Ferencvaros have won their first major title in Hungarian water polo, lifting the Hungarian Cup with a 9-5 defeat over UVSE.
The team of Gyorgy Gerendas deserved to win; they played with greater intensity and found a way to score in the crucial third quarter.
Braces from Panna Pocze, Tamara Farkas and Dora Leimeter was key for Fradi. Boglarka Neszmely, a young goalkeeper, made a number of saves, but was protected by an effective and active defence.
As expected, Ferencvaros were extremely physical and put UVSE under intense pressure whenever they had possession of the ball. The Green and Blacks needed to halt UVSE’s offensive rhythm, and they did so diligently.
Ferencvaros, while a newly assembled team, player for player, showed a little bit more experience, and a little bit more guile in the game. Although the reigning champions, UVSE’s team is still incredibly young, and a result like was always inevitable.
In truth, UVSE haven’t really clicked so far this season; their early exit in the Champions League shows evidence to support that.
Alda Magyari was outstanding in the game, with several breathtaking saves, particularly from a one-on-one that Greta Gurisatti was destined to score in the last period. However, the fact she was UVSE’s MVP of the game probably summarises the kind of attacking form that UVSE were in. Panni Szegedi netted two excellent scores for her side, but apart from that small anomaly, UVSE’s attacking play was sub-par compared to their usual standards.
But for Ferencvaros, at long last, they have their first piece of silverware. The club has invested over the past few seasons, none more so than this summer, and they are finally beginning to reap the rewards of their efforts.
FTC Telekom 9 – 5 UVSE (1-2, 2-2, 4-1, 1-1)
FTC: B. Neszmely, B. Vosseberg, Z. Mate 1, G. Gurisatti, P. Pocze 2, T. Farkas 2, D. Leimeter 2, A Illes, S. Kuna, P. Petik, D. Toth-Csabai 1,D. Domsodi 1, E. Millot, L. Greso, Z. Awad
UVSE: A. Magyari, T. Aubeli, E. Macsai, E. Varro, G. Szucs 1, Z. Lendvay, V. Baksa, K. Farago 1, P. Szegedi 2, P. Tiba, N. Golopencza, K. Peresztegi-Nagy, K. Hajdu 1, S. Golopencza
Fradi narrowly outplayed UVSE in the first quarter, ending with a 2-1 lead after eight minutes. Panna Pocze and Tamara Farkas, both with shots from range, found the back of the net, which sandwiched Kamilla Farago’s extra-player strike midway through the quarter.
UVSE improved in the second quarter, but they still trailed by a single score at half-time. Panni Szegedi’s counterattack score, and a wonderful shot from range by Gabriella Szucs were cancelled out by a curling shot on the left from Panna Pocze, and a deflected shot from Leimeter, that dribbled past Magyari in the Ujpest goal.
If there was a hint of fortune in Leimeter’s first goal, her second goal in the third quarter was a thing of beauty. On the right, she measured an excellent shot that nestled in the bottom left corner, giving Fradi a two-goal lead for the first time in the match.
Kata Hajdu pulled UVSE back within a single score, but before long, the Torna Club were leading by three scores, with Dalma Domsodi finishing an excellent set-play at the back post, before Dora Toth-Csabai’s shot seemed to deviate on its way past the excellent Alda Magyari.
And UVSE were on the ropes at the end of the third, with FTC’s captain, Zsuszanna Mate, converting from the 5m penalty line to put daylight between the two sides (8-4).
UVSE needed a spark, and Panni Szegedi provided it with a gorgeous cross-cage effort a minute into the last period. But the chances were few and far between in the rest of the quarter for the Lilacs – an Eszter Macsai shot off the bar was as close as Marton Benczur’s side came with two minutes left in the contest.
Things got desperate for the Hungarian champions, and Marton Benczur instructed his keeper, Magyari, to join the attack with a minute to play. With a wayward shot from Gabriella Szucs, Panna Pocze had the simplest of tasks to tuck the ball home into an empty net, and put the result beyond doubt.
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