Monday, May 15, 2023

Egypt and Montenegro to battle out men’s beach water polo final


 

Written by:World Aquatics Water Polo Correspondent Russell McKinnon

Egypt and Montenegro will go head to head in the final of the men’s tournament at Somabay Resort on Monday after the third day of play at the World Aquatics Beach Games Beach Water Polo Tournament in Somabay, Egypt.

What Shook Out During Day 3 of Beach Water Polo

Egypt and Montenegro will go head to head in the final of the men’s tournament on Monday after the third day of play at the World Aquatics Beach Games Beach Water Polo Tournament in Somabay, Egypt.

Egypt bounced Georgia 10-9 and Montenegro shut out Hungary 10-7 in the round 1-4 semifinals. Kazakhstan and Romania won through their classification 5-8 semifinals to make the play-off for fifth and Serbia will play for 10th against Saudi Arabia after beating Kuwait 12-7.

 

Classification 1-4 Semifinals

EGYPT 10 GEORGIA 9

Wild scenes followed Egypt’s amazing 10-9 victory over Georgia with the winner coming 33 seconds from time. Egypt deserved the win for sheer determination. The match was levelled at all the numbers to six, at eight and nine.

Egypt showed the way in the first quarter with Georgia equalising each time for 3-3 by the first break. Egypt started the second-quarter scoring with Georgia taking the lead twice and leading 6-5 with a centre-forward goal just before halftime.

Egypt missed two penalty chances in the third period and trailed 7-6. It became 8-6 with Egypt replying with two goals, including a centre-forward goal. Giorgi Magrakvelidze converted an extra-man attack for Georgia with Ahmed Atef responding at 1:51 from just outside six metres.

Georgia’s timeout had little effect and at 0:33, Mohamed Salah Farag snuck one in from deep left. An Egyptian timeout at 0:17 was meant to slow the match and the Georgians took exception and confusion reigned as the referee called a penalty and changed his mind. After a lot of arm waving, the match was ended by officials and the celebrations started.

Match Difference Makers

Salah Farag and Atef for Egypt and Magrakvelidze for Georgia, with three goals each.

The Decider

Salah Farag’s goal to seal the match. It came from under a lot of pressure.

Stats Critical

Georgia was smarter on extra-man attack with five from 12 with Egypt scoring a near-crippling one from 10. However, it converted two from four on a penalty to Georgia’s one from one. Despite these statistics, Egypt won.

What They SaidSeif Omara — Egypt

Our game with Georgia was a very tough one, a hard one, a close one that we won at the very last second. Now we’re into the final and we’ll scout out who we’ll play between Hungary and Montenegro. We’re very excited to be in our very first final in the history of Egypt water polo, so we’ll do our best to win this tournament as hosts. We’re very excited to play tomorrow and bring it home.

Ahmed Elsapagh — Egypt

I think this win is a very big motivation for the Egypt team. It won’t be easy to win tomorrow’s championship, but we’re up for the challenge.

Dragoljub Cetkovic — Georgia, goalkeeper

It was a really tough game with Egypt hosting here. We showed our class. They showed their class, but somehow they managed to pull out the win. There’s a good atmosphere here. We’re still having fun as we have already qualified for the World Beach Games in Bali.

It’s my first time playing here. I like it very much because it’s a good atmosphere, a good vibe. Everything’s okay.

What Awaits The Teams?

Egypt will play Hungary in the final on Monday and Georgia will clash with Montenegro for third ranking.

 

MONTENEGRO 10 HUNGARY 7

Hungary had the match in its grasp in the first half and then squandered opportunities in the second, allowing Montenegro to sneak home with the victory. Hungary was 1-0 and 2-1 before Montenegro equalised with a shot from the top to bring up quarter time.

Montenegro started the second half with a centre-forward strike on extra by Nikola Markovic. Marcell Kolozsi bombed one from halfway to draw level, but two outside shots gave Montenegro the three-quarter-time advantage. A Koloszi pair brought the match to even terms at seven.

Montenegro took a timeout, scored on extra and with a centre-forward backhand and Nikola Brkic sewed up the match with 33 seconds to spare with a cross-pass gift. Hungary’s last-gasp penalty attempt hit wood and it was all over.

Match Difference Makers

Brkic was the difference with his four consecutive goals for Montenegro, the first coming late in the third period and then three in the fourth, when it really mattered. Kolozsi netted three times for Hungary, including his second and third which brought the match was 7-5 down to 7-7 two minutes into the final quarter.

The Decider

Brkic’s goal on extra to break the 7-7 impasse and then scoring the next two for 10-7.

Stats Critical

Montenegro converted two from six on extra and Hungary two from 11. Only one of the three penalty attempts crossed the line and that went to Montenegro.

What They Said

Igor Martinovic – Montenegro coach

When you play Hungary-Montenegro in this sport, it’s always something more. And in this, you can be assured it will be a tough game – a tough, physical game. I think today we had more patience to finish every action. Egypt is a very good team and will be a tough match-up (in the final). They’re strong physically; they swim faster and play with the home public behind them. We’ll try to play a good game and try for the win, obviously.

