Overview

Croatia, Georgia, Serbia, Spain and Montenegro gained maximum points while Malta, Russia and Hong Kong China I needed penalty shootouts to overcome their opposition.

The action was frantic in every match and Lithuania and Mongolia were welcomed to the world stage in a pool with a wall as one backdrop and the boat-laden Old Harbour as the other.

Spectators were watching double goals, touch-and-go re-entries, only one referee, three-shot shootouts, five-minute periods, something they were most unfamiliar with in this new concept.

Match 1, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 2 RUSSIA  3 in penalty shootout. FT: 2-2. Pens:  2-3. (3-4, 4-2, 5-4, 0-4)

Russia goes into history as the first winner of the 4x4 Worlds competition, needing a penalty shootout after winning the first and fourth sets but dropping the middle two. Each team took a “helicopter” shot in the festive-style match but it was dead serious from the start. Russia had a disastrous day at the penalty line while USA had trouble finding the cage with shots hitting wood or going wide in the final quarter. Max Irving left the match early on four major fouls after delivering a hat-trick. Roman Usov was particularly devastating with his shooting.

Match Heroes
Usov scored six for Russia and goalkeeper Petr Fedatov made 11 saves. For USA, captain Stefan Vavic scored four; Marko Vavic and Irving three each. Goalkeeper Christopher Whitelegge stopped 10 shots.

Stats Don’t Lie
Both teams converted two from three on extra; USA made all three penalty attempts and Russia just one from five. Russia shot 37 times to 32.

Match 2, CLUB JAPAN 2 HONG KONG CHINA I 3 in penalty shootout. FT: 2-2. Pens: 0-2 (6-1, 3-2, 1-3, 2-3)

Club Japan bounded out of the blocks for a 6-1 opening set but needed to come back from 2-0 down in the second set to win 3-2 in a matter of one minute. Hong Kong controlled the rest of the match and converted both penalty goals in the shootout after Japan sent one wide and had the second saved. There are just three shots in the shootouts before going to sudden death, if required.

Match Heroes
Captain Hei Man Cheng slotted four goals for Hong Kong. Japan’s Shotara Yamada and captain Atsushi Arai also scored four each.

Stats Don’t Lie
Both teams shot two from three on extra; Japan scored three penalty goals and Hong Kong two. Japan shot 29 to 24.

Match 3, GEORGIA 3 HONG KONG CHINA II 0 (6-2, 5-2, 4-2)

Georgia was on the front foot and scored its last three goals of the first set inside a minute. Hong Kong started first in the second but could not find a way through until just inside the final minute as Georgia came home with five goals. It was similar for Hong Kong in the third while Georgia scored two on counter and two on extra, showing that field goals were hard to come by in the choppy water.

Match Heroes
Davit Chkheidze and Giorgi Meskhi scored four each and Davit Kikialeishvili three for Georgia. Jason Ho and Cheuk Hei Cheung fired in a triple each for Hong Kong.

Stats Don’t Lie
Georgia converted four from five on extra and Hong Kong two from five. Georgia missed two of three penalty attempts and Hong Kong put away two. Both teams took 24 shots.

Match 4, AUSTRALIA 2 MALTA 3 in penalty shootout. FT: 2-2. Pens: 1-2. (3-4, 3-2, 3-2, 0-5)

Malta came good with a solid final quarter to force the shootout, which it won two goals to one. Australia seemed to have control in the middle stages but Malta lifted to another level in the final quarter, blocking out the Aussies and Alec Fenech scoring on penalty and finishing with a double goal (two points) midway through the fourth set. Australia held on to the lead in each of the middle sets for the last minute. In the final set, Australia managed only four shots as the Maltese took nine and scored five.

Match Heroes
Fenech fired in four goals and Sam Gialanze three for Malta. Jake Tanti stopped 12 shots in goal. Mitch Robinson scored four goals for the Aussies and Tian Markart made 16 saves.

Stats Don’t Lie
Australia made five from seven and Malta two from five on extra. Malta scored two penalty goals while Australia took 28 shots to 24.

