Spain and Croatia unbeaten in men’s 4x4

Overview

Spain and Croatia needed a fourth set to assert their authority in their respective matches, Spain beating Japan 3-1 and Croatia downing United States of America, also 3-1.

But it was Georgia’s penalty-shootout win over Serbia that had most tongues wagging. Georgia was dominant in the first two sets and Serbia well on top of the second two to enforce the penalties.

Bulgaria defeated Hong Kong China I 3-2 in a sudden-death penalty shootout; Malta eclipsed Lithuania 3-1 and Montenegro downed Australia 3-1.

Of the 3-0 victories, Hong Kong China II sent off Mongolia and Russia had the better of Saudi Arabia.

Match Reports

Match 17, BULGARIA 3 HONG KONG CHINA I 2 in sudden-death penalty shootout. (3-4, 6-4, 6-8, 7-3, Pens: 5-4)

Bulgaria came back from 2-1 down to beat Hong Kong China I 3-2 after a sudden-death penalty shootout. Bulgaria started the scoring, Hong Kong equalised soon after and Bulgaria raced to 3-1. In the last 1:21, Hong Kong had the ascendancy and scored three goals with the equaliser coming on penalty and the 4-3 winner from wide left off the arm of captain Hei Man Cheng inside the final second. Hei Chun Cheng scored the opening two goals of the second set. Bulgaria squared the set at three after scoring three go-ahead goals for 6-4. Vladimir Stankov netted his third goal to begin the third set but Hong Kong went 3-1 up, 4-3, 5-3, 6-4, 7-5 and invoked the mercy rule when Kong Fung converted a penalty goal for 8-6 with 12 seconds remaining. The fourth period was also dynamic with Bulgaria needing a win to force a shootout. Georgi Pangovski led the Bulgarian charge on extra, followed by Aleksandar Velkov for 2-1. Fung scored on extra but Velkov and Aleksandar Pelov increased the margin to three. Hong Kong hit the post on penalty and had the rebound saved. Velkov and Gilman Choi traded goals. A Stankov pair made it 7-2 by 1:45. Choi scored a consolation penalty goal at 1:32 and neither team could add to their tallies, sending the match to penalties. The three-shot rotation went without a miss as the match went to sudden death. The first two shots were successful but Hong Kong’s Tsz Ching had his attempt saved and Aleksandar Pelov converted for a 3-2 victory after a 5-4 penalty shootout.

Match Heroes
Stankov, Pangovski and Velkov with five goals each; Pavel Pelov with four and Aleksandar Pelov hitting three for Bulgaria. Choi struck five for Hong Kong and Tze Zhang and Cheng three apiece.

Stats Don’t Lie
Bulgaria smashed in seven from eight on extra and Hong Kong six from six. Bulgaria managed three from four on penalty and Hong Kong five from seven. The shooting was high at 37-35. On action, Bulgaria snared 11 goals to six.

Match 18, MONGOLIA 0 HONG KONG CHINA II 3 (1-8, 0-8, 1-9)

Hong Kong China II collected its first victory and what an emphatic success this was with three magnificent sets. Hong Kong was out to be another to drub Mongolia and the first quarter went well, shooting out to 7-0 before Bat-Orgil Battur scored from out top for Mongolia at 0:43. Hong Kong took it to 8-1 by 0:16. The second set was a foregone conclusion with Hong Kong bringing up the mercy rule of 8-0, 25 seconds from the buzzer. The third set was a photocopy of the first with Mongolia scoring at 1:38 through Sugar-Ochir Tsamba on a skip shot from the right and Hong Kong surging to 9-1 by 0:25, bringing up the mercy rule to win 3-0.

Match Heroes
Anthony Ng hammered home seven goals, Matthew Lee five, Jason Ho four with Cheuk Hei Cheung and Leong Chen with a hat-trick each.

Stats Don’t Lie
Hong Kong scored the only extra-man goal; netted two penalties from three attempts and took the shots with an incredible 36-16. The action shots favoured Hong Kong 19 to two.

Match 19, SAUDI ARABIA  0 RUSSIA 3 (0-5, 0-6, 1-6)

Russia rebounded from its penalty shootout loss to Montenegro on day two with an unequivocal 3-0 trouncing of Saudi Arabia. Konstantin Sheikin scored on extra to start Russia’s winning streak. Roman Usov scored the next two with the second from the top. Stepan Barabushka scored from a five-metre foul and off a cross pass for 5-0, which held until the buzzer. Roman Shepelev from deep left on extra; Usov from the other side on extra had Russia two up in just over a minute. Bogdan Komarov scored from either side of the pool for 4-0 and then from deep left. Sheikin converted extra from in front on extra for 6-0. Komarov and Sheikin both had shots rejected as the set ended at 6-0. Faisal Alhindas scored Saudi’s first goal on counter at 3:00 in the third set for 1-1. Sheikin and Komarov pushed it out to 3-1 before Komarov scored from the penalty line at 1:13. Sheikin converted a penalty after four Saudi team fouls in the set for 5-1. Barabushka accepted a cross pass to an empty cage for 6-1 at 0:15 and the match victory.

