Hungary finally made it: halting the longest wait in its history, the hosts managed to claim their 13th European title, 21 years after their last win in Florence 1999. The final couldn’t have been any more thrilling, Spain did its best to keep up with the hosts, even had a ball to win the game in regular time, but the decision was left to the penalty shootout. And just like in 2018, Spain came up short, they finished silver medallist once more after an unbeaten run in the championships. The bronze medal match also offered the very best of water polo and this time Montenegro not only caught up with the Croats after being four goals down – like in the prelims, when they lost at the end – but this time they managed to win the game and line up for the victory ceremony again after four years.
Men’s final: Hungary v Spain 9-9, penalties: 5-4. Bronze medal: Montenegro v Croatia 10-9. For places 5-6th: Italy v Serbia 7-8. For places 7-8th: Russia v Greece 9-11.
Final rankings: 1. Hungary, 2. Spain, 3. Montenegro, 4. Croatia, 5. Serbia, 6. Italy, 7. Greece, 8. Russia, 9. Germany, 10. Georgia, 11. Romania, 12. Turkey, 13. France, 14. Slovakia, 15. Netherlands, 16. Malta
Individual awards
Best goalkeeper: Dani Lopez (Spain)
Top scorer: Konstantin Kharkov (Russia) with 21 goals
Most Valuable Player: Denes Varga (Hungary)
Hungary extended its lead in the overall medal ranks by claiming its 13th title. It came after 21 years for the ruling nation of water polo, the first in the new millennium. After three lost home finals (2014 Europeans, 2017 Worlds, 2018 World League) they finally made it, though by a fingernail, or rather one plus one saves, as Viktor Nagy delivered a crucial catch in the last seconds and then his substitute Some Vogel did the only stop in the shootout to send the sell-out crowd of 5,300 to the seventh heaven.
Spain took a brilliant start, jumped to a 3-1 lead, Dani Lopez delivered great saves while denying three man-downs and the offence worked well too. They could even have taken a three-goal lead but the Hungarians killed their man- up.
Then the other goalie Viktor Nagy also arrived to the game turning the second period into a perfect performance for the Magyars. Their man-up started clicking while they shut out the Spaniards for the entire quarter to take over the lead with a 3-0 rush – and as a confidence-booster Nagy pushed Alvaro Granados’ penalty to the crossbar in the dying seconds.
Still, Spain left the miseries behind, Blai Mallarach’s brilliant 6m shot found the back of the net to halt their scoreless phase of 11:01 minutes and from this point it became a neck-to-neck battle. Marton Vamos put away a 6 on 5 but Marc Larumbe’s brilliant lob put the Spanish back to even again. However, Hungary replied with an action goal too, Krisztian Manhercz’s blast hit the net for 6-5 and after a series of great saves and blocks Hungary earned a man-up to double its lead but they couldn’t set up a fine shooting angle under time pressure.
And Spain came back again and again in the fourth. It was amazing to see that they had the patience and grit to net three man-ups in the 19th and 20th second of the respective possessions, the last one – which brought back them to 9-9 – was even checked on the VAR but the referees decided that it came just before the buzzer. On the other end Denes Varga netted a great one
from a man-up, Manhercz hit his second too (faith compensated the Magyars after an unlucky man-down goal after a rebound, here they were fortunate after a weak assist). Balazs Harai struggled to score goals from the centre in the whole tournament but now he managed to deliver one with a brilliant back-handed shot, that put the Magyars ahead for the third time in this period for 9-8 but Alberto Munarriz netted the buzzer-beater with 1:35 remaining.
Block denied Vamos in action, then Munarriz sent the ball over the bar from the centre and only 40 seconds were left. Mallarach then made a steal 12 seconds from time, it was a 2 on 1 but his speed was fading so he had to take the shot from 6m, still, Viktor Nagy needed his best to deny him in the very last second. Just like in the prelims, the game ended in a draw (11-11 then, 9- 9 now).
Thus, for the second time in a row, the European title was decided in a shootout. Spain lost at home to the Serbs two years ago in Barcelona, but they avenged that here in the quarters, so they had something great to rely on and entered the same five players who had been successful against the title-holders. But among the Hungarians there were seven players from Champions League-winner Ferencvaros which had four successful shootouts in a row in the last one and a half years (and that landed them the Super Cup and the Champions League trophy among others).
