National competitions in the ex-Yu countries have resumed this week, after the end of the Regional League Second Stage.
The Serbian League entered the second part of the regular season. At the same time, the first part of the regular season has been almost finished in Croatia (one match of the 9th round has been postponed).
The Montenegrin Championship has started. Two rounds have been played so far.
2021/22 Serbian League
Groups for places 1st – 6th, ,round 2
Novi Beograd – Partizan 16:10 (2:4, 6:4, 5:1, 3:1)
Sabac – Radnicki 9:13 ( 2:3, 2:5, 4:3, 1:2)
Vojvodina – Crvena zvezda 10:19 (2:3, 2:7, 4:3, 2:6)
First match of Round 1
Sabac – Partizan 14:18 (2:6, 7:6, 3:3, 2:3)
After the 9th round, the clubs in the Serbian League were split into two groups. The teams which were ranked 1st-6th after the ninth round continued the league in the playoffs group, while the other four are in the relegation group. The points won in the matches between the teams that are in the same groups, have been carried from the first to the second stage of the league. The second part is a single round-robin competition (five rounds in the group for the title and three rounds in the relegation group).
The second part of the regular season began with the game Sabac – Partizan (14:18) two weeks ago. The other two games ( Novi Beograd – Vojvodina and Radnicki – Crvena Zvezda) have been rescheduled.
This weekend, the matches of the second round in the group for the title were played.
The league-leader Novi Beograd hosted 2nd-placed Partizan. It was the fourth encounter between these two teams this season. Novi Beograd recorded the fourth win despite the fact that Partizan started the match quite well. The visitors led 4:2 after the first quarter. They went to 5:2, shortly after the beginning of the second. Novi Beograd leveled in the 15th minute after Dusan Mandic converted a penalty for 7:7. At the other end of the pool, Partizan center-forward Velkic made it 8:7, but Novi Beograd’s Nikola Jaksic closed the first half, so the sides were tied at 8:8 at the middle break. In the 19th minute, Nikola Jaksic added another goal, this time from a counter-attack, and put Novi Beograd in front – 9:8. Partizan leveled at 9:9, but Novi Beograd answered with a 4:0 run and entered the final quarter with a safe 13:9 lead.
Dusan Mandic led Novi Beograd with six goals. Strahinja Rasovic and Dusko Pijetlovic netted three each, Nikola Jaksic two,etc. Milan Aleksic scored four goals for Partizan.
Reigning champion Radnicki, playing without experienced players Cuk and Vrlic, beat Sabac. Radnicki built a 5-goal lead early in the third quarter (9:4). Sabac was trying to come back from time to time. The home side reduced the gap (6:9 and 5:11). Still, the visitors controlled the game. Nemanja Stanojevic and Nikola Lukic contributed to Radnicki’s 13:9 win with three goals each. Sabac’s Ognjen Stojanovic scored three, too.
Crvena Zvezda had ups and downs throughout the match against Vojvodina, but it recorded a comfortable 19:10 victory. Milos Vukicevic, Stefan Pjesivac and Dusan Trtovic netted three goals each for the winners, but Vojvodina’s Nikola Bogdanovic was the best scorer of the match with 6 goals.
1.Novi Beograd 6 – 18
2. Partizan 7 – 15
3. Radnicki 6 – 12
4. Crvena Zvezda 6 – 9
5. Sabac 7 – 3
6. Vojvodina 6 – 0
Relegation group, round 1
Nais – Proleter 7:7 (2:3, 1:1, 1:3, 3:0)
Zemun – Valis 6:15 (2:6, 2:3, 1:5, 1:1)
Valis cemented 7th place after a win over Zemun and a draw in the game Nais – Proleter.
