Ferencvaros extended its magnificent streak in the Hungarian Cup, winning the 6th consecutive trophy and 23rd in a total.
This year, Ferencvaros cruised to the throne. After convincing wins over the rivals in the quarterfinals and the semifinals, the “Green-Whites” downed Vasas in today’s final on the “Alfred Hajos” pool on Margaret Island in Budapest.
The first nine minutes of the second half were vital for Ferencvaros’ 11:6 victory.
The defending and reigning Hungarian Cup champion was always in front, but Vasas was in the game until the third period. Edoardo Di Somma scored the first goal in the game in Fradi’s first possession. Shortly after, Dusan Mandic doubled an advantage to 2:0. Despite Vasas putting up a good fight, Ferencvaros maintained a 2-goal lead for most of the first half. But, just eight seconds before the end of the second period, Nikola Dedovic hit the back of the net for 3:4 and kept Vasas’s hopes alive.
However, the match turned into a one-sided contest after the middle break. Ferencvaros’ defense was superb in the third quarter. Goalkeeper Marton Levai did a great job (he posted 11 saves in the first three quarters). His teammates helped him a lot with excellent blocks and steals. Ferencvaros killed four Vasas’s extra-player attacks in the third quarter. It scored four and didn’t concede a single goal to enter the final period leading 8:3.
Early in the fourth quarter, Adam Nagy widened the gap to six – 9:3, and there was no way back for Vasas, which played in the final for the first time after 2009 and hasn’t won a trophy since 2006.
Ferencvaros won its 23rd Hungarian Cup, but today’s triumph is special for Balazs Nyeki, who won his first trophy as the club’s head coach. Nyeki, Ferencvaros’ long-time assistant coach, was appointed as a head coach this summer after Zsolt Varga left the club, according to the earlier made plans, to focus on the work with the national team,
There was no 3rd-place match. Honved and OSC Budapest, the losing teams in the semifinals, shared the bronze.
2023/24 Hungarian Cup, final
Vasas – Ferencvaros 6:11 (1:3, 2:1, 0:4, 3:3)
Vasas: Dedovic 2, Batori 1, Konarik 1, Randjelovic 1, Rasovic 1.
Ferencvaros: Nemet 2, Mandic 2, Di Somma 2, Jansik 1, D.Varga 1, A.Nagy 1, Ven.Vigvari
All winners
23 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