Match Heroes
Komarov with five goals; Sheikin on four with Barabushka and Usov netting three apiece for Russia.

Stats Don’t Lie
Russia scored four from six on extra and converted two from three on penalty and shot 27 to 18. It also scored seven action goals to none.

Match 20, LITHUANIA 1 MALTA 3 (0-4, 2-3, 3-2, 3-5)

Malta won for the second time, gaining three points after the shootout victory over Australia on day one (two points). The only hiccup today was the third set where Lithuania’s captain Jan Bakulo pulled out the winner on penalty 37 seconds from the buzzer. The 4-0 opening five minutes set the scene for the victory and the 3-2 second set was won 30 seconds from time when Stevie Camilleri went on counter. Malta was 2-0 up in the third through Alec Fenech on penalty and Liam Galea on extra. Aurimas Jonkus scored from five metres at 2:03 and again at 1:46 on counter to level. Camilleri had his bonus penalty shot (for four opposition major fouls in the set) saved with Bakulo nailing his attempt for the set win, forcing a fourth set. Lithuania started the scoring before Sam Gialanze netted twice and Galea punching the score to 3-1. Fenech missed a penalty attempt, Camilleri went on counter for 4-1 with Jonkus from five meters and Bakulo on counter narrowing it to one at 1:28. A Maltese timeout yielded an exclusion and penalty foul on Julius Gostutas; Galea hitting the last nail in the coffin with the 5-3 conversion and ultimate victory.

Match Heroes
Malta’s Liam Galea amassed six goals and Sam Gialanze four. Aurimas Jonkus scored four for Lithuania and goalkeeper Skirmantas Motuzas made a heroic 13 saves.

Stats Don’t Lie
Malta led the way on extra with four from five and stopping two of three. On penalties, Malta made two from four and Lithuania one from two. Malta shot more at 34-27.

Match 21, SERBIA 2 GEORGIA 3 in penalty shootout. (2-3, 2-6, 5-2, 5-2. Pens: 1-3)

Georgia pulled one out of the bag by beating Serbia in a major competition. It came down to the penalty shootout in a match of two halves with Georgia in control for the first two sets and Serbia resoundingly up for the fight in the next two. Petar Stanic and Aleksa Petrovski began the Serbian charge in the first set only for Georgia to level through Davit Chkheidze on penalty and Saba Matchavariani converted extra at 0:46 to secure the set. Chkheidze started the second set with a five-metre missile and scored go-ahead goals until 3-2. Then Giorgi Meskhi claimed a double goal from just inside his half. Chkheidze countered at 1:07 and Georgia was totally in charge at 6-2 and two sets up. Aleksandar Kovacevic on counter and Filip Coric from five metres gave Serbia the third-set lead it desperately needed. Petar Jovic scored a double goal off a five-metre foul a metre into his half. The 4-1 margin held until 1:22 when it became 5-1 thanks to captain Miroslav Randic. A Georgian reply was not enough and a fourth set was required. Stanic and Kovacevic took Serbia to 2-0 and Stanic made it 3-0 before Georgia could reply. Petrovski pushed it out to 4-1 and Coric 5-2 at 1:01, enough to force the shootout. Georgia shot first and put away all three attempts. However, Randic had his attempt bounce into the left post and Coric was perfect but there are only three shots in the rotation and Georgia had a historic victory.

Match Heroes
Chkheidze scored four and goalkeeper Beka Kapanadze made nine saves for Georgia. Serbia’s Petar Stanic grabbed four goals.

Stats Don’t Lie
Georgia scored three from six on extra and Serbia two from six. Georgia missed one of two penalty attempts and Serbia fired in both chances. Georgia came good on overall shots at 30-20.

Match 22, SPAIN 3 JAPAN 1 (4-0, 5-1, 2-6, 9-3)

Spain won its third match but the first to go to four sets and Spain now Japan has one win, one penalty shootout loss and a loss. Japan could not get into the picture in the first set and took until the last minute of the second to get on the scoreboard. It was amazing then that it won the third set by a four-goal margin. This it did with a three-goal burst before Oscar Blasco replied for Spain on extra. Max Casabella converted a five-metre shot but Shotaro Yamada made it 4-2, sending Spain to a timeout. It earned a bonus penalty foul but Casabella failed to pick the ball up properly and  the ball moved around to Japanese goalkeeper Hideki Mitani who threw the ball long to score on the buzzer, sending the match to a fourth set. Casabella on penalty and Yuya Nakayama on extra began the trade in the fourth set. Blasco on extra and Edgar Estevez on penalty put Spain in the box seat at 3-1. Nakayama and Blasco swapped penalty goals by 2:11. Albert Sabadell scored on extra and penalty for 6-2 as the writing was well and truly on the wall. Oscar Asensio and Casabella, on penalty, shifted the emphasis to Spain at 8-2 by 0:54. Goals were exchanged in the last 33 seconds and Spain was the overall winner.