This had an effect on the outcome: the Magyars converted all five shots, while head coach Tamas Marcz – who eventually became the fourth Hungarian in history to win European gold both as a player and as head coach – sent the substitute goalie Soma Vogel to the pool for the last two rounds. And the hero of his club’s shootouts did it again: stopped the last shot of Alvaro Granados – the young Spanish enjoyed a great tournament but today he was 1/6 in the game, including a missed penalty. Though he had scored the winner against Serbia but this time his miss, rather Vogel’s save, made 5,300 people roaring while the roof of the Arena almost melt down.
The Magyars celebrated wildly, they finally overcame their demons and after three lost finals at home they clinched this title (quite a difference: in the summer of 2018 they just produced their second-worst performance at the Europeans, finishing 8th). At the other end the Spanish had to settle for their third loss in as many years after falling to the Serbs in Barcelona 2018, to the Italians in Gwangju 2019 and now to the Hungarians.
The bronze went to Montenegro after an incredible game. Just as the final, which copied somewhat the pattern seen in the prelims, this match recalled the great scenes from the second round when the Croats led 10-5 before the last break but the Montenegrins came back to 10-10, however, Croatia netted the winner. Then. Now it was almost the same, but only almost – the end was different.
This time Croatia rallied to a 3-7 lead by halftime and held on for 4-8 deep into the third period too. Few would have guessed that they saw the penultimate Croatian goal with 13:16 minutes remaining (something similar happened to the Dutch in the women’s bronze game one day earlier). But the Montenegrins never gave in this Europeans, and their veterans, Aleksandar Ivovic and Drasko Brguljan netted great action goals to close the gap to 7-8 just before the last break.
After a longer battle Loren Fatovic sent the ball home from a 6 on 4 (breaking a silence of 8:36 minutes) which might have been a calmer for his team as they led 7-9 with 5:40 to go. But Stefan Pjesivac pushed the ball in right from the next man-up, and after Dejan Lazovic made another save in a man-down, the Montenegrins could set up Vladan Spaic who netted the equaliser 1:36 from time. And just 35 seconds later they had it: Aleksandar Ivovic, who was just a shadow of his real self in most of the games, stepped up and blasted in his trademark 6m shot – it was his 5th of the evening.
Croatia got one last chance, a 6 on 5 with 45 seconds on the clock but Lazovic stopped Jokovic’s shot too and the Montenegrins started celebrating as if they had won the title. In fact, having four rookies on board, it was a tremendous feat from this team – en route they beat the 2019 world champion Italians and the 2017 world champion Croatians to earn this very well-deserved medal.
Italy couldn’t change its fortunes against the Serbs (never beat them at the Europeans in 80 years) as the former title-holders pushed the historical head-to-head to 16-0 with a narrow win, to save some pride.
Greece came seventh ahead of Russia – these two teams, plus Montenegro and Croatia earned the right to take part in the Olympic Qualification Tournament (besides the host Netherlands). However, if countries from the other continents refuse to take part (which happened before London and Rio as well), further European teams will be invited based on the rankings from 9 through 12-13th. Though according to the latest news, South Africa will take the African berth this time, and that would mean that unlike before, not the top four but only the top three teams can go to Tokyo.
For more details, detailed statistics, play-by-play descriptions and video clips of each goal, visit: http://wp2020budapest.microplustiming.com
Are you
looking for a tropical refuge and a spectacular open water swimming event? Then
we have something for you! Ocean Swim Fiji, a World-Class Event on a
breathtaking paradise full of islands and beaches, with the traditional Fijian
hospitality. This is your dive for 2020. Start planning your trip to paradise
today! Learn more: https://bit.ly/36X7JpO
Pipefly
gives you unforgettable tours and leisure experiences. If Portugal is your
destination, then we are definitely “memory maker”. Pipefly will provide you
with: Logistic support while you are training or competing in Cascais Region.
