Montenegro defeated Russia 3-2 in a sudden-death penalty shootout to headline day two action. Host nation Croatia was pressed all the way by a resolute Malta despite the 3-0 margin, which was the scoreline in the other six matches.
Overview
The highlight of the day was the Montenegro-Russia encounter that needed seven successful penalty shots before Montenegro collected the spoils 3-2.
Croatia beat Malta 3-0, Japan outclassed Mongolia in three mercy rulings; Bulgaria downed Georgia 3-0, United States of America bested Lithuania 3-0, Aussie crushed Saudi Arabia 3-0, Serbia blasted Hong Kong China I 3-0 and Spain delivered the knockout punch to Hong Kong China II 3-0.
Serbia, Spain and Croatia have the maximum six points with Montenegro, Japan, USA and Australia filling the top eight.
Match Reports
Match 9, JAPAN 3 MONGOLIA 0 (8-0, 8-0, 8-0)
Japan did not need the full five minutes of every quarter, evoking the mercy rule at eight goals per set. Japan stole, sprinted and scored goals swiftly, leaving Mongolia in its wake. All Mongolia could hope for is getting the ball faster than the scorer could return up field. The Mongolian goalkeeper took three shots to no avail and many of his team’s shot lacked power enough to get across the line. It was a brutal second day at the office for the northern Asians.
Match Heroes
Shotaro Yamada scored six, Yuya Nakayama five, Ryosuke Aizawa four and Shota Inoue three for Japan. Goalkeeper Hideki Mitari made 12 saves.
Stats Don’t Lie
Everything favoured Japan, although missing one of two on penalty and taking 32 shots to 13 at a 75 per cent average. Japan scored five on counter and many fast breaks as 17 goals came from action.
Match 10, GEORGIA 0 BULGARIA 3 (2-4, 2-3, 1-3)
Georgia needed a golden goal on penalty in the early morning shadows to settle the second set, which was levelled at two. The play restarted and when Bulgaria gained an exclusion, it was the fourth major foul of the period and a penalty had to be taken, being scored by Aleksandar Velkov to win the set 3-2 and go two up. He scored the final goal of the first set to win 4-2. In the third, it was much more sedate with Bulgaria taking control, stymying Georgia’s attack and winning the set 3-1.
Match Heroes
Velkov dropped in five goals for Bulgaria while Davit Chkheidze scored twice for Georgia and captain/goalkeeper Beka Kapanadze made 10 saves.
Stats Don’t Lie
Bulgaria made one from three on extra and Georgia one from four. Georgia converted three from six on penalties. Bulgaria shot at 41 per cent in amassing 24 shots to 18.
Match 11, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 3 LITHUANIA 0 (4-2, 4-2, 5-1)
USA bounced back from its first-day loss to Russia to go three sets to love against Lithuania. Aurimas Jonkus scored the first two goals for Lithuania but JP Ohl broke the deadlock to get USA ahead. USA captain Max Irving nailed his second, rising high above the goalkeeper, for 4-2 at 0:24. Lithuania had a penalty shot rejected and USA settled for the set win. Lithuania missed a second penalty attempt at the top of the second set as did USA at the other end. Lithuanian captain Jan Bakulo turned centre forward swiftly for the opening goal and Irvine replied from deep left. Goals were traded and USA’s Stefan Vavic countered for what would become the 4-2 set winner. Captain Marco Vavic scored three of the first four USA goals with Lithuania gaining just the one to Bakulo on extra.
Match Heroes
Marco Vavic and Irving for USA with three each. Jonkus and Bakulo netted twice each for Lithuania.
Stats Don’t Lie
USA scored all four goals on extra and Lithuania one. USA missed one penalty attempt and Lithuania two. The shooting was low at 18 to 13 and USA made nine goals on action.
Match 12, AUSTRALIA 3 SAUDI ARABIA 0 (3-0, 5-1, 4-2)
Australia scored a second victory in downing Saudi Arabia in three sets. Griffin Woodhouse snared a wonderful centre-forward goal and goalkeeper Tian Markart denied the Saudis a penalty score late in the first set, won 3-0. Koby Gilchrist started the second set on counter and Woodhouse converted extra in quick time setting up a 5-1 period in which Malak Shrahily found himself free in front of goal for his team’s first strike. The third was all Australia until 22 seconds from time when Hussain Ali Asiri scored a double goal after Australia sent up four field players, had the ball stolen, passed back to the goalkeeper, who fired the length of the pool for 4-2.
Match Heroes
Joey Gallagher and Gilchrist made three each and goalkeeper Makart pulled in 10 saves.
Stats Don’t Lie
Australia converted one from two on extra and Saudi Arabia missed its one chance. Australia scored two from three on penalty, scored five action goals and three on counters.
Match 13, SERBIA 3 HONG KONG CHINA I 0 (3-2, 6-1, 5-3)
Serbia had a sterner encounter compared with the rout of Mongolia the day before. Serbia started the scoring early through captain Miroslav Randic. Hong Kong replied on penalty; Randic scored again as Serbia went to 3-1; Hong Kong securing a bonus penalty shot-goal inside the final minute for 3-2 in the first set. Serbia surged to 5-0 in the second set before Hong Kong made the board, on extra, with Filip Coric ending the scoring for 6-1. Hong Kong had a 2-1 lead in the third set with Hei Chun Cheng hitting the post on penalty before countering for the second goal. Hong Kong held that advantage until the last minute when Serbia levelled through Petar Jovic from the top, went ahead through Coric from the left wing and Petar Stanic closing the match in unusual circumstances. Players were leaving the pool when the match had to resume at nine seconds with Serbia choosing a penalty shot or retention of the ball. Serbia controlled the ball and when Stanic was attacked by the goalkeeper inside the half, Stanic shot and scored on the buzzer. Serbia had the match 3-0.
