The resilience of Montenegrin water polo players emerged at a critical moment, facing a formidable opponent in a competition phase usually navigated easily by favorites.

In the Round of 13 at the World Cup, this time it was Montenegro’s turn to shine, as they, in an upset role as (slight) underdogs, managed to “drown” the European champion Croatia, celebrating with a stunning 12:XNUMX victory.

The “Barracudas” fell in a mature performance from the new generation of “sharks”, who showed they were prepared for anything over 32 minutes, proving that they are not just a potential threat to stronger teams but are also capable of eliminating them from top tournaments.

“It’s an exhilarating feeling after a run of games where we failed to capitalize on good performances. Against Croatia, during our first crucial matches in the championship, we demonstrated excellent resilience after a tough loss to Serbia,” said Montenegrin coach Vladimir Gojković.

In previous major tournaments, his squad had come close to achieving similar successes several times (for instance, during last year’s World Cup quarter-finals against Spain, who later became champions), and today in Fukuoka, luck favored Petr Tešanović and his teammates.

As expected in matches of this intensity, there were ups and downs in the game, but the main narrative was that Montenegro dictated the play, executing their strategy effectively—featuring a lot of swimming and diving in attack, with Jovan Vujović’s surprise factor and a highly mobile defense that left the opponent’s center, Josip Vrlić, practically unfathomable.

This overwhelming approach forced the Croatians out of their comfort zone—the outcome was a victory for the “sharks,” while Croatia now faces a relegation match for positions 9 to 12, almost as if by punishment.

Though this win is significant, Montenegro has yet to fully prove their caliber to contend for a medal; to do this, they must defeat Greece in the quarter-finals on Tuesday at eight in the morning.

In the Adriatic derby, the initial ten minutes in the “Marine Mesa” pool witnessed a back-and-forth score.

Despite trailing 3:2 after the first quarter, the Montenegrin players launched a 5:3 series, taking the lead 3:0 and amplifying their advantage to 6:3 at the start of the third quarter. Aleks Ukropin netted two goals, joined by Dušan Matković and Kanstantin Averka, each scoring once.

The Croatians responded swiftly, closing the gap and taking a 7:6 lead just three minutes before the third period’s end; however, Montenegro was prepared to counter—this was a refreshing change compared to previous matches against stronger opponents on larger stages.

Đuro Radović, from the box (having scored all three in this match), along with Matković, gave Montenegro a goal advantage heading into the final eight minutes—9:8, showcasing a fierce battle to the finish.

With Croatia momentarily leading 10:9, Montenegro rallied once more.

Then, with 81 seconds left, Matković, attacking with a player advantage, struck past Marko Bijač, securing the score at 13:12, a moment that shattered the confidence of the Croatian team, led by former Jadran coach Ivica Tucak.

As Croatia attempted to equalize with two final assaults, their last shot came just five seconds before the game ended—Jerko Marinić Kragić tried, but Averka’s defense blocked it perfectly.

The ball was then gathered by goalkeeper Tešanović, raising questions about a potential foul by two opposing players, but all uncertainties were dispelled when Miloš Šćepanović, a member of the coaching staff, called a time-out from our bench.

“We all believed, from the players to the coaching staff; you could see it from the very first moment. This was also evident in Šćepanović’s brilliant reaction to call a time-out,” noted Gojković.

With less than two seconds to go, celebrations erupted; Montenegro achieved its most significant victory in major competitions since securing bronze at the European Championships in Budapest back in January 2020.

And once again, Croatia found themselves as the “victim”…

MONTENEGRO – CROATIA 13:12 (2:3, 3:0, 4:5, 4:4)

Fukuoka – “Marine Mesa” swimming pool. Officials: Margeta (Slovenia), Cvart (Netherlands). Total players: Montenegro 13 (7), Croatia 11 (3). Penalties: Montenegro 4 (3), Croatia 2 (2).

Montenegro: Andrić, Mačić, Perković, Averka 1, Čučković, Popadić, Vujović, Đ. Radović 4, Ukropina 2, Spaić 1, Matković 4, V. Radović 1, Tešanović (12 saves).

Croatia: Bijač (15 saves and five goals), Burić, Kržić, Krapić, Lazić 1, Bukić, Vukičević 1, Zuvela, Marinić Kragić 4, Vrlić, Butić 3, Harkov 3, Popadić.

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