The thirty-five goals scored against South Africa vividly demonstrate how the Montenegrin water polo team commenced their World Cup journey, while conceding 10 goals suggests the coaching staff may seek improvements moving forward in Fukuoka.

Maintaining focus for 32 minutes against a clear underdog can be tough, so the final score of 35:10—marking the highest tally in world championship history—reflects a solid performance in their opening match.

This game serves as a prelude to the challenges ahead for the “sharks,” with the real contest for top group positions against Spain and Serbia set to begin on Wednesday.

The scoreline tells its own story; it was a standout performance for Djuro Radovic, who netted seven goals from as many attempts, while Bogdan Đurđić scored five from five. Jovan Vujović, Vasilije Radović, and Vladan Spaić each tallied four goals…

The upcoming opponent on Wednesday at 6:30 AM is none other than the defending champions, Spain—a team determined to affirm their dominance after their victory in Budapest a year ago.

Fans will recall that during the World Cup in Budapest, the “red fury” eliminated Montenegro in a thrilling quarter-final, where Montenegro had a shot at victory but ultimately succumbed to the favorites who later secured the title.

This year, under the guidance of Vladimir Gojković, the team has a new opportunity to challenge a formidable opponent, having been preparing intensively for nearly a month, as the match against South Africa was merely a stepping stone.

“We aimed for greater rotations in this first game to ensure all players received equal playing time, while also trying to play aggressively in preparation for the challenges ahead,” Gojković reflected after the convincing win.

The match did not provide substantial inspiration from the opponent—there were positive aspects of the game as well as areas needing improvement.

“This was a match where we expected to be the stronger side. The first two quarters were reasonable, but we made some errors later on that need stabilization. We’re now focusing on the tougher games ahead,” Gojković commented.

Goalkeeper Lazar Andric will remember his debut at this prestigious level, stepping in during the second half after Petar Tesanovic defended the first half.

“We used this match to gear up for what lies ahead. It helped us get acquainted with the pool, but now the real competition begins. We are looking forward to the challenge against Spain, which will be our first significant test of the tournament,” Andrić said.

In the opening round, Spain quickly established their dominance, defeating Serbia 16:14. “Dolphins” led early with a 2:0 advantage, but Spain swiftly turned the tide to 7:2, where the outcome was never in doubt.

The Spanish team held a 16:10 lead with five minutes left, allowing their opponent only to minimize the final score.

ROUND 1 RESULTS

GROUP A

Australia – Greece 9:13

Kazakhstan – USA 5:18

GROUP B

France – Italy 6:13

Canada – China 13:10

GROUP C

Hungary – Japan 16:8

Argentina – Croatia 5:24

GROUP D

Montenegro – South Africa 35:10

Serbia – Spain 14:16

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