguljan (3) and Sava Randjelovic (3).
Hungarian Cup, all winners
20 trophies: Ferencvaros
19: Ujpest
15: Vasas
8: Honved
6: Szolnok
5: BVSC
4: Eger
3: MTK Budapest, III Keruleti TVE, Szeged.
2: Magyar AC, OSC, Budapest SE
1: Bp. Spartacus, Szentes
