Hungary and Greece recorded wins in the first two quarterfinal matches of the European U19 Championships in Podgorica and will play in the semifinals tomorrow.
The Hungarians had light training in the quarterfinals. They demolished Germany – 22:1.
Greece beat Croatia after a big battle – 8:7. Nothing in this match was decided before the final buzzer.
Day 5 – Quarterfinals: Germany – Hungary 1:22, Greece – Croatia 8:7, Italy – Serbia (17:30), Montenegro – Spain (19:00), Classification 13th – 16th: Netherlands – France 15:7, Malta – Georgia 10:7
For all the results and live scores, visit Total Waterpolo Arena
2022 European Men’s Championships, Podgorica, Day 5
Quarterfinals 1 and 2
Germany – Hungary 1:22 (1:3, 0:4, 0:6, 0:9)
Germany took a 1:0 lead and kept the advantage for a while. The Hungarians missed a few chances in the opening minutes. Finally, Nagy broke the deadlock in the fourth minute. He scored from a counterattack to level at 1:1. By the end of the first, Hungary built a 3:1 lead.
Vince Vigvari in front of Germany’s goal All photos: Total Waterpolo
The Hungarians were flying in the remaining 24 minutes and didn’t stop until the final buzzer. Vince Vigvari netted five goals in a 22:1 victory, while David Tartai added four,
Greece – Croatia 8:7 (1:0, 3:3, 0:2, 4:2)
The second quarterfinal duel was a completely different story – very exciting and opened until the end.
Greece’s Bouzalas scored the first goal in the game, and after that a big defensive battle started. The next goal came only in the 9th minute when Burburan converted a man-up. That was a start of an exchange of goals. Greece earned a 2:1, and 3:2 lead. The Croats leveled both times. Still, Greece had a minimal advantage at the middle break as Gkillas scored from a penalty for 4:3 just ten seconds before the end of the first half.
Burburan and Gkillas
But, the third period belonged to the Croats. The third quarter was very similar to the first. Both teams played well in defense. There were no goals until the 22nd minute when Ljepava leveled at 4:4. Shortly after, Zvono found the net from a 6 on 5 and the Croats went ahead for the first time – 5:4.
Croatia kept a slim advantage for a while, but it lost it in 42 seconds. In the 28th minute, Kanadanoleon leveled at 5:5. Croatia lost the ball in its next possession, and Greece started a counterattack, which was finished Spatchitis – 6:5. Radic leveled at 6:6 from a penalty shot.
Greece secured its spot in the semifinals with two quick goals at the finish. A minute and a half before the end, Greece forced an exclusion. At the end of a long power-play attack, Kandanoleon handled well after a bad pass. He grabbed the ball that dropped in front of him and sent it into the net. Croatia committed an offensive foul after that, and Greece had a new chance to score from a counterattack. This time, Lykoudis finished the attack for 8:6.
Still, nothing was over yet. Zvono made it 7:8 with 33 seconds left on the clock. Greece kept the ball during their last attack. They didn’t even move from their half of the field. At 0:03, Croatia called a time-out. But, the Croats couldn’t score. They shot after the buzzer, but that shot was blocked.
Classification 9th – 12th place, semifinals
Netherlands – France 15:7 (7:2, 4:2, 3:1, 1:2)
A quarter and a half were more than enough for the Netherlands to secure the win over the French. The Dutch ruled the field in the first quarter and easily built a 7:2 lead. They netted three goals in a row in the first four minutes of the second period and went to 10:2. They kept an eight-goal distance until the final buzzer.
Lars ten Broek (NED)
Lars ten Broek and Mart van der Weijden were the boys who made the difference. Ten Broek netted six, and Van der Weijden four goals.
Malta – Georgia 10:7 (2:2, 2:2, 2:2, 4:1)
For the first time at the tournament in Podgorica, Malta wasn’t a team that earned an opening lead. The Maltese led against the Netherlands 4:0, but they lost 7:8. They opened the games against Spain (the group stage) and Greece (crossover round) in the same way – with a 2:0 lead, but they were defeated in both games.
Today, Malta didn’t start well, but it had a good finish. Georgia had a 1:0 and 2:1 advantage at the beginning. Malta responded with three straight goals, and earned a 4:2 lead, but the Georgians leveled at 4:4 before the end of the first half. The third period produced the same result as the previous two – 2:2. Malta took control in the final quarter, scoring three straight goals for 9:6 (29th minute), which was crucial for the outcome.
Road to medals
Playoff round, September 21
Playoff match 1: Netherlands – Germany 10:11
Playoff match 2: Greece – Malta 8:3
Playoff match 3: Italy – France 10:5
Playoff match 4: Montenegro – Georgia 13:8
Quarterfinals, September 22
Quarterfinal 1: Germany – Hungary
Quarterfinal 2: Greece – Croatia
Quarterfinal 3: Italy – Serbia
Quarterfinal 4: Montenegro – Spain
Follow the live scores of all games on Total Waterpolo Arena
Semifinals, September 23
Semifinal 1: winners QF 1 and QF 3
Semifinal 2: winners QF2 and QF4
The matches for the final standings between 9th – 16th places will be played on September 24. The final game and the matches for 3rd, 5th, and 7th place are scheduled for September 25.
