World Aquatics Championships, Singapore

  1. Spain v Hungary for World Championship gold

After a Bernat Sanahuja triple and an Alvaro Granados double, Spain was only 5-5 with Hungary at quarter time. Sanahuja edged Spain into the lead as it moved to 7-6 at halftime. A Gergely Burian double and Vince Vigvari netting his second, gave Hungary a 9-7 advantage. Hungary went to the final quarter 10-9 up. Sanahuja and Granados flipped the lead and Burian levelled. Alberto Munarriz made it 12-11 from the top and Granados took it to 13-11. Sanahuja was red-carded but Unai Biel blasted from eight metres at 3:10. Adam Nagy drilled one at 0:51, but the most famous move of the year came from retiring captain Felipe Perrone, driving upfield, bamboozling the goalkeeper, to score his second and last international goal for 15-12 at 0:18. Vendel Vigvari converted extra at 0:06 to close all scoring at 15-13. However, Perrone had his fairytale finish and Spain reigned in the Singapore rain.

  1. Hungary out-does Olympic champion Serbia for certain medal

The shorter pool showed how the goals can flow. Hungary led 6-3 at the quarter but was stymied in the second quarter as Serbia went 8-7 ahead before Hungarian captain Krisztian Manhercz equalised from top left at 0:56 for 8-8 at halftime. Hungary went ahead twice with Serbia playing catch-up. From 10-10, Hungary surged to 16-12 at the final break. At 18-13, Hungary was well and truly on the front foot. However, Dusan Mandic scored his second and third of the period; Vasilje Martinovic (needing VAR confirmation) and Milos Cuk (after a challenge) brought the margin to one at 1:50. Vendel Vigvari and Cuk exchanged goals but the latter’s at 0:25 was too late and Hungary went to the final at 19-18.

  1. Spain and Greece grappling for that golden berth

It was probably the tightest match of the tournament that was destined for a shootout. Spain took the lead at 3-2 by quarter time. Aristeidis Chalyvopoulos was red-carded with Granados slotting the penalty and a score from deep left. Sanahuja made it three goals in the exclusion period and Spain was 6-2 ahead. Konstantinos Gkiouvetsis fired a missile from six metres just before halftime. Stylianos Argyropoulos converted extra and Granados found himself the owner of a red card, with substitute, at 1:04 in the third period. Konstantinos Gkillas scored either side of an Evangelos Pouros goal for 7-6 at 1:48. Munarriz spectacularly took a six-metre foul and scored in the last second to force the shootout. Greece missed its third and fourth attempts while Spain was perfect and into the final.

  1. Japan outlasting Romania in 39-goal encounter

This was a breathless encounter and one that stretched the television schedule. It had wide swings as Japan won the first period 8-1 and went 12-4 into the halftime break. A Vlad-Luca Georgescu penalty inspired the Romanians into a 5-0 spurt and by the final break the deficit was two. Japan went 16-14 ahead but could not score in the final four minutes as Romania’s Sebastian Olten from the top and Georgescu from the right on extra had the match level at 0:34. The shootout was almost as exhausting. Japan missed its first two; Romania missed the second and fourth as the score became 19-19 after the rotation. Taiyo Watanabe converted and Georgescu had his attempt saved, giving Japan a remarkable 20-19 success.

  1. Singapore making history with win in final match

Singapore relished a chance on the world stage and when it came to the final match to decide 15th and 16th positions, Singapore shot out to a 5-1 advantage over South Africa. This became 7-2 at the quarter break and 10-6 at halftime. The margin was maintained in the third period and became five goals at the top of the fourth. A penalty lifted South Africa and a red card to Singaporean Wen Zhe Goh boosted the South African confidence, scoring three straight by 2:27 for 14-13 behind. Singapore’s resilience and defence lasted until the final whistle for its first victory at this level.