Match 5, SERBIA 3 MONGOLIA 0 (8-0, 8-0, 9-1)

It was a fierce introduction to international water polo at this level for the Mongolians whose sole goal came on action halfway through the third set to Ulziltuguldur Chuluunbaatar. Serbia was too strong all over and well experienced, to boot. Serbian goalkeeper Radosav Virijevic also joined in the scoring with a double goal. His next attempt soon after failed to find the mark.

Match Heroes
Aleksandar Kovacevic nailed six goals with Aleksa Petrovski hitting five, Petar Stanic four and Djorde Ljubenovic three.

Stats Don’t Lie
The stats say it all as there were no extra plays, just action and three from four on penalty for the Serbs, who missed only three attempts overall, allowing the Mongolians to shoot six times.

Match 6, SPAIN 3 BULGARIA 0 (2-0, 4-3, 6-1)

Spain scored twice — extra and penalty — midway through the first period and missed another penalty attempt. Roberto Valera scored twice to start the second set. Captain Pavel Pelov levelled at three on extra with set winner coming from Oscar Ascensio on the buzzer. Spain had it wrapped up at 6-0 in the third before Aleksandar Velkov converted extra with 11 seconds left on the clock.

Match Heroes
Valera and Max Casabella scored a hat-trick each for Spain. Velkov was the only double scorer for Bulgaria while goalkeeper Mladen Dimitrov stopped 10 shots in goal.

Stats Don’t Lie
Spain made two from two and Bulgaria three from seven on extra. Spain missed two of its five penalty attempts and Bulgaria one from two. The shots went 25-22 to Spain.

Match 7, MONTENEGRO 3 LITHUANIA 0 (4-1, 4-0, 4-3)

Montenegro made sure Lithuania’s debut on the world stage was memorable, but not for the right reasons. It was a straight-sets loss but the northern Europeans were not disgraced, making the Montenegrins work for their goals. It was 1-1 midway through the first set before Montenegro pulled away. It was the same in the second set until Luka Murisic scored a double goal with Danilo Radovic scoring from centre forward, four seconds from time to secure the period at 4-0. For a third straight set, it was 1-1 midway through the third before Radovic countered, setting the ball rolling and finalising all scoring on action in the last second for his seven-goal haul.

Match Heroes
Radovic smashed home seven goals for Montenegro. Aurimas Jonkus and captain Jan Bakulo scored twice each for Lithuania. Goalkeeper Skirmantas Motuzas made nine saves in goal.

Stats Don’t Lie
Montenegro converted three from five on extra and Lithuania one from three. On penalties, Montenegro missed one of two and Lithuania made its one chance. The shots went Montenegro’s way 25-18.

Match 8, CROATIA 3 SAUDI ARABIA 0 (7-1, 6-1, 7-0)

Croatia needed just the three sets to set aside Saudi Arabia in a darkened pool with a packed house. Croatia made it look easy but easy shots went begging, thanks to the defence. Croatia looked sharper on counter. Roko Pelicaric scored an impossible shot in the third set from halfway while heavily defended, proving his worth with his seven-goal tally. Faisal Alhindas scored his team sole action goal at 6-1 in the first set.

Match Heroes
Pelicaric scored seven from nine; Nardo Dragas made five from six and Ivan Vukojevic four from six, showing their accuracy.

Stats Don’t Lie
Croatia converted two from three on extra and Saudi Arabia one from two. On penalties, Croatia converted four from five and on shots, led 29-15. Croatia scored six action shots and six on counter.

Progress Points

Croatia 3, Serbia 3, Spain 3, Georgia 3, Montenegro 3, Russia 2, Malta 2, Hong Kong China I 2, Australia 1, Japan 1, USA 1, Bulgaria 0, Hong Kong China II 0, Lithuania 0, Mongolia 0, Saudi Arabia 0.

Day 2 Schedule

Match 09. 09:50. Japan v Mongolia
Match 10. 10:40, Georgia v Bulgaria
Match 11. 11:30. United States of America v Lithuania
Match 12. 13:10. Australia v Saudi Arabia
Match 13. 14:50. Serbia v Hong Kong China 1
Match 14. 16:30. Spain v Hong Kong China 2
Match 15. 18:10. Montenegro v Russia
Match 16. 19:00. Croatia v Malta