Favorites recorded big wins in almost all matches of Day 1 of the Men’s U16 World Championships in Volos.
However, there was one surprising result. One of the smallest countries by area in the world, Malta beat the team of the United States.
Day 1
Group A: Montenegro-Latvia 22:2. Australia bye.
Group B: Croatia-Azerbaijan 34:2. Slovenia bye
Group C: Spain-Poland 20:4. Brazil bye
Group D: Georgia-Switzerland 14:2, Greece – Japan 18:7
Group E: Italy-Ukraine 22:2. Egypt bye
Group F: USA – Malta 7:10. Kazakhstan bye
Group G: Hungary – Turkey 11:9. South Africa bye
Group H: Serbia-Germany 10:4. Portugal bye
2022 Men’s U16 World Championships, Day 1
Group A
Montenegro – Latvia 22:2 (8:0, 4:1, 4:1, 6:0)
Montenegro: Bacovic, Matijasevic 1, Moracanin 3, Petrovic, Milinic, Roganovic 5, Stupar 1, Janovic 3, Vicevic 1, Samardzic 1, Gojkovic 6, Vukanic 1, Vukasinovic. Head coach: Mirovic.
Latvia: Smorodovs, Kopitovs, Saveljevs, Ivanovs, Pasko 1, Jegorovs 1, Suharevs,Adukonis, Mihnovics, Blusins.
Australia bye
An excellent 8:0 start put Montenegro on the right track. The Montenegrins, led by Gojkovic, proved expectations.
Group B
Croatia – Azerbaijan 34:2 (8:0, 8:1, 10:0, 8:1)
Croatia: Prizmic, Dragosevic 3, Kovacevic 1, Curkovic 1, Burburan 6, Raci 5, Prezzi 1, Toncinic 7, Jerkovic 3, Galic 2, Djuho 1, Bucevic 4, Batos. Head coach: Hrestak.
Azerbaijan: Hassanzadeh, Aliyev, Sadigov, Guliyev Mamaliyev 1, Huseynov, Dailyuk, Musayev, Aghababayev 1, Zhizhin, Baghirli, Ismaylov, Huseynov. Head coach:Lepeschenko.
Slovenia bye
The Croats proved too strong for Azerbaijan. All 11 field players got on the scoresheet, while Toncinic with 7 and Burburan with 6 goals topped the scorers’ list.
Group C
Spain – Poland 20:4 (4:1, 4:1, 6:2, 6:0)
Spain: Diaz, Garcia 2, Nunez 5, Garrido 2, Feliu 2, Granados 1, Lema, Fernandez 2, Ferrando 1, Diaz 2, Garcia 1, Rodriguez 2,Vinuales.
Poland: Goik, Bankowski, Kedzior, Guzy, Blocj 1, Stanszieski 1, Grabinski 1, Broniecki, Rozycki, Pyrek, Ciula 1, Greif, Ksiazkiewicz.
Brazil bye
Spain played at the full speed throughout the match and demolished the Poles, who managed to half the defcit at the beginning of the game (1:2), but after that, Spain cruised to a big victory.
Group D
Georgia – Switzerland 14:2 (3:0, 2:2, 6:0, 3:0)
Georgia: Kakhiani 1, Gujaraidze 1, Iobidze 2, Tsereteli, Vashaguri, Giorgiobiani 1, Khubulashvili 1, Kurashvili 2, Khutsianidze 1, Chkeidze 1, Mchedlishvili 4, Touda, Matchavariani. Head coach: Kutivadze.
Switzerland: Muszely, Bozzo 1, Luethi, Catillaz, Branillasca 1, Geser, Flueckiger,Valsangiacomo, Rutz,Ravetta, Pizzoli, Xantippe.
Greece – Japan 18:7 (2:2, 3:3, 7:0, 6:2)
Greece: Mavriopoulos, Lykoudis 6, Kokkinos 1, Karatzas 4, Kapragkos 1, Laskaridis 3, Zervoudakis 1, Mitrakis, Zachopoulos 2, SIamas, Belesis, Chomatas, Kratimenos.
