The significant loss to Serbia has put the Montenegrin water polo team in a critical position as they approach their final Group C match in the World Championship.

Set to face Japan on Friday at 7 AM local time, the “sharks” must secure a victory to progress to the round of 16. A loss would result in elimination and jeopardize their chances of qualifying for the Olympic Games…

With an eight-goal defeat to the “dolphins” (14:6), Montenegro can no longer aim for the top position in the group. If they win against Japan, they would advance as third place, provided the USA does better than Serbia.

A victory could also lead them to second place if Serbia triumphs over the Americans…

In summary, these are mere calculations, but first and foremost, our water polo players must recover from the setback they faced on Wednesday and focus on avoiding further disappointments against the “samurai”.

“Against Serbia, we had numerous opportunities until the third quarter, with scores at 6:4 and 7:4 in their favor. Our concentration faltered, and we struggled in one-on-one situations—they capitalized on their chances while we squandered ours,” said coach Vladimir Gojković.

It stings particularly that Montenegro lost without a response.

“There’s no excuse for what transpired in the last ten minutes, where we allowed a significant deficit. This is something that must never recur; we need to maintain our composure until the end. It’s a serious issue that we’ve identified, but time is of the essence, as an important match lies ahead,” Gojković added.

Japan may be considered the underdog, but…

“We need to win to advance to the round of 16 and keep our Olympic dreams alive. The Japanese have modified their playing style, and with the “European influence,” they were not a significant threat in their first two matches. We need to be prepared for a potential return to their original style. If that occurs, we must be ready to adapt, as many have faced difficulties against them, including us. What’s clear is that we possess the quality to win and must leverage that,” Gojković stated.

Young Jovan Vujović is confident that the team will bounce back after the humiliating loss.

“We lost unexpectedly and decisively; Serbia isn’t that much better than the score reflected. They started strong, while we failed to adhere to key defensive and offensive tactics, which led to the significant result. As for Japan? We are the favored team, and we must embrace that expectation. I anticipate victory, and we all understand how much it would mean to us. We need to regroup after such a defeat; I believe this “setback” will strengthen us moving forward,” concluded the Jadran water polo player.

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