Match Heroes
Sabadell rattled in five goals, Casabella four and three each to Asensio and Blasco for Spain. Didac Garcia made 12 saves in goal. For Japan, Nakayama and Yamada scored a brace each.

Stats Don’t Lie
Spain converted four from six and blocked four from five. Spain scored an unbelievable seven from eight on penalty to Japan’s two. The shots favoured Spain 31-23.

Match 23, MONTENEGRO 3 AUSTRALIA 1 (3-0, 2-3, 3-2, 6-1)

Montenegro gained a third win. The first was 3-0, the second 3-2 in a shootout and tonight 3-1 under lights. It took three minutes for the first goal to come Montenegro’s way and a further two minutes before the second came off the arm of Tadija  Matijasevic. Danilo Radovic speared in the third at 0:34. Patrick Dart scored the Aussies’ first goal at 3:57 in the second set. Miljan Boskovic responded at 2:14 and Koby Gilchrist converted the bonus penalty goal at 0:57. Radovic wasted no time, gaining a penalty goal four seconds later to level. Joey Gallagher converted extra for 3-2 and held on for the last 21 seconds to guarantee a fourth period. Thomas Ophir converted extra to start the third set at 3:32 for Australia with Radovic scoring from in front soon after. Australia’s bonus penalty shot hit the post. Matijasevic had his penalty attempt saved. Luka Murisic and Aussie captain Daniel Kerr exchanged goals for 2-2 at 0:17. With golden goal threatening, Radovic came good with the bonus penalty goal ,six seconds from time for the set win. Radovic and two Matijasevic goals set the pace in the fourth set. Gilchrist scored from centre, but Matijasevic buried the fourth goal at 0:47. Goalkeeper Lazar Andric took the long shot before the buzzer for a double goal and 6-1 for the set and 3-1 for the match.

Match Heroes
Radovic netted five and Matijasevic four while captain/goalkeeper Andric made 12 saves for Montenegro. Gilchrist was the sole two-goal player for the Aussies. 

Stats Don’t Lie
Montenegro scored a magnificent seven from eight on extra and stopping four from seven. Montenegro missed two of three from the penalty line and Australia its only chance. Total shots went to Montenegro 34-27.

Match 24, CROATIA 3 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1 (4-2, 5-4, 3-5, 4-3)

Croatia needed a fourth set to continue its winning streak with USA the toughest opponent yet. Stefan Vavic opened the scoring at 2:38 with Ivan Vukojevic replying on extra seven seconds later. Max Irving countered to keep USA in front with Nardo Dragas converting a penalty foul for 2-2.Dragas netted extra and later Roko Pelicaric converted the bonus penalty shot to take out the first set. Irving opened the second set on penalty with Stefan Vavic countering for 2-0. Vukojevic on extra and Pelicaric on the bonus penalty, levelled. Vukojevic and Marko Vavic swapped goals. Pelicaric scored on extra at 0:49; Irving converted his penalty attempt at 0:20 to end the period at 4-4, sending it to golden goal. USA started and lost the ball at centre, Vukojevic snapped up the ball, swam the length and was dragged down in front of goal, earning a penalty foul. Dragas converted to win the set 5-4. Marko Vavic opened the third; goals were traded twice with Vukojevic in the mix and by 1:47 Marko Vavic countered for 4-2. Irving was the next to counter, for 5-2 at 0:47. Vukojevic scored from a five-metre foul at 0:14 but too little, too late. Dragas, Vukojevic and Pelicaric on counter had the Croatian crowd happy with 3-0 by 2:57. Irving slotted the bonus penalty shot and a penalty soon after to narrow the score to one. Vukojevic converted the extra after Irving was sent for the match on four major fouls. Marko Vavic had USA in sight on extra at 1:51, but neither side could improve the score and Croatia had the victory in hand.

Match Heroes
Vukojevic netted a match-high seven goals; Pelicaric made five and Dragas four.  USA’s senior captain Max Irving blasted home six goals and 4x4 captain Marko Vavic four. Goalkeeper Christopher Whitelegge pulled in 10 saves.

Stats Don’t Lie 
Croatia converted six form nine on extra and stopped six from 10. Croatia made two and USA three on penalty. The shots finished at 33-32.

Progress Points

Spain 9, Croatia 9, Montenegro 8, Serbia 7, Russia 6, Bulgaria 5, Malta 5, Georgia 5,  Japan 4, USA 4, Australia 4, Hong Kong China II 3, Hong Kong China I 3, Lithuania 0, Saudi Arabia 0, Mongolia 0.

Day 4 Schedule

Match 17. 09:50. Bulgaria v Hong Kong China 1
Match 18. 10:40, Mongolia v Hong Kong China 2
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