The water polo season 2023/24 has started.
The Hungarian Cup is the first competition for clubs that started in Europe in the new season.
The qualification tournaments for the eighth finals of the Hungarian Cup were held in Kaposvar, Eger, and Szentes. There were four teams in each group, with the top two teams advancing to the Round of 16. Honved, Kaposvar, BVSC, Eger, Vasas, and Szolnok made it to the eight-finals. They joined Ferencvaros and OSC Budapest, which qualified directly as the finalists of the previous edition of the Hungarian Cup.
Honved, BVSC, and Vasas secured the top spots in their groups, winning all of their matches. There were no major upsets throughout the qualification process.
Honved easily beat Kaposvar (13:5) and Miskolc (19:7) in Group A in Kaposvar. The team coached by Marton Szivos faced UVSE in the last round. Honved started slowly and let UVSE take a 5:3 in the first quarter. Still, the favorite proved its strength in the second half for a 13:11 victory.
Kaposvar defeated Miskolc in the decisive match for 2nd place. Miskolc was in front most of the time and entered the final two minutes with a minimal 13:12 advantage. However, Kaposvar scored the last two goals in the game, recorded a 14:13 victory and booked the ticket for the eighth finals.
BVSC dominated the group in Eger. The Budapest-based side convincingly defeated Szeged (16:6) and KSI (21:7) and finished the tournament with a comfortable victory over Eger (13:8). Eger and Szeged were the contenders for 2nd place. The two teams met in the 2nd round. Eger had a 10:6 advantage midway through the fourth quarter. Szeged attempted to come back, but couldn’t catch up with the hosts. Szeged just narrowed the gap in the dying seconds. Eger earned three points with a 11:10 win.
Vasas, the reigning LEN Euro Cup winner, entered the season with a lot of new players; among them are world champion Hungary’s goalkeeper Marton Levai, two Olympic champions from Tokyo, Strahinja Rasovic and Nikola Dedovic, leftie Gergely Burian, etc. Vasas played in Group C in Szentes. The derby between Vasas and Szolnok was played already in the first round. Vasas was always in front. Szolnok didn’t surrender until the end, but Vasas took a 13:11 victory. Vasas easily beat Szentes (12:6) and PVSK (14:8) in the next two rounds to confirm 1st place.
After losing Vasas, Szolnok beat PVSK 16:9. The hosts faced Szentes this evening in the crucial match for 2nd place. Szolnok dictated the pace in the first half and earned a 4-goal lead (7:3). Szentes erased a 4-goal deficit and leveled at 8:8 in the third period, but the finish of the match belonged to Eger, which beat the rival by two goals (11:9).
The eighth finals will be played on a home-and-away basis lare in August. The winners of the four matches will play in the Final Four (September 2 – 3).
2023/24 Hungarian Cup, eighth-finals
Group A (Kaposvar)
Honved – Kaposvar 13:5 (3:1, 3:2, 2:1, 5:1)
Honved: Kevi 2, Zs. Ekler 2, B. Hessels 2, Vadovics 1, Fejos 1, Simon 1, P. Sugar 1, Ekler 1, Nyiri 1, S. Hessels 1.
Kaposvar: Juhasz-Szelei 1, F. Pellei 1, Palatinus 1, Klinger 1, Vadas 1.
Miskolc – Honved 7:19 (1:6, 0:6, 4:3, 2:4)
Miskolc: G. Szalai 2, Oltean 2, Tanczer 1, Dubinak 1, Krasznai 1
Honved: B. Ekler 4, S.Hessels 4, Zs.Ekler 3, Vadovics 2, Szepfalvi 2, Fejos 1, Nyiri 1, Baksa 1, B.Hessels 1.
UVSE – Kaposvar 11:15 (3:3, 4:2, 3:5, 1:5)
UVSE: R.Bencz 2, Besenyei 2, Tamas 2, Alekseev 2, Kardos 1, Gidofalví 1, Labik 1.
Kaposvar: B. Fulop 4, Berta 3, Juhasz-Szelei 3, Takacs 2, Vindisch 1, Dory 1, Kakstedter 1.
Honved – UVSE 13:11 (4:5, 4:2, 2:3, 3:1)
Honved: Zs. Ekler 4, P.Sugar 2, Kevi 2, Szepfalvi 2, Vadovics 1, Gregor 1, Nyiri 1.
UVSE: Besenyei 4, Alekseev 3, R.Bencz 2, Hegedus 2.
Kaposvar – Miskolc 14:13 (3:3, 3:3, 3:4, 5:3)
Kaposvar: Berta 5, Dory 3, Vindisch 2, Kakstedter 2, Takacs 1, A.Aranyi 1.
Miskolc: Oltean 3, Krasznai 3, Hegedus 2, Kasza 2, G. Szalai 1, Tanczer 1, N. Nagy 1.
UVSE – Miskolc 10:10 (1:2, 2:3, 4:2, 3:3)
UVSE: Cs. Hegedus 3., Herczeg 3, R. Bencz 1, Kardos 1, Z. Hegedus , Alekseev.
Miskolc: Dubinak 3, Oltean 3, G. Szalai 1, G. Molnar 1, Kasza 1, B. Krasznai 1.
