Croatia remains the only unbeaten team after the preliminary league phase with quarterfinals beckoning leading finishers Croatia, Spain, Serbia, Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Montenegro and the United States of America.
Overview
Leading nation Spain was beaten for the first time in a penalty shootout by Serbia 3-2 as the top teams jostled for positions ahead of Friday’s quarterfinals. Spain sits in second place and Serbia now in three.
Bulgaria is ranked fifth after thumping Mongolia 3-0; Georgia finished sixth after downing Japan 3-0; USA defeated Australia 3-0 for eighth position; Russia ended fourth with a 3-0 win over 10th-ranked Malta and Croatia finished top with a clean sheet, needing a fourth set to beat seventh-placed Montenegro 3-1.
In lower-ranked matches, Lithuania buried Saudi Arabia 3-0 and in the battle of the two Hong Kong China teams, No 1 beat No 2 3-0 with a 7-6 final set.
Match Reports
Match 25, MONGOLIA 0 BULGARIA 3 (0-8, 1-9, 2-10)
Bulgaria made short shrift of Mongolia, going three sets with a mercy rule applied in each after reaching an eight-goal difference. The first ended at 1:54, the second at 1:59 and the third at 1:25. Bulgaria beat Georgia and Georgia dumped Serbia on Thursday, so, a third victory in four matches is worthy for the Europeans. Mongolia scored three goals, mostly just after Bulgaria scored and the goalkeeper loosed the ball toward the overlap.
Match Heroes
Veselin Ganchev scored a tournament-high nine goals, Georgi Pangovski notched seven, Aleksandar Velkov four and Vladimir Dimitrov three goals for Bulgaria.
Stats Don’t Lie
Bulgaria scored eight from eight on extra and shot 30 to five. Enough said.
Match 26, LITHUANIA 3 SAUDI ARABIA 0 (4-0, 4-0, 4-3)
Lithuania collected its first victory in Dubrovnik, having better skills and better positioning on attack but needed a golden goal in the third set to make sure it did not go to four. Captain Jan Bakulo had his first penalty shot rejected and his rebound shot suffered the same fate after his team had a 2-0 lead. Ernestas Pumputis nailed his penalty attempt while Saudi Arabia missed its first chance. Aurimas Jonkus scored from the right wing, which was enough to win the first set 4-0. Bakulo scored off the first attack and again a minute later. Pumputis converted a penalty for 3-0 and Jonkus closed the set at 4-0 with a twisting motion in front of goal. Saudi Arabia made it hard for Lithuania to find the net in the third set, but gave up a penalty foul at 3:05 for Julius Gostautas to convert. Faisal Alhindas took a five-metre shot successfully for 1-1. Pumputis made it short-lived with a score on penalty. Bakulo worked around into the goalkeeper’s face to score for 3-1 at 2:11. Alhindas countered for his second goal at 1:34 and at 0:51, sniffing a chance, Saudi Arabia called a timeout. It eventually worked out as Lithuania had two shots stopped and a series of passes later, Abbas Aljazzar had the ball in the net with two seconds left, forcing golden goal. Lithuania gained a penalty foul and Bakulo converted to win the period 4-3 and the match 3-0.
Match Heroes
Captain Bakulo scored five goals and Pumputis three for Lithuania. Much can be said of Saudi goalkeeper Ali Hussain who stopped numerous point-blank shots.
Stats Don’t Lie
Lithuania converted both extra chances and Saudi Arabia missed one. Four goals from five penalty attempts went the way of Lithuania and the Saudis missed one. The shot swere a flattering 27-14 favouring Lithuania.
Match 27, HONG KONG CHINA I 3 HONG KONG CHINA II 0 (4-2, 4-2, 7-6)
This was a grudge match between two very active teams and a revelation in Dubrovnik. The final set showed just how close these teams are. The first goal came at 3:09 through Hei Man Cheng on extra for the “One” team. Hei Chun Cheng scored the second on extra. Tsz Zhang took it to 3-0, also adding another on extra. Leong Chan struck for the “Two” team on extra and Gilman Choi took the bonus penalty shot to win the period 4-2. It was much the same in the second set with the 4-2 mark coming at 1:54 when captain Jason Ho responded on action for the Two team after Tsz Ching took the bonus penalty shot for the Ones. In the third set, Tsz Zhang opened on penalty for the Ones and Ho responded. Zhang scored again with Ho Tsang replying on the next attack. Hei Man Cheng made it 4-3 at 2:15 and he scored again on penalty at 1:44 for a handsome 5-3 advantage. Hei Man Cheng converted penalty and action for 7-3 with Anthony Ng countering at 0:35. Ho and Chan brought it to within one (7-6) on the buzzer, a little too late to force a fourth set.
Match Heroes
Tsz Zhang grabbed six goals for the Ones and Hei Man Cheng five. Ho, Ng, Cheuk Hei Cheung and Chan all scored a brace for the Twos.
Stats Don’t Lie
The ones were superb on extra with five from six compared to two from three. The Ones smashed in five penalty goals with the Two missing one from three. The shots went 24-21 to the Ones.
Match 28, RUSSIA 3 MALTA 0 (4-2, 2-1, 3-2)
Russia elevated itself to the quarterfinals with a solid, low-scoring victory over Malta. Malta held the early lead at 2-1 before Roman Shepelev equalised at 2:01. Bogdan Komarov took a five-metre shot and with 17 seconds remaining, slotted another from the same spot for 4-2. As with many matches it takes time to get the first goal of a set. Roman Usov made his at 3:14 and it was not until 0:44 that Alec Fenech responded. Daniil Pronin immediately replied and Russia had the second set at 2-1. Stevie Camilleri took a five-metre shot to start the third set with Stepan Barabushka replying at 2:48. He scored another at 1:43 with Usov backing him up for 3-1. Julian Valletta narrowed it to one but even a Maltese timeout could not gain the leveller, hitting the post on the extra play and Russia had it in three sets.
