European champion Croatia defeated Italy, the silver medalist from the 2022 Worlds, by one goal – 7:6 in a friendly match played in the training center of the Italian Swimming Federation in Ostia near Rome.
The friendly was the first official game for both teams this summer. Italy has been preparing for the World Cup Final and the World Championships, while Croatia will play at the World Championships.
Friendly match, Ostia
Italy – Croatia 6:7 (3:2, 2:0, 0:3, 1:2)
Italy: Dolce 2, Echenique 2, Di Somma 1, N.Presciutti 1,
Croatia: Marinic Kragic 2, Basic 1, Kharkov 1, Buric 1, Bukic 1, Vukicevic 1.
Italy, playing without Francesco Di Fulvio, had control of the match in the first half. However, the hosts had a slim 3:2 advantage a minute before the middle break. In the 16th minute, Italy netted two goals for 5:2. But, the Croats dominated in the third quarter. They leveled at 5:5 before the end of the third quarter. In the 27th minute, Jerko Marinic Kragic put Croatia in front – 6:5. Dolce leveled the score, but Ante Vukicevic scored a winner for Croatia with three minutes to go.
The next friendly game between Italy and Croatia is scheduled for Friday and it will be played in the famous “Foro Italico” pool in Rome immediately after a big international swimming meeting. At the same time, the encounter will celebrate the 60th birthday of Italy’s long-time head coach Alessandro Campagna, who debuted for Italy as a player in 1982.
Croatia’s new list of candidates for Fukuoka
Before the trip to Italy, Croatia’s head coach Ivica Tucak shortened the list of the candidates for the team at the World Championships in Fukuoka.
After the first stage of the preparations, held Pula, Branimir Herceg, goalie Jerko Jurlina and Jerko Penava aren’t in the competition for the team.
By the end of the month, Tucak will pick 16 players who will participate in the final phase of the preparations that will be staged in the USA
Goalkeepers: Marko Bijac, Toni Popadic, Mate Anic.
Field players: Josip Vrlic, Ivan Krapic,, Antonio Duzevic (center-forwards), Rino Buric, Matias Biljaka, Marko Zuvela, Marino Cagalj (defenders), Andrija Basic, Konstantin Kharkov, Filip Krzic, Franko Lazic, Zvonimir Butic, Ante Vukicevic, Luka Bukic, Jerko Marinic Kragic (field players).
Italy’s head coach Alessandro Campagna still counts on all players he called up to the start of the preparations.
More articles about the World Cup and the former World League
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