“Maintaining Momentum: The Challenge of Sustaining Success as the WC Draws to a Close”
Vujović competing against Croatia during the World Cup Round of 16, Photo: Orange Pictures/VPSCG
Montenegro is gearing up for its eighth appearance at the World Water Polo Championships, playing for 7th place in the tournament.
The final opponent for the “sharks” will be the United States of America (Saturday, 4:30 a.m.), a team that, much like Montenegro, had the potential to achieve more in Fukuoka but is now looking at a seventh or eighth-place finish.
“Yes, that national team has faced tough matches, and they’ve dealt with ‘brutalities’ and other challenges. Still, I believe we can win the match for 7th place,” said center Jovan Vujović.
The “Americans” initially lost a significant lead against Greece during the group stage and faced a quarter-final defeat to Hungary, which was impacted by “brutality” (playing four minutes with one less player). In their first playoff match against France, they had a near miss after leading the game.
Conversely, Vladimir Gojković’s team underperformed in their placement match against Italy, failing to demonstrate the motivation or gameplay necessary to secure a spot in the next World Cup.
“It was our poorest performance in this tournament. After four intense matches, it’s challenging to maintain the same momentum. We genuinely aimed for a better outcome in that match, but Italy appeared more rested and prepared, and they rightfully claimed victory,” Vujović concluded.
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