A few defensive errors and poor offensive choices led the Montenegrin water polo team to their first loss at the World Championship in Fukuoka.

Spain exploited every mistake, which were few in the “sharks'” game, and with the exceptional Felipe Perone at the helm, they created a more significant gap than expected, with the current world champions winning 11:7 and securing a spot in the semi-finals.

This result has positioned our team in a battle for second place in the group against Serbia.

As anticipated, Spain showcased its prowess in the first two matches of Group D, performing well against Serbia (16:14), and now the clash between our team and Serbia promises to be thrilling and pivotal for both teams’ future aspirations.

The winner of the match, scheduled for Friday at 5 AM, may face an easier opponent in the quarter-finals (Japan), provided there are no surprises and the tournament hosts defeat Croatia in their last group match.

In essence, to sidestep a potential showdown with Croatia in the playoff for the top eight, Montenegro must do everything possible to achieve this goal… Playing like they did for three quarters against Spain seems feasible.

“We faced an outstanding team. We prepared extensively for this match, and I believe the players showed great character. They fought until the end and believed they could make a comeback even when down by three,” commented head coach Vladimir Gojković.

Though a loss is still a loss, Gojković found some positivity:

“Spain was superior; there were parts of the game where we could not match them. However, I am pleased that all 13 players participated,” added the legendary water polo player.

Not everything went smoothly, of course. The team struggled during power plays, converting only two out of eight attempts, both in the first half…

Montenegro held its ground in terms of positional play, but the game was swayed by Spain’s transitional offense, with Perone being instrumental. He scored five goals, including two fast breaks that caught Montenegro off guard.

Even with the game equilibrium, Gojković’s team had a chance to make it a tight finish, even though Spain maintained the lead throughout.

By the end of the third quarter, the score was 9:6, and at the start of the final quarter, Konstantin Averka narrowed it to 9:7.

For over four minutes, the score remained unchanged. Our team had an opportunity with a man advantage to reduce the gap to one, but failing to capitalize allowed Perone to seal the match with a goal for 10:7. Bernat Sanauža also added a goal before time expired…

“We didn’t finish the match the way we had hoped. One or two crucial moments determined the outcome,” noted center Vladan Spaić.

Now, Montenegro looks ahead to the encounter with Serbia, who are a team of similar caliber.

“This is a crucial match for us, as winning could lead to a potentially easier opponent in the next phase,” concluded Spaić.

MONTENEGRO – SPAIN 7:11 (2:2, 2:3, 2:4, 1:2)

Fukuoka – “Marine Mesa” swimming pool. Officials: Stavridis (Greece), Dervju (France). Power plays: Montenegro 8 (2), Spain 8 (5).

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

Spain: Aguirre, Munaris 1, Granados 1, Sanauza 1, De Toro, Famjera 1, Barroso 1, Taulj, Perone 5, Maljarah, Bustos 1, Lorio (six saves).

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