The “sharks” put up a decent fight in the second round of the World Water Polo Championship in Fukuoka, but facing the legendary Felipe Perone and the dominant Spanish team proved to be a tall order.

This morning, Petar Tešanović and his team were defeated by Spain with a score of 11:7.

“We faced the world champions, a truly exceptional team. We prepared extensively for this match, and I believe the players showed great character… They battled till the end, keeping the game competitive even when we were down by three,” stated coach Vladimir Gojković after the match.

There was a silver lining even in the defeat…

“Spain outperformed us today; there are areas where we just couldn’t match their skill. However, I’m pleased that all 13 players contributed to the game,” Gojković remarked.

Our center, Vladan Spaić, praised his teammates for their fighting spirit.

“We didn’t manage to close the game as we had hoped—ideally in a tie where one or two goals would decide the outcome,” Spaić explained.

On Friday at five in the morning, the “sharks” will face Serbia. If our boys emerge victorious in this match, they will advance from the second position.

“This is a significant match for us, as a win could lead to an easier opponent in the next round,” Spaić concluded.

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