Japan: Ogami, Yoneda, Kozaka, Inoue, Okamoto, Shoyama, Goto, Morikawa 1, Miyama 1, Minagawa 1, Yamanaka.
Host Greece started slowly in the match against Japan. The Asians even had a 4:3 and 5:4 lead in the second quarter. Still, at halftime, the score was 5:5. The Greeks regrouped themselves during the middle break and dominated in the third and the fourth quarter. But, the Japanese got tired. They had only 11 players o the roster which undoubtedly affected the outcome.
Georgia beat Switzerland, which managed to be an equal opponent only in the second quarter.
Group E
Italy – Ukraine 22:2 (3:0, 5:2, 7:0, 7:0)
Italy: Poggi, Miraldi 1, Valle 2, Barigelli, Arco, Tresa 2, Pettonati 1, Gabacciani 3, De Vecchis 5, Demarchi 5, Salipante 3, Modica, Castrucci.
Ukraine: Khytryi, Len, Artsyshevskyy, Paliy, Levin, Symyk, Yarmoluik, Nakonechnyi 1, Grybov, Chernykh, Rudnyk, Chyczhuk, Borboskyi.
Egypt bye
Italy left no chance to Ukraine, which scored its only two goals in the second quarter (1:6 and 2:8). After that, the Italians didn’t let a single goal while they netted 14.
Group F
USA – Malta 7:10 (3:1, 2:2, 1:3, 1:4)
USA: Pavoggi, Brinkema 3, Appeldorn, Arlett, Banos, Blum, Bradley 1, Forer 2, Francisco, Ohl 1, Whitehead, Kim, Lacy.
Malta: Galea, Dimech, Engerer, Bonavia, Cassar 1, Bugeja 1, Cutajar Licari, Cutajar 5, Schembri 1, Cutajar 1,Montebello Brownrigg 1, Mallia, Schembri. Head coach:Farrugia.
Kazakhstan bye
The surprise of the day happened in Group F, where Malta beat Team USA. The Americans opened the game quite well. In the middle of the second period, they had a 4:1 lead. They maintained a 3-goal lead until the final minute of the first half (5:2). Malta’ Montebello converted a man-up for 3:5 just 16 seconds before the middle break, and the Europeans started coming back. By the end of the third period, they leveled at 6:6. Cutajar gave them a 7:6 advantage at the beginning of the fourth period. Forer equalized at 7:7 with 04:39 minutes left on the clock. But, Malta scored three goals in the last four minutes and recorded a 10:7 victory.
Group G
Hungary – Turkey 11:9 (4:1, 1:2, 3:3, 3:3)
Hungary: Kiss, Balogh 3, Toth 2, Doroszlai 1, Mero, Toth 1, Tatrai, Regos 1, Nagy, Haverkampf 2, Simon 1, Lugosi, Borbely. Head coach: Bisztritsanyi.
Turkey:Ozyorenti, Caliskan, Atam 3, Aralm Adiguzel, Erdag 2, Naipoglu 2, Ali Cinar, Ayaksiz 2, Karebulut, Alpman, Yener, Ozten. Head coach:Ozdurak.
South Africa bye
Hungary got off to a flying start, and earned a 3:0 lead quickly. The Turks came very close in the third quarter (3:4). The Hungarians responded with three goals, went to 7:3 and controlled the match until the end. They held off any Turks’ comeback attempt.
Group H
Serbia – Germany 10:4 (3:2, 1:0, 2:1, 4:1)
Serbia: Dimkovic, Bodiroga, Novakovic 2, Krdzalin, Kojic, Lazic, Gladovic 3, Djokanovic 1, Stajic, Boskovic, Krstic 2, Dimic 2, Savic. Head coach: Korolija.
Germany:Roessel, Marcinczak, Taubert, Kugler, Hofmann 2, Mergenthaler 1, Janke 1, Zelmer, Klaffke, Kammermeier, Tick, Bruns, Heinrich.
Portugal bye
Serbia led throughout the match, but the Germans didn’t surrender easily. The Serbs scored the first two goals in the match for 2:0. Germany was coming back from time to time (2:3, 3:5), but Serbia proved who the favorite was in the final quarter.
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