Dominant Pro Recco wins third European Super Cup in a row

Pro Recco – Vasas 18:10 (3:1, 4:1,3:5, 8:3)

Pro Recco: Del Lungo, Iocchi Gratta 1, Zalanki 6, Cannella 6, Younger, Fondelli, Presciutti 1, Echenique 1, Condemi, Kakaris 2, Rossi, Hallock 1, Negri. Head coach: Sukno.

Vasas: Levai, S. Rasovic 1, Dedovic, Randjelovic 3, Zernivary, Selley-Rauscher 1, Dala, Burian 2, Lakatos, Batori 3, Bedo, Batizi, Miszei. Head coach: Nikic.

Pro Recco’s series of three consecutive Super Cups began in 2021 in Szolnok, when Recco demolished the home team (15:4). Last year, the Italians defeated Sabadell in Spain (16:8).

Some believed that Vasas could make the game exciting and offer a stronger resistance to Recco than Szolnok and Sabadell, especially because Recco played without two great aces. Captain Aleksandar Ivovic (who didn’t play in the 2022 Super Cup either) has been injured for a month. Besides, Francesco Di Fulvio wasn’t on the roster due to an injury. Gonzalo Echenique was a captain in the absence of Ivovic and Di Fulvio.

However, the European champion left no chance to the 2023 LEN Euro Cup winners. Vasas trailed by six goals early in the third period. It managed to reduce the gap to three before the final quarter, but Recco killed all Vasas’s hopes of a comeback.

Gergo Zalanki opened the scoring in the 4th minute by converting a penalty shot. Batori replied immediately with a man-up, but Recco, playing excellently in defense, built a 7:2 lead by the end of the first half. Only two of Recco’s players got on the scoresheet in the first two quarters. Giacomo Cannella scored four goals and Gergo Zalanki added three.

Benjamin Hallock made it 8:2 in Recco’s first possession in the third quarter. In the middle of the third period, the difference was still six goals (9:3), but Vasas started coming back and halved the distance. The Hungarians earned a penalty shot in the last second of this quarter, which Bence Batori converted to 7:10.

However, Recco halted Vasas’ comeback with three goals in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, all three from left-handed players. Gonzalo Echenique (who was the captain in the absence of Ivovic and Di Fulvio) found the net once and  Zalanki twice. The Italians regained a big six-goal advantage (13:7). They didn’t slow and extended the margin to eight by the end of the game.

All winners