  1. Spain gaining its first ascendancy over Hungary

Spain and Hungary first met on day three with Spain emerging a 10-9 winner. It was Hungary’s match to lose, having held a 5-2 advantage in the second period and 8-5 by the final break. Manhercz gave Hungary a 9-6 boost early in the fourth. Then Granados bounced one in from the top and converted a penalty foul for one down. Perrone came to the rescue with the equaliser off a centre-forward drive at 4:02. A minute later, Granados turned the tables on extra and no further goals came as Spain grabbed the early bragging rights.

  1. Japan repeating its Olympic success against Australia

Australia was probably still fuming over its rare 14-13 loss to Japan in Paris 2024. The Aussie Sharks started strongly at 3-1 before Japan went 4-3 up early in the second quarter. Japan led 6-5 at halftime and Australia had the 7-6 three-quarter-break advantage. Japan went 8-7 ahead in the first three minutes of the fourth with the Sharks levelling three times for 10-10. Yusuke Inaba and Toi Suzuki took it to 12-10 and Aussie Sharks captain Nathan Power replied on counter at 1:14. The Sharks took a timeout at 0:48 with no effect on the scoreboard, leaving Japan a two-time winner on the big stage.

  1. Japan taking it full on to Hungary

At 23-18 to Hungary, this was a heart-stopping match where the plucky Japanese gave it their all against the stronger Hungarians. The lead was swapped in the first quarter, ending 5-5. Japan levelled twice as Hungary moved out to 10-8 at halftime. Manhercz and Watanabe scored twice each in the third as Hungarian took full control at 15-11. At 18-12 it seemed over. However, four of the next five goals went to Japan for 19-16. Adam Nagy scored three of the next four at 22-17 and a trade in the last 37 seconds gave Hungary a 23-18 margin in what was a withering encounter.

  1. Montenegro upsets Greece on day one

Greece was to finish third and Montenegro sixth. On day one, Montenegro won 10-9, leading 5-3 at the quarter, 7-6 and the half and 8-7 at the third break. When Filip Gardasevic scored his third for 9-7 from deep right nearly halfway through the fourth, the writing was on the wall. It was 2-1 to Greece in the rest of the period but, at 2:05, neither side could make a goal and Montenegro had started its campaign flawlessly.

World Cup Finals Series, Podgorica, Montenegro

  1. Spain overcomes Greece for World Cup glory

Spain had a poor start, down 4-2 after being 2-1 up. Spain had three leads in the second quarter before Greece made it 8-8 at halftime. Konstantinos Genidounias converted a penalty for the 9-8 advantage at the top of the fourth quarter. However, Two Granados goals and two Unai Biel strikes made it 12-9. Argyropoulos sent in a penalty shot and scored again early in the fourth for 12-11 down. Spain rammed in two more and Argyropoulos brought it to 14-12. Unai Aguirre sent in a long shot before Nikolaidis and Aguirre were red-carded. Two late Greek goals only narrowed it to two before Spain emerged World Cup campion 16-14.

  1. Hungary out-shoots Croatia on penalties

With a bronze medal at stake, Croatia held a 4-3 quarter-time advantage. It progressed to 8-7 at halftime before Hungary turned the tables at 11-9 and 11-10 at the final break. Loren Fatovic equalised a minute into the fourth period with goals traded. David Tatrai and Vince Vigvari lifted Hungary to 14-12. Fatovic put away a penalty shot and the 37-year-old Luka Loncar swept in a centre-forward shot on extra at 1:27 for the leveller. Hungary took three shots to no avail and the match went to penalties. Croatia had its third and fourth attempts saved by Kristof Csoma and Hungary was too accurate, winning 18-15 for the bronze medal.

World Cup Division 1 in Bucharest

  1. Montenegro demoralises Olympic champion Serbia

     

Montenegro upset triple Olympic champion 16-15. It was Serbia’s opening match of the Division I World Cup series in Bucharest and it ultimately led to the nation’s non-appearance at the finals series. Montenegro went 3-0 ahead and was 6-2 and 8-3 up before shooting to 11-4 a minute into the third period. It became 14-6 before Serbia awoke from its Olympic slumber and scored the next five. Goals were traded to 16-13 with Nikola Lukic and Gladovic scoring, but too late at 0:18 with the last. It was a wake-up call for the Serbs.