Young Water Polo Players Advance to Quarterfinals in Second Place Despite Loss to Italy
National young water polo team, Photo: wpolo.me
Following two wins, the young Montenegrin water polo team faced their first defeat at the World Championship held in Bucharest and Otopeni.
Led by Petar Radanović, the team triumphed over Spain (10:8) and Croatia (14:12 after a penalty shootout) in the first two rounds, but had to concede to Italy in the last group stage match, losing 9:7.
Before their matchup against the Italians, our U20 team had already secured a quarterfinal spot. The result from the match between Spain and Croatia (12:7) confirmed their advancement in second place, just behind the Spanish team.
Throughout the game against Italy, the opposing team maintained a consistent lead, reaching a three-goal advantage of 6:3 during the second quarter.
Montenegro managed to level the score at 6:6 by the end of the third quarter, thanks to goals from Marko Mršić, Matija Sladović, and Danilo Stupar. However, Italy responded effectively and clinched the victory…
In our squad, David Stevović and Lazar Vukićević each scored twice, while Sladović, Mršić, and Stupar contributed one goal each.
The Montenegrin water polo team will soon learn the identity of their quarterfinal opponent, set for Thursday. Should the playoffs unfold as expected, Radanović’s squad is likely to face the United States.
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