Victory is the Only Focus of the “Shark”
Photo: VPSCG/Krsto Vulović
Tuesday marks the final day of the World Cup for water polo, which is crucial for Montenegro as it aims to secure a place in the finals this summer in Los Angeles.
The “Sharks” need to overcome Greece at 19:30 to claim third place and earn a ticket to the City of Angels. However, given the team’s recent performances in Podgorica over the past four matches, it raises the question of how likely it is for the Montenegrin water polo players to deliver their best game of the tournament tonight.
They will face a formidable opponent, as Greece placed third at last year’s World Championship and has shown impressive form at “Morača,” consistent with their reputation.
Our national team owes an outstanding performance to their supporters after narrowly defeating Georgia and Australia while struggling to keep pace with Spain and Serbia, both of whom are already through to the finals.
“The Greeks are a serious team with many players who achieved Olympic bronze in Tokyo. They convincingly faced Serbia recently; they have been together for a long time, so we are looking at a challenging match both physically and mentally,” said Aljoša Mačić, a defender for Primorje.
Victory is essential, but Montenegro also needs to prove they can compete with this objectively stronger adversary for a full 32 minutes.
“We have faith in our game plan, expect an improved performance compared to previous matches, and of course, we want to celebrate,” added Mačić.
Dušan Banićević shares this sense of optimism.
“We had a refreshing day off after our win against Australia. We have a chance to progress, but it’s not going to be easy against Greece. I urge our fans to back us as they have been, and we will give our all to secure the points that lead us to the finals,” remarked the Sabadell player.
Center Savo Ćetković reflected on the opportunity in Podgorica.
“This is the last match of the tournament, and there are no second chances. We have a real opportunity to win against a great team like Greece to achieve our goal,” said the Novi Belgrade player.
A triumph tonight could significantly enhance the perception of our national team in this tournament. Coach Vladimir Gojković acknowledges the current situation.
“Right now, we are closer to the teams at the bottom than to the top teams. The only solution is to work harder than we have,” Gojković stated after the victory over Australia on Sunday.
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