Spain will also fight for the medals in Doha
David Martín's men are in the semi-finals after a beautiful duel against Montenegro
BARCELONA, 13 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men's water polo team beat Montenegro (15-12) this Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Doha World Championship, in a vibrant duel with many comings and goings that the Spaniards settled in an immaculate third set and led by an unleashed Felipe Perrone who continues to live in an eternal water polo youth.
Spain began dominating the match and with a 4-0 run it seemed that they were not going to suffer against Montenegro, but a series of defensive imbalances and a noticeable improvement by the Balkans took this quarter-final to a scenario more typical of a 'thriller' although, yes, with tragicomic touches.
Without a doubt, the third set and the 5-0 that David Martín's men achieved was the key to success. Spain, which in the recent European Championship it won faced Montenegro in the group stage (12-14), revived a similar match, of fight and tension in the water, and with the same result in what matters; victory.
There are already seven wins and only one draw, counting this 15-12 at the Aspire Dome in Doha, the results of the last clashes between Spain and Montenegro. But, despite this, the Montenegrins sold their skin dearly and, despite the fact that Spain was already playing with the score and knowing they were winners, they took the last set 2-5.
In fact, there were two partials for each team, a sign of the fair amount of equality that existed in the water. Spain, despite that initial 4-0 or despite winning 6-2 at the start of the second quarter, suffered. And Montenegro, with a partial score of 0-3 in that same quarter, came within just one goal (6-5) and worried Martín who asked his players, in a time-out, to switch on. new.
And so it was, but they did not achieve it until after a break that was reached at 8-7. It was difficult for Spain to regain the advantage, with some misfortune in attack but also with clear disruptions in defense that Montenegro took advantage of very well.
Spain had to improve in defense, in small details that the Balkans used to get into the game, especially with an intelligent and precise Marko Mrsic, their top scorer with four goals, to put Spain in trouble. And, in attack, Spain was not fine and, by wanting to adjust some shots too much, they ran into the woodwork.
But in the third set everything changed and Spain saw the light and a ticket to the semifinals. By the way, since Tokyo 2020 with that Olympic event included, Spain has always been in the 'semies' of the major competitions, including the European and World Cups. And in Doha 2024 it will be no different and they will fight for a new medal.
Alberto Munarriz, after a tuya-mía with Álvaro Granados, and Granados himself, who suddenly stood up and shot an unstoppable ball, opened that great set in which Roger Tahull also appeared, for the first time, in the scoring section ( 3 in the match). A 5-0 that was the work of Zagreb's hero, Álvaro Granados who scored, with that, four goals.
At 5-0 in the third quarter it was all over. Montenegro did not leave the pool, far from it, with that 2-5 already mentioned in the last set, but it was a fight against the current knowing that it was not going anywhere. Just in case, Felipe Perrone was in charge of continuing scoring, his fifth goal, and giving assists to his teammates to leave that final negative partial as an anecdote.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: SPAIN, 15 – MONTENEGRO, 12 (8-7, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
SPAIN: Edu Lorrio (p); Alberto Munarriz (1), Alvaro Granados (4), Bernat Sanahuja (2), Miguel de Toro, Marc Larumbe, Martin Famera, Sergi Cabanas, Roger Tahull (3), Philip Perrone (5), Alexander Bustos and Unai Biel.
MONTENEGRO: Tesanovic (p); Brguljan (1), Perkovic, Averka (2), Macic, Popadic (2), D. Radovic, Ukropina (1), Spaic (1), Matkovic, V. Radovic (1) and Mrsic (4).
–PARTIALS: 5-2, 3-5, 5-0 and 2-5.
–REFEREES: Michiel Zwart (NED) and Andrei Franulovic (CRO).
–POOL: Doha Dome Arena.