Moments of relax, to you and your family, through different experiences, hiking
in Natural Park, surf or sailing… Cultural tours for visiting this amazing
region. For more information please contact us! Read More https://bit.ly/39uGt3B
NIZport -
Buy the best swimming products with the #nizportfrancis coupon and get 15% off
on the official website http://adrianoniz.com/shop/ or in store: Street - Rua
Varzim Sport Clube, 97 4490-588 Póvoa de Varzim – Portugal
Qatar
Airways is proud to be one of the youngest global airlines to serve all six
continents, and thanks to our customers’ response to our offerings, we are also
the world’s fastest-growing airline. We connect more than 160 destinations on
the map every day, with a fleet of the latest-generation aircraft, and an
unrivalled level of service from our home and hub, the Five-star airport, Hamad
International Airport in Doha, the State of Qatar. Click the link to learn more
https://bit.ly/2Qf5Xut
Vuelos
baratos, hoteles y alojamientos en oferta, Paquetes turísticos y más. Almundo
te propone las mejores ofertas y oportunidades para que viajes en serio sin
gastar de más. Buscamos brindarte la mejor y más personalizada atención para
que hagas de tus vacaciones lo único que deben ser: espectaculares Aprovecha
nuestras oportunidades en vuelos baratos, promociones aéreas, alojamientos,
paquetes turísticos, alquiler de autos, actividades, cruceros y seguros de
viaje. Llegamos a todo el planeta: México, Brasil, Caribe, Estados Unidos,
Europa y miles de destinos más. Empieza a disfrutar ahora de tu viaje comprando
con el mejor precio y la mejor financiación en Almundo. A saber mas https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=kY2ULcT6wG4&offerid=701501.90&subid=0&type=4
Allianz
Global Assistance is a leading consumer specialty insurance and assistance company.
We insure 21 million customers annually and are best known for our Allianz
Travel Insurance plans. In addition to travel insurance, Allianz Global
Assistance USA offers tuition insurance, event ticket protection, registration
protection for endurance events and unique travel assistance services such as
international medical assistance and concierge services. The company also
serves as an outsource provider for in-bound call center services and claims
administration for health insurers, property and casualty insurers, and credit
card companies.
Malaysia
Airlines has a long and proud history of a product and brand synonymous with
outstanding, warm hospitality. Serving more than 50 destinations worldwide and
operating over 300 flights a day.
Malaysia
Airlines embodies the incredible diversity of Malaysia, capturing its rich
traditions, cultures, cuisines and warm hospitality onboard. The award-winning
flight attendants who embody this wear the traditional sarong kebaya as their
uniform. It was designed to reflect pride in Malaysian traditions and culture.
The batik motif and design elements include local flowers such as cempaka,
jasmine and hibiscus. TO KNOW MORE ABOUT US CLICK https://bit.ly/2s4TJv5
Groupon is
building the daily habit in local commerce, offering a vast mobile and online
marketplace where people discover and save on amazing things to do, see, eat
and buy. By enabling real-time commerce across local businesses, travel
destinations, consumer products and live events, shoppers can find the
best a city has to offer. Groupon is redefining how small businesses attract
and retain customers by providing them with customizable and scalable marketing
tools and services to profitably grow their businesses.
Learn more about our services https://bit.ly/2rG8N1P
Dufry is
present in over 400 locations across the globe – hence, it is very likely
that you will pass by one of our stores either on your departing trip or on
arrival. Our stores include traditional duty-free and duty-paid departures and
arrivals stores, as well as specialized shops in all categories. We look
forward to welcoming you on your next trip! https://bit.ly/2NSRG5a
Arena
Swimwear is your shop for high tech, competitive swimwear,
swimsuits, gear, and equipment. Take a look at our full catalogue inside
www.arenawaterinstinct.com.br Buy with discount coupon
#arenafrancis to get 12% off
As the
leading worldwide distributor of European rail products, Rail Europe is the
only one-stop-shop for planning and booking European train travel and
sightseeing products. From rail passes to train tickets and reservations, we
provide unparalleled access to an extensive array of rail products from over 50
European train companies. https://bit.ly/332AMFX
Anyone who
is passionate about traveling already enjoys or will enjoy the facilities
offered by SEM PARAR. We are present in the toll plazas of the main highways in
Brazil, as well as numerous parking lots in malls, in the main airports of São
Paulo and more. Click and see how it works https://bit.ly/35tVkbP
Rentcars is
one of the global leaders in online car rental. On the platform, the traveler
can compare prices and options from different rental companies in over 160
countries and finalize the booking in one place. Learn more about our services
https://bit.ly/39V7LAD
Max Milhas
we are the solution for you to travel more. We connect people who enjoy
traveling with much more economy to those who want to sell miles and earn extra
money. We want to make dreams possible and make good stories real. And you?
Come with us? https://bit.ly/2FFqdiD
Do you
already know the Smiles program? With it, you earn miles on everything you do:
flying with the best airlines, shopping at Shopping Smiles, booking hotels,
renting cars or transferring points from your credit card. Traveling with miles
is easier. To enjoy all these advantages you must be registered in the
program. Join the link now https://bit.ly/37Cby4r
No comments:
Post a Comment