Standings: 1. Honved 9, 2. Kaposvar 6, 3. UVSE 1, 4. Miskolc 1.
Group B (Eger)
KSI – Eger 10:13 (1:4, 1:5, 4:2, 4:2)
KSI: Bede 4, Irmes 2, Peto 1,, Mihov 1, Balogh 1, Benedek1,
Eger:Radli 3, Krijestorac 3, Biros 2, Doczi 1, Rustanov 1, Smitz 1, Meszaros 1, Domokos 1.
BVSC – Szeged 16:6 (3:2, 4:0, 3:3, 6:1)
BVSC: D. Tatrai 4, M.Meszaros 3, Csapo 2, T.Gyarfas 2,, A. Csacsovszky 1.,P. Kovacs 1, Cs. Meszaros 1, Bundschuh 1, Gal 1.
Szeged: M. Nagy, Kurti, Bobis, Toth, Sziladi, Leinweber.
Szeged-Eger 10:11 (2:3, 1:1, 2:3, 5:4)
Sziladi 4, Leinweber 3, M. Nagy 2, Klar 1.
Eger: Krijestorac 4, Golya 2, Murisic 2, Radli 1, Spitz 1, B Meszaros 1.
BVSC – KSI 21:7 (4:4, 5:0, 6:1, 6:2)
BVSC: Gal 4, Gyarfas 3, D. Tatrai D. 3, Cs. Meszaros 2, A. Horvath 2, M. Meszaros 2, Kasa 2, Bundschuh 1, Csapo 1, Simon 1.
KSI: M.Bede 2, Szoke 2, Irmes 1, Peto 1, Benedek 1.
Szeged – KSI 24:10 (4:2, 7:3, 7:2, 6:3)
Szeged: Leinweber 5, M. Nagy 4, Gy. Toth 4, Kurti 2, Bobis 2., Klar 2, Porge 2, Zs. Horváth 1, Sziladi 1, Bathory 1.
KSI: Iriczfalvi 3, Irmes 2, Petrak 1, M. Bede 1, Szoke 1, A. Cseh 1, M. Balogh 1.
Eger – BVSC 8:13 (2:1, 3:5, 1:5, 2:2)
Eger: Murisic 4, Krijestorac 2, Radli 1, Golya 1.
BVSC: Csapo 3, T. Gyarfas 3, A. Horvath 2, D. Tatrai 2, A. Csacsovszky 1, Cs. Meszaros 1, M. Meszaros 1.
Standings: 1. BVSC 9, 2. Eger 6, 3. Szeged 3, 4.KSI 0.
Group C (Szentes)
PVSK Pecs-Szentes 15:16 (4:4, 3:4, 4:4, 4:4)
PVSK: Lajkó 4, Sim.Vogel 2, Kereszturi 2, Szabi 2,Holl 2, Kolozsi 1, K.Pellei 1, Reisz 1.
Szentes. Szatmari 5, Biros 3, Hajdu 2, T.Csorba 1, Bozo 1, B.Vismeg 1 Pethe 1, Kurti-Szabo 1, Ashanin 1.
Szolnok-Vasas 11:13 (2:4, 3:3, 1:2, 5:4)
Szolnok: D. Jansik 3, Ger. Kovacs 3, A. Peto 2, Szeghalmi 2, Agh 1.
Vasas: S.Rasovic 4, A.Konarik 3, Batori 2, Burian 2, Batizi 1, Lakatos 1, Dedovic 1.
Vasas – Szentes 12:6 (3:1, 2:0, 4:3, 3:2)
Vasas: Burian 3, Zernivari 2, Gabor 2, Dedovic 2, Bedo 1, Konarik 1, S.Rasovic 1.
Szentes: Ashanin 2, Szatmri 1, M.Magyar 1, B.Vismeg 1, Kurti-Szabo.
PVSK Pecs – Szolnok 9:16 (2:6, 1:2, 4:6, 2:2)
PVSK: K. Pellei 3, Ponya 2, Sim. Vogel 1, Lajko 1, G. Szabo 1, Holl 1.
Szolnok: Szeghalmi 4, D. Jansik 3, Schmolcz 2, A. Peto 2, Ger. Kovács 1, Zs. Vismeg 1, Boroczky 1, Fedac 1, Ionescu 1.
Szentes – Szolnok 9:11 (2:4, 2:3, 4:2, 1:2)
Szentes: B. Biros 3, Csorba 1, Szatmari 1, M. Magyar 1, A. Hajdu 1, B. Vismeg 1, Ashanin 1.
Szolnok: Ger. Kovacs 5, D. Jansik 2, A. Peto 2, Zs. Vismeg 1, Boroczky 1.
Vasas – PVSK 14:8 (2:0, 3:4, 5:2, 4:2)
Vasas: Batori 4, Konarik 3, Burian 2, Dala 2, Bedo 1, Lakatos 1, Dedovic 1.
PVSK: Lajko 4, K.Pellei 2, Koloszi 1, Holl 1.
Standings: 1. Vasas 9, 2. Szolnok 6, 3. Szentes 3, 4.PVSK 0.
