Spain won the 2023 World Aquatics World Cup, beating Italy convincingly 10:4 in the gold-medal match at the final tournament in Los Angeles.
Spain, the reigning world champion, hadn’t won the title in the World Cup and the World League either before the LA tournament.
But the story of the last competition day is a bronze-medal game. Host Team USA finished 3rd, beating Hungary 14:13
The match for 3rd place lasted for four quarters and a half plus a penalty shootout because the part of the game was canceled and repeated.
First, the encounter ended in a 13:13 draw. Hungary won the match after a penalty shootout (18:16), and the players and the staff left the pool. Everything was ready for the final.
But, shortly before the start of the final, an official announcement by World Aquatics came: “Subsequently an appeal, the last 4:24 min of the fourth quarter of Hungary vs USA will be replayed after the gold medal match between Spain and Italy.”
What happened? At 04:37, a Hungarian player was excluded (Vigvari). Thirteen seconds after, Marton Vamos committed a penalty foul, and the USA earned a shot from the 5m line (Hungary led 13:12 at that moment). Hungary’s Soma Vogel saved a shot from Hooper, and the ball went to the corner. The USA gained a new possession, but not a 6 on 5. Two Hungarian players returned to the water after a saved penalty. The Americans started complaining and asked for an extra player (because the time for the exclusion at 04:37 didn’t expire yet). However, the referees didn’t change the decision and let Hungary defend with six players.
The USA leveled the score three minutes before the end of the first game. Both sides had chances to score a winner. Nobody managed to do it. Hungary won a penalty shootout. But, 15 minutes after the game, following USA’s appeal, the last 04:24 minutes were canceled. It’s interesting that a few Hungarian players gave their caps to the spectators, which had to be returned before the replay of the match.
In the repeated 04:24 minutes, the USA scored two goals and didn’t concede a single and for a 14:13 victory.
Greece defeated Romania 11:8 in the 5th-place match. Serbia won 7th place with a 15:8 victory over Germany.
I INDIVIDUAL AWARDS: Edoardo Di Somma (ITA) was voted the MVP of the tournament, Unai Aguirre (ESP) was the best goalkeeper, Felipe Perrone (ESP) the best player in the final match, and David Martin (ESP) the best head coach of the World Cup Final Eight.
2023 World Cup Final (Los Angeles, June 30 – July 2), Day 3
Final
Spain – Italy 10:4 (5:1, 2:2, 3:1, 0:0)
Spain: Aguirre, Munarriz 1, Granados 4, Sanahuja 1, De Toro 1, Larumbe, Famera, Cabanas, Tahull, Perrone 3, Mallarach, Bustos, Lorrio. Head coach: Martin.
Italy: Del Lungo, Di Fulvio 1, Alesiani, Marziali, Fondelli, Cannella, Renzuto, Echenique, Presciutti 1, Bruni 1, Di Somma 1, Dolce, Nicosia. Head coach:Campagna.
Spain and Italy played three crucial matches at big competitions last year and all were close contests. Spain beat Italy in the gold medal match at the World Championships after a penalty shootout. Italy was better in the World League semifinals (9:8), Spain won the bronze-medal match at the Europeans (7:6).
Both teams played very well in Los Angeles, so another thrilling encounter was expected of the final.
However, Spain killed all the excitement quickly.
Bruni gave Italy a 1:0 lead after less than 20 seconds of play. But, Spain took full control. Perrone equalized immediately and pulled the trigger. By the end of the first quarter, Spain scored four unanswered goals (Granados three and Perrrone one) to head into the second period leading 5:1.
Alvaro Granados Photo by Catharyn Hayne/USA Water Polo
Italy struggled in the attack and, mostly because Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Aguirre was outstanding, like in the previous two games in LA. Di Somma opened the second period with a power play goal (2:5). Nobody could find the net in the following minutes. In the 13th minute, Aguirre saved a shot from Echenique, while Italy had a double man-up. Following that missed chances, Spain scored two quick goals. Sanahuja made it 6:2. Granados made no mistake from 6 on 4 and stretched the margin to five (7:2). Three seconds before the middle break, Di Fulvio gave Italy a slim hope scoring a goal for 3:7.
Presciutti narrowed the gap to three in the 18th minute (4:7), but that was all from Italy. Spain ruled the field and netted three unanswered goals before the last break (Perrone, Munarriz, De Toro). After 24 minutes of play, six goals separated the rivals – 10:4, and it was clear who would win. Both teams slowed in the final quarter as everything was decided, so the fourth period was peaceful.
