The top four Spanish clubs, Sabadell, Barceloneta, Barcelona, and Terrassa, beat their rivals convincingly in the 12th round of the national league.
Sabadell kept the top spot and a perfect record with a big win over Tenerife (18:5). Barceloneta and Barcelona earned an away win. Terrassa defeated Caballa with ease.
2022/23 Liga Espanola, Day 11
Sabadell – Tenerife 18:5 (7:3, 4:0, 3:1, 4:1)
Sabadell: Valera 4, Bertran 3, Veich 2, Banicevic 2, Sanahuja 2, Averka 1, Gil 1, Teclas 1, Cabanas 1, Bustos 1.
Tenerife: Alegre 4, Magrina 1.
Real Canoe – Barceloneta 9:17 (3:3, 3:3, 1:5, 2:6)
Real Canoe: M.J.Gonzalez 4, Otero 2, V.Fernandez 2, Nuno 1.
Barceloneta: Paul 5, Biel 3, F. Perrone 2, Pavillard 2, T.Perrone 1, Famera 1, De Toro 1, Lema 1, Fernandez 1.
Rubi – Barcelona 5:13 (1:2, 2:2, 0:5, 2:4)
Rubi: Martins 3, Carrasco 1, Fenoy 1
Barcelona: G.Garcia 4, Cupido 2, Aguirre 2, Goma 2, Mallarach 1, Asensio 1, Ramon 1.
Mataro – Mediterrani 11:6 (1:0, 3:1 3:2, 4:3)
Mataro: Daura 3, Castro 2, Bruce Scott 2, Andrade 1, Marti 1, Cuacos 1, Weerd 1.
Mediterrani:Prat 2, Garcia 1, Linares 1, Radic 1, Corres 1.
Terrassa – Caballa 20:7 (5:0, 1:4, 6:2, 8:1)
Terrassa: Delgado 5, Flores 4, Chico Aunos 4, Alarcon 2, E.Perez 2, Sabadell 2, De Lera 1
Caballa: F.Molina 4, Takacs 1, Leona 1, Caracuel 1.
Sant Andreu – Catalunya 9:5 (1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 3:2)
Sant Andreu: Bargallo 4, Tenorio 2, Arizaga 1, Villamayor 1, Yanez 1.
Catalunya: Gomilla 1, Ferrer 1, Santiveri 1, Sousa 1, Lopez-Escribano 1.
Sabadell ran over Tenerife, which started in the season quite well, but it hasn’t won a single match in the previous five rounds. The visitors from the Canary Islands scored the first goal. Still, Sabadell responded with a 13:2 series and reached a double-digit margin in the middle of the third quarter (13:3). At the end, 13 goals separated the rivals.
After a great 9:7 win over Olympiacos in Piraeus, Barceloneta visited Madrid to play against Madrid. Head coach Elvis Fatovic rested some experienced players (Tahull, Munarriz, Aguirre, Larumbe) and offered more opportunities for young boys to prove themselves. Felipe Perrone and his nephew Tomas Perrone were together on the team, like in the match against Caballa two months ago. Barceloneta’s team was a mix of experience and youth. The reigning champion found its rhythm in the second half. At halftime, it stood 6:6. Barceloneta opened the second half with five goals in a row, went to 11:6, and showed that there wouldn’t be surprises.
The duel between last-placed Rubi and Barceloneta was similar to the match in Madrid. The first half was quite balanced. The underdog kept up with Barcelona and trailed by a goal at the middle break (3:4). In the second half, the game turned into a one-sided contest. Barcelona scored six unanswered goals and built a huge 10:3 advantage.
Terrassa had ups and downs, but it beat Caballa by 13 goals. Terrassa opened the match with a 5:0 blast. In the second quarter, Caballa started coming back and reduced the gap to two (4:6) by the middle break. The teams exchanged goals at the beginning of the third quarter (5:7). After that, Terrassa netted four straight goals for a safe 11:5 lead (22nd minute). In the remaining ten minutes, Terrassa scored nine and conceded only two goals.
Mataro started slowly in the match against Mediterrani. There were no goals in the first seven minutes. Terrassa’s Joe Bruce Scott broke the deadlock 43 seconds before the first break. Mataro dominated in the second quarter and opened the third period with two goals. The hosts built a 6:1 lead (18th minute), and there was no way back for Mediterrani.
The smallest margin in the 11th round was four goals – Sant Andreu defeated Catalunya (9:5). It was an even contest until the finish of the second quarter. A minute before the end of the first half, the sides were tied at 2:2. Bargallo made it 3:2 in Sant Andreu’s last possession in the second quarter and opened the hosts’ series of four goals. Mataro went to 6:2 (23rd minute) and maintained the difference until the end.
1.Sabadell 11 games – 11 wins
2. Barceloneta 11 – 10
3. Terrassa 11 – 8
4. Barcelona 11 – 8
5. Mataro 11 – 7
6. Sant Andreu 11 – 5
7. Mediterrani 11 – 5
8. Tenerife 11 – 5
9. Catalunya 11 – 4
10. Real Canoe 11 – 2
11. Caballa 11 – 1
12. Rubi 11 – 0
