Hungary, Spain, Croatia and USA continue battling for medals at U20 Worlds

Title-holder Hungary, European champion Croatia, Spain, and Team USA, the bronze medalist from the 2023 World Junior Championships, advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 World U20 Men’s Championships in Zagreb.

Hungary defeated Italy 13:10 in the quarter-finals. Spain demolished Montenegro 23:9. Croatia was five goals down at the beginning of the second half of the match against Greece, but it produced a great comeback to record a 14:11 victory.

The last match of the day was the most exciting one. Two medalists from the previous edition of the Junior World Championships, Serbia (runner-up in Otopeni in 2023) and Team USA (bronze medal in 2023), faced off. Serbia was never in front. However, it successfully chased the Americans. After 32 minutes, the score was tied at 14:14. The Americans secured their ticket to the semifinals after a penalty shootout, 19:18.

Tomorrow, Team USA will play against Hungary in the semifinals, while Croatia will meet Spain.

2025 World U20 Championships, Zagreb, Day 6

Quarterfinals

Hungary – Italy 13:10 (4:3, 2:2, 5:3, 2:2)

Hungary: Leinweber 5, Balogh 3, Toth 1, Nagy 1, Benedek 1, Porge 1, Lugosi 1.
Italy:Gullotta 2, Giacomone 1, Casavola 1, Tringali Capuano 1, Nuzzo 1, Cora 1, Marini 1, Massa 1.

Hungary, led by its captain, Oliver Leinweber, was almost always ahead of the Italians. However, Italy didn’t surrender until the very end.

Oliver Leinweber Photo by CRO WP (Croatian Water Polo Federation)

Hungary took an early 2:0 and 3:1 lead, but Italy managed to catch up with the rival before the end of the first quarter (3:3). Hungary regained an advantage, 4:3, and didn’t let Italy equalize in the rest of the game. However, on the other side, Italy didn’t allow the Hungarians to build a big advantage. The Italians chased the rival throughout the first half. Early in the third period, Italy reduced the gap to one for the last time (6:7). After the Italians’ sixth goal, the Hungarians scored three in a row within a minute and a half and jumped to 10:6. That 3:0 rush proved crucial for their victory. Italy fought hard but couldn’t come close. Nuzzo gave Italy some hope by converting a man-up for 10:12 with 01:37 minutes left. Hungary earned a penalty shot in its next possession. Leinweber converted it and sealed his team’s victory.

Spain – Montenegro 23:9 (5:2, 8:4, 4:0, 6:3)

Spain: Flaque 4, Perrone 4, Rodriguez 3, Aguirre 3, Nunez 3, Gomila 2, Villamayor 2, Granados 1, Sabadell 1
Montenegro: Stupar 3, Janovic 2, Nikaljevic 1, Radanovic 1, Samardzic 1, Petrovic 1.

A 14-goal margin of victory in the quarterfinals of the World Championships is an exceptionally rare occurrence. Spain demonstrated that it is a stronger team than Montenegro, although the final score may not accurately reflect the true difference between the two teams. Montenegro may not have shown stronger resistance due to having played an exhausting crossover match against Germany the day before, while Spain had two days off to rest.

After a slow start, Spain quickly established a significant advantage in the game. Montenegro briefly led with scores of 1:0 and 2:1, but Spain took control in the middle of the first period. The Spaniards produced a 5:0 run and built a 6:2 lead early in the second quarter. Although Montenegro managed to keep the score close for a while, at 8:4, Spain then scored four consecutive goals in just 1 minute and 16 seconds, doubling their advantage to 12:4. By the 21st minute, Spain achieved a double-digit lead at 16:6. It continued to dominate until the end of the match.

Croatia – Greece 14:11 (2:5, 1:2, 5:1, 6:3)

Croatia: Pavlic 4, Susic 3, Jerkovic 2, Tonicic 2 Burburan 1, Dragosevic 1, Penava 1.
Greece: Chatzis 4, Tottis 2, Lykoudis 1, Georgaras 1, Laskaridis 1, Bitsakos 1, Spachits 1.

Greece controlled the game in the first half. Croatia’s coach, Bajic, attempted to shake his players, especially in defense, by substituting the goalkeeper early in the second quarter (Cosic replaced captain Cubranic). However, that move didn’t make a significant impact immediately. While the hosts’ defense became slightly stronger, it wasn’t enough to turn the game around. Greece led 7:3 at halftime, and Tottis extended the lead to five, making it 8:3 during Greece’s first possession of the third period.