Match Heroes
Aleksandar Kovacevic and Coric scored four apiece and Randic three for Serbia. Tsz Ching nailed four goals for Hong Kong.
Stats Don’t Lie
Serbia converted all five extra-man plays to two from five; scored one penalty goal while Hong Kong missed one of three. The shots were 25-22 and surprisingly, all five counters by Serbia were blocked with Hong Kong goalkeeper Yeu Liu making eight saves.
Match 14, SPAIN 3 HONG KONG CHINA II 0 (8-0, 7-2, 4-1)
Spain added to its win over Bulgaria on day one with an emphatic victory. Spain had two in the bag by the end of the first minute; converted two extra plays; a five-metre goal and two centre-forward goals. When Edgar Estevez scored from wide left at 0:34, it brought in the mercy rule of 8-0 and the set was over. Cheuk Cheung converted extra to start the second set. Albert Sabadell equalised on extra and Spain moved to 3-1 via an Estevez extra play. Anthony Ng lobbed from inside the half for 3-2 and Max Casabella and Roberto Valera on extra had Spain 5-2 up at 0:59. A late pair lifted that to 7-2. Casabella opened the third set at 3:45 on counter. At 2:01, Hong Kong gained an extra play and Ho Tsang converted. Sabadell also converted extra, for 4-1 and the victory.
Match Heroes
Sabadell finished with five goals and triples to Estevez, Valera and Casabella for Spain.
Stats Don’t Lie
Spain destroyed Hong Kong on extra with seven successful conversions, stopping two of four. Spain had 24 shots to 11 and five goals from the hole position.
Match 15, MONTENEGRO 3 RUSSIA 2 in sudden-death penalty shootout. (0-2, 3-2, 1-5, 5-4. Pens: 4-3)
Croatia had to win the last set and the shootout for a second success in Dubrovnik. Roman Shepelev made the breakthrough at 2:11, walking in from the top to score the first goal. Daniil Pronin scored from the right wing for 2-0 at 1:35, gifting the first set to Russia. Danilo Radovic began the second set on penalty and Luka Murisic converted extra from the left side of the pool for 2-0 in Montenegro’s favour. Russia equalised at 2:27 on counter. Miljan Boskovic also countered, at 1:49, the final score of the set. Roman Usov and Shepelev gave Russia a 2-0 advantage in the third set. Radovic threw one in from five metres but Shepelev on action and Petr Fedotov scored a double goal in the last three seconds when Montenegrin goalkeeper/captain Lazar Andric came up to halfway and bounced the ball over the goal. Fedotov calculated the shot and scored the double and Russia had two sets in the bin, forcing a fourth set. Murisic opened the fourth on extra and added another for 2-1. Konstantin Sheikin countered for 2-2 and gave up a penalty foul soon after, which Radovic converted. Goals were traded and Pronin levelled at 4-4 at 1:14. With 27 seconds left on the clock, Radovic speared in a penalty goal for 5-4, the set victory and the need for penalties to decide the winner. In the three-shot rotation, all scored, forcing sudden death. Boskovic scored and Sheiken had his saved, giving the match to Montenegro.
Match Heroes
Radovic netted four and Murisic three for Montenegro. Shepelev banged in four for Russia.
Stats Don’t Lie
Montenegro converted two from four on extra and Russia two from three. Montenegro converted four from six on penalty and Russia missed one. Russia took 35 shots to 26 and won the counters four to one.
Match 16, CROATIA 3 MALTA 0 (4-3, 6-5, 4-2)
Croatia came up against a determined Malta and the statistics show just how close this encounter was. The first set was decided on the buzzer; the second at 0:26 and the third at 0:40. Malta opened the first set but needed to level at two through Russell Caruana on extra at 2:00. Goals were traded for 3-3 by 1:02 and the magic happened for Croatia when Ivan Vukojevic converted extra off an angled pass and he shot from the left-post position milliseconds ahead of the buzzer for 4-3. There were two trades in the second set with Alec Fenech countering at 3:19. Roko Pelicaric converted a bonus penalty shot and Liam Galea equalised on extra. Pelicaric netted two penalty goals for 5-4. Stevie Camilleri levelled on extra and Pelicarac drilled another penalty goal at 0:26 for the 6-5 set. Fenech scored twice for Malta by 3:10 in the third set for 2-2. Pelicarac took a five-metre shot and then a score on action at 1:16 for 4-2. Despite a Maltese timeout, no further goals came and Croatia had the victory in hand.
Match Heroes
Pelicaric finished with six goals and Toni Busic three for the host nation. Fenech was best for Malta with four goals and Jake Tanti made eight saves in goal.
Stats Don’t Lie
These are excellent stats. On extra, Croatia buried five and Malta three. On penalties, Croatia netted four and Malta one. Neither teams missed any. The shots went the way of Croatia 28-24.
Progress Points
Serbia 6, Spain 6, Croatia 6, Montenegro 5, Japan 4, USA 4, Australia 4, Bulgaria 3, Russia 3, Georgia 3, Malta 2, Hong Kong China I 2, Lithuania 0, Hong Kong China II 0, Saudi Arabia 0, Mongolia 0.
Day 3 Schedule
Match 17. 09:50. Bulgaria v Hong Kong China I
Match 18. 10:40, Mongolia v Hong Kong China II
Match 19. 11:30. Saudi Arabia v Russia
Match 20. 13:10. Lithuania v Malta
Match 21. 14:50. Serbia v Georgia
Match 22. 16:30. Spain v Japan
Match 23. 18:10. Montenegro v Australia
Match 24. 19:00. Croatia v United States of America