A 10:4 victory is Spain’s late revenge for a 5:10 defeat in the final of the 2019 World Championships.
Italy Photo credit: Catharyn Hayne
Statistics say Spain’s shot percentage was 34% (10/29) and Italy’s poor 13% (4/30). Spain scored six goals with a man-up (6/11) and Italy only two (2/14). Unai Aguirre saved 10 shots, and Marco Del Lungo posted 13 saves for Italy. However, the data about saves can be deceiving. Aguirre was up to the task when it was important – in the first half. He also deserves credit for a huge Spain’s 7:3 lead at halftime. In the first 16 minutes, Aguirre had seven and Del Lungo four saves.
Bronze-medal match
Hungary – USA 13:14 (5:6, 3:3, 4:1, 1:4)
Hungary: Levai, Angyal, Manhercz, Molnar, Vamos 1, Vin.Vigvari 2, Zalanki 2, Fekete 2, Nemet 1, Varga 3, Jansik 2, Ven.Vigvari, Vogel. Head coach: Zs. Varga.
USA: Weinberg, Hooper 2, Vavic, Q. Woodhead 1, Daube 3, Cupido 2, Hallock 1, D. Woodhead, Bowen 1, Ch.Dodd, R.Dodd 1, Irving 4, Holland. Head coach: Udovicic.
Already in the first quarter, the game turned into a high-scoring affair. Team USA opened the match with a 2:0 lead, but Hungary caught up with the hosts quickly, at 4:4 and 5:5. The hosts entered the final quarter leading 6:5 as Johnny Hooper scored from a 6 on 5 with 11 seconds left on the clock in the final period. The Americans built a 2-goal lead in the second quarter (7:5, 8:6, 9:7), but the Hungarians halved the distance after each of these goals.
Photo by: Catharyn Hayne/USA Water Polo
At the beginning of the third period, Hungary took the lead for the first time. Gergo Fekete leveled at 9:9 from a counterattack (it was a 6 on 5 because Team USA’s player was excluded in Hungary’s half of the field). Less than a minute after, Fekete added a nice goal from 2 meters and put Hungary in front – 10:9. The Americans equalized, but Hungary earned a 2-goal lead before the last period (12:10). At the beginning of the fourth period, the teams exchanged the goals. Irving, the best scorer of the game, made it 11:12, and young Vince Vigvari replied immediately for 13:11. Hooper converted a man-up to half the distance (12:13).
Shortly after, the mentioned penalty shot and exclusion at 04:24 happened. In the remaining time of the first match, only Max Irving scored.. He leveled at 13:13 in the 30th minute, but that goal and all events in the last 04:24 minutes were canceled and repeated.
An hour and a half after the first end of the bronze medal match, the game restarted from a penalty awarded to the USA four minutes and 24 seconds before the final buzzer. Max Irving took responsibility this time and sent the ball home for 13:13.
Team USA Photo credit: Catharyn Hayne
Szilard Jansik found the net from an extra player a minute and a half later. But, the goal wasn’t allowed because the shot came too quickly. In the next attempt, Bowen blocked a shot from Jansik.
Forty seconds before the end, Ben Hallock scored an action goal from a close-range shot for 14:13. Hungary earned a man-up in its last possession. Gergo Zalanki had his shot blocked with 11 seconds to go, and the hosts kept the ball and bronze in the remaining time.
5th-place match
Greece – Romania 11:8 (1:2, 1:3, 4:1, 5:2)
Greece: Zerdevas, Genidounias 4, Skoumpakis 1, Kalogeropoulos 1, Fountoulis, Papanastasiou 2, Dervisis, Argyropoulos, Nikolaidis 2, Kakaris 1, Alafragkis, Chalyvopoulos, Tzortzatos. Head coach: Vlachos.
Romania: Tic, Neamtu 1, Lutescu, Fulea 2, Tepelus, Prioteasa 1, Dinca, Antipa, Colodrovschi 2, Georgescu 1, Iudean 1, Vancsik, Dragusin. Head coach: Rath.
Romania kept the momentum gained in a historic 17:14 victory over Serbia. However, the Greeks didn’t let the Romanians cause another surprise.
Romania led 2:1 at the first break. Early in the second quarter, Tudor Fulea netted two goals within 35 seconds (the first one was an action goal from a distance, and the second from a counter-attack), so the Romanians had a three-goal advantage already in the 11th minute (4:1). Konstantinos Genidounias, who was Greece’s power engine today, made it 2:4, but at the finish of the quarter, Iudean converted a man-up for 5:2. Romania’s defense and especially goalkeeper Marius Tic (who posted 12 saves today) did a great job in the first half.