The ambience here is very good. All this wind, this sun and waves, it brings me back to playing a long time ago in Montenegro we’d play summer league like this. For me, it’s coming back to playing water polo as we did as children. It’s a very nice, fast game and very interesting. It brings people out to watch. I’d like the sport to continue like this.

What Awaits The Teams?

Montenegro faces Egypt in the final and Hungary will play for third against Georgia.

 

Classification 5-8 Semifinals

SOUTH AFRICA 14 KAZAKHSTAN 15

Kazakhstan survived a frantic match that lived up to everything beach water polo was all about. Major fouls were incidental rather than heavily handled. It was all about goals, fast action and reactions. South Africa went ahead twice in the first quarter and trailed by 3-2 at the first break.

From there, Kazakhstan was never to be equalised, let alone headed. It led 7-4 in the second quarter, however, South Africa scored consecutive penalty goals in nine seconds to finish the half a goal behind at 7-6. Kazakhstan went to 9-6, slapping in an aerial rebound, and 10-8 with a six-metre-foul shot. Goals were traded for 11-9 by the last intermission.

A frantic South Africa won the last quarter 5-4, coming within one goal four times despite being 14-11 down at one stage. It was 14-13 at 1:14 and 15-14 at 0:27. From there, both teams took timeouts to no avail with South Africa’s shot being blocked on the buzzer.

Match Difference Makers

Eduard Tsoy and Ruslan Akhmetov were to the fore, as usual, scoring four goals each, as did South Africa’s Janco Rademeyer and Yaseen Margro, who is a real find for South African water polo. His measured play for the last goal earned a foul outside six metres, which he converted.

The Decider

Akhmetov’s 15-13 strike at 0:40 for 15-13 — a successful penalty shot.

Stats Critical

South Africa looked better on the stats with three penalty conversions to two and five from 13 on an extra-man attack to Kazakhstan’s three from eight. It was Kazakhstan’s field goals that proved the difference.

What Awaits The Teams?

Kazakhstan will play Romania for fifth place and South Africa will take on Ukraine for seventh classification.

 

ROMANIA 17 UKRAINE 14

Ukraine was distraught and Romania very happy with the final result. Romania achieved the win through its mental approach, keeping the team working together and starting the first quarter 3-0. It was 8-6 by halftime and 15-11 at the third break.

Ukraine was always a threat and reduced the margin to one on an amazing seven occasions, most lately at 12-11. Romania went five up at the start of the fourth period and 17-13 as Ukraine had the last say with 46 seconds left on the clock.

Match Difference Makers

Alexandru Gheorghe was well and truly in the thick of things with a game-high eight goals for Romania and Maksym Osyka threw in five for Ukraine.

The Decider

The yellow card for Ukrainian coach Oleh Dobush and the red card for Ihor Keckedzhy in the closing seconds of the third period. Romania capitalised and made the last-break score 15-11, the biggest margin of the match.

Stats Critical

Both teams were excellent on extra-man attack with Romania going four from six and Ukraine five from eight. These stats are not easy to accrue due to the fast pace of the action. Romania nailed two-from-three on penalties to Ukraine’s one-from-one.

What Awaits The Teams?

Romania will take on Kazakhstan for the fifth classification and Ukraine will shape up to South Africa for seventh position.

 

Classification 9-11 Semifinal

KUWAIT 7 SERBIA 12

It may have been the lesser match of the day, but it did not disappoint with both teams applying plenty of pressure, as the score attests. Serbia only led 2-1 at the first break, doubled the difference to 5-3 by halftime, went to 8-5 by the final break and cruised to victory.

Both teams had big men and it was a struggle to shoot, let alone score. Kuwaiti goalkeeper and captain Mohammad Mulla was excellent with many saves. His only “blunder” was to come up to shoot hesitantly in the dying seconds with the rebound being snapped up and shot by Ognjen Stojanovic to extend the final margin to five.

Match Difference Makers

Kristian Sulc and Mihajlo Andrin fired in three each for Serbia while Mshary Hasan and Mohammad Alrumaidhin scored twice for Kuwait.

The Decider

The intercept and counter-attack goal by Marko Jankovic to start the third period. It lifted Serbia to a three-goal difference.

Stats Critical

Serbia converted four from seven on an extra-man attack and defended all three Kuwaiti chances. Kuwait missed the only penalty shot.

What Awaits The Teams?

Serbia now goes to the classification 9-10 play-off with Saudi Arabia on Monday and Kuwait takes 11th position.

 

Monday Schedule

Match 21, 09:00, Men, Classification 9-10 SRB v KSA

Match 22, 09:50, Men, Classification 7-8 RSA v UKR

Match 23, 10:40, Men, Classification 5-6 KAZ v ROU

Match 7, 15:50, Women, Classification 3-4 RSA v ZIM

Match 8, 15:00, Women, Classification 1-2 GRE v CZE

Match 24, 16:40, Men, Classification 3-4 GEO v HUN

Match 25, 17:30, Men, Classification 1-2 EGY v MNE

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