Two derbies were on the program of the 15th matchday in the Italian Championships. However, only one of the two games produced excitement.
Ortigia and Telimar fought a big battle in the Sicilian derby. The game ended with no winner – 8:8. The other derby was a clash between the European champion Pro Recco and Trieste, the LEN Euro Cup quarterfinalist. But Recco left no chance to Trieste and recorded a 16:5 victory.
Posillipo, which defeated Bogliasco in a thrilling match (7:6), has a great reinforcement in the coaching staff. Giuseppe Pino Porzio returned to Italian water polo. Find out more in our report.
2022/23 Italian League, Day 15
Ortigia – Telimar 8:8 (1:2, 1:0, 4:4, 2:2)
Ortigia: F. Cassia 3, Ferrero 3, F. Condemi 1, Napolitano 1.
Telimar: Irving 3, Giorgetti 2, Del Basso 2, Hooper 1.
Pro Recco – Trieste 16:5 (5:1, 5:0, 4:1, 2:3)
Pro Recco: Di Fulvio 3, Ivovic 3, Zalanki 2, Echenique 2, Velotto 1, Aicardi 1, Iocchi Gratta 1, Younger 1, Cannella 1, Hallock 1.
Trieste: Inaba 2, Valentino 1, Bego 1, Bini 1.
Posillipo – Bogliasco 7:6 (1:1, 1:0, 3:3, 2:2)
Posillipo: Stevenson 2, Abramson 1, Mattiello 1, Aiello 1, Picca 1, Briganti 1.
Bogliasco: Brambilla Di Civesio 2, Bottaro 1, Blanchard 1, Guidaldi 1, Di Puccio 1.
Anzio Waterpolis – De Akker 9:5 (0:2, 3:0, 2:2, 4:1)
Anzio Waterpolis: Goreta 3, Pelicaric 2, Koprcina 2, Barberini 1, Cuccovillo 1.
De Akker Bologna: Kadar 1, Milakovic 1, Alfonso 1, Manzi 1, Deserti 1.
Savona – Quinto 10:8 (3:2, 3:2, 2:2, 2:2)
Savona: Bruni 2, Guidi 2, Djurdjic 2, Campopiano 1, Lanzoni 1, Rocchi 1, Rizzo 1.
Iren Genova Quinto: Molina 3, Villa 1, Ravina 1, Nora 1, Mijuskovic 1, Gitto 1.
Salerno – Brescia 4:13 (0:4, 1:4, 2:2, 1:3)
Salerno:Barroso 2, M.Luongo 1, Siani 1.
Brescia: Alesiani 3, S. Luongo 2, Kharkov 2, Dolce 1, C.Presciutti 1, Gianazza 1, Lazic 1, Renzuto 1, E.Di Somma 1,
Roma – Catania on March 11.
The Sicilian derby, Ortigia – Telimar, played in Catania, was open until the very end. It was a tight battle, and two goals never separated the rivals. The first period belonged to Telimar. Ortigia’s Condemi was the only one who found the net in the second quarter. He converted a man-up for 2:2 in the 12th minute. There were a few twists in the third quarter. Telimar went to 3:2, but Ortigia replied with two goals and took the lead for the first time in the match. But, that was followed by a new turn. A minute and five seconds before the last break, Irving gave Telimar a 6:5 lead. Ortigia’s Ferrero closed this period, and the teams were tied at 6:6 before the last eight minutes.
The even contest continued after the last break. Ortigia went ahead twice (7:6 and 8:7). Still, the Syracuse-based team didn’t save the slim advantage. Telimar’s American Max Irving scored the last goal in the match (in the 31st minute) and the teams shared the points – 8:8. Irving scored three goals for Telimar. Two 21-year-old guys, Filippo Ferrero and Francesco Cassia contributed to Ortigia’s point with three goals each.
One of the most successful water polo head coaches of all time, Guiseppe “Pino” Porzio, returned to Posillipo as a technical director. Porzio won five Champions League as a head coach (one with Posillipo and four with Pro Recco) and two as a player (both with Posillipo). He returned to Italian water polo after several years. Between 2015 and 2021, he was Canada’s head coach. Porzio, who won the Olympic gold medal in 1992 playing for Italy, will be a technical director. The club still hasn’t announced what will be Porzio’s duties. Still, he will probably help in the work with the senior team. He was on the bench alongside head coach Brancaccio in today’s match against Bogliasco.
Giuiseppe Porzio Photo:waterpolo.ca/FB
As for the game Posillipo – Bogliasco, it was a real thriller. Before the final quarter, Posillipo led 5:4. In the 25th minute, Aiello doubled Posillipo’s advantage (6:4). But, the hosts faced a big problem shortly after., Posillipo’s Mattiello was excluded for a brutality foul and the hosts played with a player fewer in the following four minutes. Bogliasco didn’t convert a penalty shot awarded after that exclusion. Still, the hosts managed to level the score two minutes before the end (6:6). But Posillipo earned all three points as Benjamin Stevenson scored a winner with just three seconds to go – 7:6.
An encounter between the league leader and a 4th-placed team is usually a derby. But, the game between Pro Recco, and Trieste, which was in 4th place before the 15th round, was a one-sided contest. Pro Recco killed all the suspense quickly. Trieste, the LEN Euro Cup quarterfinalist, scored the first goal in the game after just 49 seconds of play. Recco responded with an 11:0 run. Early in the third period, Di Fulvio found the net for 11:1. In the remaining time, Recco stretched the margin to 11. The best scorers in a 16:5 victory were captain Aleksandar Ivovic and Francesco Di Fulvio, with three goals each.
Brescia didn’t have a demanding task in the 15th round and easily defeated Salerno (13:4).
Anzio beat De Akker, although a poor start to the match. De Akker had a 2:0 lead at the first break. But, Anzio scored three unanswered goals in the second quarter. At the beginning of the third, Koprcina continued the hosts’ series and widened the gap to two (4:2). De Akker leveled the score in the 27th minute (5:5). However, Anzio dominated in the remaining time, scoring four straight goals for a 9:5 win.
Quinto was a tough opponent to Savona. However, the favorite recorded a win. Savona built a 4-goal advantage in the second quarter (6:2). Quinto halved the deficit to two before the middle break (4:6). Quinto came even closer and reduced the gap to one a few times during the second half. Still, Savona kept a lead and rebuilt a 2-goal margin at the end (10:8).
1.Pro Recco 15 – 45
2. Brescia 15 – 42
3. Ortigia 15 – 35
4. Telimr 15 – 31
5 Savona 15 – 31
6. Trieste 15 – 30
7. Iren Quinto 15 – 21
8. Anzio 15 – 14
9. Salerno 15 – 13
10. De Akker 15 -13
11.Posillipo 15 – 11
12. Roma 14 – 10
13. Catania 14 – 7
14. Bogliasco 15 – 4