The Greeks regrouped themselves during the middle break and started coming back. Still, Romania didn’t give in. In the 21st minute, Nikolaidis equalized at 5:5. However, shortly after, Colodrovschi put Romania in front from a counter-attack (6:5). The sides were tied at 6:6 before the final period as Genidounias converted a man-up (6:6) in the 24th minute. The same player gave Greece its first lead in the game in the first possession in the fourth quarter – 7:6. Romania leveled at 7:7 and 8:8. However, the Greeks produced a 3:0 run in the last 142 seconds and won 5th place. Two minutes and 22 seconds before the end, Genidounias converted a penalty awarded after a foul on Papanastasiou. A minute after, Papanastasiou scored from a perimeter. Romania lost the ball in their next possession. Greece earned a man-up shortly after. Nikolaidis scored from a 6 on 5 to set the final score
7th-place match
Germany – Serbia 8:15 (1:3, 3:2, 2:7, 2:3)
Germany: Benke, Bozic, Korbel 1, Cuk, Schuetze 2, Juengling, Strelezkij 1, Chiru 1, Sekulic, Dyck 1, Schipper 1, Gansen 1, Verner Schweimer. Head coach: Sekulic.
Serbia: Misovic, Radulovic 2, S. Rasovic 3, Randjelovic 1, Gavrilovic, Milojevic, Drasovic 3, Jaksic 4, Jankovic, Ubovic 1, Vucinic, Martinovic 1, Mitrovic. Head coach: Stevanovic.
Serbia beat Germany, which remained the only winless team in Los Angeles.
Serbia recorded a convincing victory. However, the first quarter was a balanced battle. Strahinja Rasovic gave the Serbs a 2:0 lead in the first 73 seconds from two penalty shots. At the first break, Serbia led 3:1. But, it still hadn’t recovered from a loss to Romania. Jaksic stretched the margin to three by converting a man-up in the Serbs’ first possession in the second period (4:1). Then, they started missing chances. Germany took advantage of Serbia’s missed opportunities and leveled at 4:4. Thanks to an goal from Vasilije Martinovic in the 16th minute, Serbia had a 5:4 lead at halftime.
Vasilije Martinovic (SRB) and Denis Strelezkij (GER) All photos by Catharyn Hayne /USA Water Polo
The Serbs’ 4:0 run at the start of the second half proved decisive, with three action goals and one penalty shot from Drasovic taking them to a comfortable 10:4 lead by the 21st minute. Despite Germany scoring two goals, Serbia responded with three more to finish the quarter 12:6 ahead and secure the win Germany couldn’t get back into the game.
Schedule
Visit Total Waterpolo Arena for the scores and statistics of the Men’s World Cup.
Friday, June 30
Quarterfinals: Germany – Spain 9:18, Italy – Romania 20:2, Hungary – Greece 6:4, Serbia – USA 9:10.
Saturday, July 1
Semifinals 5th – 8th: Germany – Greece 6:19, Serbia – Romania 14:17
Semifinals: Spain – Hungary 10:8, Italy – USA 15:12
Sunday, July 2
7th-place match: Serbia – Germany 15:8
5th-place match: Greece – Romania 11:8
Bronze-medal match: Hungary – USA 13:14
Final: Spain – Italy 10:4
Visit Total Waterpolo Arena for the scores and statistics of the Men’s World Cup.
History
FINA WORLD CUP, ALL WINNERS
1979 (Belgrade and Rijeka, Yugoslavia): Hungary, 1981 (Long Beach, USA): USSR, 1983 (Malibu, USA): USSR, 1985 (Duisburg, FR Germany): West Germany, 1987 (Thessaloniki, Greece): Yugoslavia, 1989 (West Berlin, FR Germany): Yugoslavia, 1991 (Barcelona, Spain): USA, 1993 (Athens, Greece): Italy, 1995 (Atlanta, USA): Hungary, 1997 (Athens, Greece): USA, 1999 (Sydney, Australia): Hungary, 2002 (Belgrade. Yugoslavia): Russia, 2006 (Budapest, Hungary): Serbia and Montenegro, 2010 (Oradea, Romania): Serbia, 2014 (Almaty, Kazakhstan): Serbia, 2018 (Berlin, Germany): Hungary; 2023 (Los Angeles): Spain
More articles about the World Cup and the former World League
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