Jakov Cosic Photo by CRO WP

However, the course of the game changed in the following minutes. The Greeks started missing their chances, while Croatia played better and better. Goalkeeper Jakov Cosic posted one save after another. By the end of the third quarter, the hosts leveled the score. Pavlic made it 8:8 in the 23rd minute from a counterattack. The Croats had a great chance to take the lead 71 seconds before the last break, but Vekris saved a penalty shot from Jerkovic (it was the second penalty that the Greek goalkeeper had saved in the third quarter).

Even though they missed a great opportunity, the Croats maintained their momentum after the last break. Thanks to a very good power play conversion, they earned a 10:8 lead. After seven consecutive goals by Croatia, Chatzis ended Greece’s silence with a penalty shot (9:10). But, Vlaho Pavlic replied with two powerplay goals to give Croatia a 12:9 lead in the 30th minute. In the remaining time, Greece scored two goals, but the home team’s win wasn’t in danger. Vlaho Pavlic set the final score in the very last second, sending the ball into the empty net from his half of the field (the Greek goalkeeper joined his teammates in the attack, but they didn’t score from that 7 on 6).

Serbia – USA 18:19 (4:4, 2:5,3:2, 5:3, PSO 4:5)

Serbia: Djokanovic 3, Dankovic 2,Gajic 2, Bodiroga 1, Conkic 1, Andjelic 1, Gladovic 1, Jaukovic 1, Novakovic 1, Adamovic 1.
USA:Dodd 7, Liechty 1, Akerstrom , Brunkema 1, Zelikov 1, Castillo 1, Schneider 1, Cacarey 1.

Penalty shootout: Andjelic 1:0, Dodd 1:1, Bodiroga 2:1,Liechty 2:2, Jaukovic 3:2, Brinkema 3:3, Kojic – Mills saved, Zelinkov 3:4, Novakovic 4:4, Akerstorm 4:5

Team USA started surprisingly well, and earned a two-goal lead in the first quarter (2:0, 3:1, 4:2). However, the Serbs managed to level the score at 4:4 before the end of the opening period. In the first two minutes of the second quarter, the teams quickly exchanged goals, reaching a 6:6 tie. The Americans then went on a 3:0 run and entered the second half leading 9:6.

Ryder Dodd Photo: CRO WP

Serbia was making a comeback step by step. Encouraged by several good saves by Serbia’s 17-year-old goalkeeper,Mihailo Gosic, the Europeans played better in the attack. In the 21st minute, they cut the deficit to one (Conkic made it 9:10). Still, USA had a 2-goal lead at the last break, as its captain and Olympian, Ryder Dodd, found the net for the 5th time in the match – 11:9. Serbia finally equalized in the 28th minute, when Djokanovic scored from a 6 on 5 for 12:12. But, Dodd replied immediately with a long-distance shot.  Carcarey doubled the Americans’ advantage with two minutes remaining . Serbia scored two back-to-back goals (Dankovic and Djokanovic) and the teams were tied at 14:14 with 55 seconds to go. USA failed to convert a man-up in its next possession. Serbia also didn’t score in its final attack, so the match entered a shootout.

Only one save, in the fourth round, decided everything.

Semifinals (June 20)

1st – 4th place: Spain – Croatia (19.00), Hungary – USA (20.30)

5th – 8th place: Italy – Serbia (16.00), Montenegro – Greece (17.30)

9th – 12th place: Iran – Australia (12.00), China – Germany (13.30)

13th-20th place classification

The group stage in the 13th-20th place classification concluded in today’s morning session.

As expected, Brazil beat Singapore and kept 1st place in Group G. The Brazilians will play against Canada in the 13th-place game, scheduled for Saturday. Canada also had a perfect record in its group. Argentina and Kazakhstan will meet in the 15th-place game.

Group G

Brazil – Singapore 18:13 (6:3, 3:2, 4:3, 5:5)
Argentina – New Zealand 15:10 (4:2, 2:1, 6:4, 3:3)

Final standings: 1. Brazil 9, 2. Argentina 6, 3. Singapore 3, 4. New Zealand 0.

Group H

South Africa – Canada 10:21 (3:4, 1:7, 3:5, 3:5)
Colombia – Kazakhstan 13:15 (1:3, 3:5, 5:5, 4:2)

Final standings: 1. Canada 9, 2. Kazakhstan 6, 3. Colombia 3, 4. South Africa 0.