7. Valis 4 – 12
8. Proleter 4 – 5
9. Nais 4 – 4
10. Zemun 4 – 1
2021/22 Croatian League, Round 9
Mladost – Primorje 12:5 (3:0, 2:1, 6:2, 1:2)
Solaris – KPK Korcula 20:4 (8:1, 3:1, 5:1, 4:1)
Mornar – Zadar 1952 23:8 (4:1, 10:4, 6:2, 3:1)
POSK – Medvescak 13:11 (4:3, 3:3, 1:4, 5:1)
Jadran S – Jug postponed
Rescheduled matches of Day 8 (played on Wednesday)
Zadar 1952 – Mladost 4:17 (0:4, 1:4,1:4, 2:5)
Primorje – POSK 12:9 (2:0 4:1, 5:3, 1:5)
KPK Korcula – Mornar 11:19 (2:4, 3:2, 3:6, 3:7)
The derby between Jadran and Jug, the teams that are still unbeaten (each has 8 victories), have been postponed due to Covid infections.
Title-holder Mladost beat Primorje Rijeka 12:5. This match deserves special attention in our article, not because of the result. After the game, Mladost goalkeeper and captain Ivan Marcelic left the club he had played for since he was a kid. Marcelic, the national team’s goalie, moves to Dalmatia. From the second half of the regular season, he will play for Jadran Split. He signed a year and a half contract with Jadran.
After the win over Primorje, a bottle of champagne was opened on the edge of the pool. Mladost players said goodbye to Marcelic and wished him good luck in that way. Marcelic has been the third player who has moved from Mladost to Jadran in the last few months. During the summer transfer window Luka Bukic and Konstantin Kharkov, former Mladost’s goal-getters, signed for Jadran.
Ivan Marcelic (in the middle) with the former teammates after the match against Primorje Photo: HAVK Mladost
Ivan Brubnjak scored five goals in Mladost’s 12:5 win over Primorje.
Solaris ran over KPK Korcula – 20:4. Antun Goreta, Jerko Penava and Petar Condic Kadmenovic netted four goals each.
Mornar was too strong for Zadar – 23:8, with five goals from Marin Vrdoljak.
POSK recorded its first win in the season. The former European champion welcomed Medvescak. It was a game with a lot of twists and turns. Before the final quarter, Medvescak led 10:8. POSK opened the fourth period with four straight goals for a 12:10 lead. The visitors halved the distance immediately, but POSK scored the last goal in the match and celebrated a 13:11 victory.
The competition formula is similar to the system of the Serbian League. The teams will be split into two groups from the next round.
1.Jadran S 8 – 24
2 Jug AO 8 – 24
3. Mladost 9 – 21
4.Solaris 9 – 16
5. Mornar 9 – 16
6. Primorje 9 – 12
7. KPK Korcula 9 – 9
8. POSK 9 – 4
9.Medvescak 9 – 3
10. Zadar 9 – 1
2021/22 Montenegrin League
Round 1
Jadran HN – Budva 12:7 (2:1, 2:0, 3:3, 5:0)
Primorac – Cattaro 12:3 (2:1, 3:0, 2:0, 5:2)
Round 2
Budva – Primorac 6:14 (1:6, 1:2, 1:4, 3:2)
Jadran HN – Cattaro 21:7 (4:0, 6:3, 4:2, 7:2)
The first round of the Montenegrin Championship was played on Wednesday, and the second was held this weekend. Favorites made no mistake.
Jadran Herceg Novi opened the league with a 12:7 victory over Budva.Matija Sladic was the best scorer with three goals. In the second round the champion ran over Cattaro, with five goals from Uros Vucurovic and four from Jovan Vujovic.
Primorac beat its Kotor-based rival Cattaro in the first round – 12:3. Marko Gopcevic netted four goals for the winning team. Budva couldn’t surprise Primorac in the second round. The Montenegrin Cup winner, led by Dusan Matkovic (four goals), recorded a 14:6 victory.
The league continues on February 2.
1.Jadran HN 2 – 6
2. Primorac 2 – 6
3. Budva 2 – 0
4. Cattaro 2 – 0
For all results, live scores and the schedule visit the page 2021/22 Montenegrin Championship, Total Waterpolo Arena
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