After three days of the World Cup tournament in Podgorica, it may be premature to make predictions, but Montenegrin water polo players now understand what is required to secure one of the three spots in the finals.

The “Sharks” had a day off yesterday following a win and a loss in their opening matches against Georgia and Spain. To book their ticket to Los Angeles, they need to secure two additional victories.

Today’s opponent is Serbia (scheduled for 17:30), followed by matches against Australia (Sunday at 19:30) and Greece on Tuesday (time TBD).

Georgia has proven to be a challenging contender, defeating Australia, even though it was clear from the start that no points were pre-allocated.

Perhaps the only exception was the formidable Spain, which secured its place in the finals with a convincing 20:10 victory over Georgia.

“I believe we have a strong chance against Serbia, even if they’re perceived as the favorites. They boast several top players, among the best in the world, but I am confident we are in better physical shape and with strong determination, we can triumph,” stated center Miroslav Perković, who did not participate in the match against Spain.

In their last match, Montenegro edged past Georgia thanks to Đur Radović’s goal just eight seconds before the final whistle (13:12). Unfortunately, they struggled against Spain, trailing 5:0 before scoring their first goal in the 15th minute, eventually cutting it to 7:5, but unable to fully mount a comeback (final score: 10:6).

“We will look to capitalize on our swimming speed and counterattacks, as I believe we are physically better prepared than Serbia right now. It won’t be easy, considering Serbia’s roster is filled with water polo stars, but with the right support from the crowd, we can aim for a favorable outcome,” said Danilo Radović.

In their opener, Serbia defeated Australia (10:6) but faced a setback last night, losing to Greece 16:14.

Spain is currently leading with a perfect nine points, with four teams—Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, and Georgia—tied at three points each. Australia remains without a win…

Last night’s match between Serbia and Greece saw Helena take a commanding lead, going up by six goals mid-way through the third quarter (10:4).

The “Dolphins” also came close, tightening the score to a two-goal difference, but Teodoros Vlahos’ team skillfully defended their position without much trouble. Strahinja Rašović led the Serbian team with five goals, while Dušan Mandić added four.

For Greece, Konstadinos Genidounias, Ioannis Fudulis, Stilijanos Argiropoulos, and Konstadinos Kakaris each scored three times.

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