Match Heroes
Barabushka, Usov and Komarov with two each for Russia. Camilleri scored twice for Malta.
Stats Don’t Lie
There were some tired stats. Russia missed one on extra and Malta three. Malta missed two penalty shots and Malta led the shooting at 21-20.
Match 29, GEORGIA 3 JAPAN 0 (5-3, 4-3, 5-2)
Georgia moved from eighth to sixth position with a straight-sets victory over Japan. Davit Kikaleishvili opened the scoring on the first minute with Shotaro Yamada countering nearly a minute later. Yamada netted on extra and Giorgi Kiriakidi also navigated through man up for 2-2. He doubled his tally at 1:48 with Atsushi Arai levelling on extra. Saba Matchavariani scored from in front and on penalty to take out the period 5-3 with Japan having a penalty shot saved in the last second. Kiriakidi gave Georgia the lead in the second set. Shinju Tobari equalised on extra. Yuya Nakayama sent in a penalty goal for 2-1 up, negated by Kikaleishvili from centre at 1:52. Shota Inoue countered to give Japan the lead again but it was nullified on counter and then penalty as Georgia won the period 4-3. It was different in the third as Georgia romped to 4-0 by 2:11, Yamada responding at 1:21 on a bonus penalty shot. Goals were shared and Georgia had the set at 5-2 and the match at 3-0.
Match Heroes
Kikaleishvili snared four and Kiriakidi three for Georgia. Yamada made three for Japan.
Stats Don’t Lie
Georgia converted two from four on extra and Japan four from eight. Georgia scored all three penalty attempts and Japan one from two. The shots went to Georgia 25-23.
Match 30, AUSTRALIA 0 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 3 (0-8, 3-6, 3-5)
USA fired up for the quarterfinals with a stunning first set against the Aussies and controlled sets thereafter. The first set ended with the mercy rule seven seconds from time as USA already had an eight-goal advantage. Max Irving had three goals in the bag as Australia had no response to the North American onslaught. The second set was different with Koby Gilchrist nailing a penalty shot to start the scoring. Irving replied on penalty and captain Marko Vavic went on counter for 2-1. Gilchrist replied, so Marko Vavic went countering again. It moved to 4-2 with Irving on penalty; 5-3 as Irving scored another penalty goal and 6-3 as Irving scored from the field in the last second. Gilchrist started the third set and Irving began with a double goal. Captain Daniel Kerr levelled on penalty and Griffin Woodhouse — son of 2000 Olympic champion goalkeeper Danielle Woodhouse who is in Dubrovnik on the medical staff — nailed his second on extra for the 3-2 advantage. Carson Kranz equalised on extra and Jake Howerton took the USA in front from centre. Not to be outdone, Irving hammered in the final nail from centre at 12 seconds for 5-3 and a 3-0 victory.
Match Heroes
Irving with an incredible eight goals in just three sets. Marko Vavic and Kranz finished with hat-tricks for USA. Gilchrist was Australia’s best with a triple.
Stats Don’t Lie
USA covered both extra chances and Australia missed one of two. USA made all three penalty attempts and Australia three from four. USA took the shots 27 to 21 and the counters at five to none.
Match 31, SPAIN 2 SERBIA 3 in sudden-death penalty shootout. (4-3, 3-2, 3-4, 2-4, Pens: 7-8)
Croatia made it four from four with its hardest match to date, needing a golden-goal set and an extended penalty shootout to claim victory and head into the quarterfinals as the only unbeaten team. Albert Sabadell started all scoring while Petar Stanic had his penalty attempt saved. Stanic came good with the 2-1 go-ahead goal at 1:23. Captain Miroslav Randic boosted the margin to two off a five-metre shot. Max Casabella replied with a double goal past the halfway mark at 0:05, forcing golden goal, which Roberto Valera converted extra from the left wing at the five-metre line. Spain was 2-0 up before Aleksandar Kovacevic entered the frame. Spain held 3-1 for more than two minutes and then Dorde Ljubenovic countered for 3-2 at 0:38. Despite a timeout, Serbia could not equalise. Spain again shot out to 2-0 in the third set. Ljubenovic scored a double goal to push Serbia into the lead at 3-2. Oscar Blasco levelled the score at three at 0:45. However, Petar Jovic nailed extra two seconds from the buzzer for the 4-3 set win, meaning a fourth was required. Stanic started with a double goal; Sabadell replied on penalty and the score remained static until after a Spanish timeout at 0:18. Three field players went forward and worked the ball around to Casabella who equalised with two seconds on the clock. Goalkeeper Radosav Virijevic immediately skipped the ball into the vacant goal for a double score and 4-2, meaning the match had to go to penalties, despite Spanish pleas that the shot was after the clock had expired. Spain started and the first 13 shots went in, well into sudden death. Sabadell was the unlucky player to have shot saved and Kovacevic sent in the winner.
Match Heroes
Ljubenovic, Kovacevic and Stanic scored twice each while goalkeeper Virijevic made 13 saves for Serbia. Sabadell and Casabella netted three apiece for Spain and Didac Garcia pulled in 11 shots.
Stats Don’t Lie
Serbia converted both extra chances and Spain three from four. Serbia missed its one penalty chance and Spain converted its one chance. The shots favoured Spain 37-36.
Match 32, CROATIA 3 MONTENEGRO 1 (5-1, 5-6, 6-5, 4-3)
Croatia required a fourth set to overcome neighbour Montenegro after a dominant start. Croatia ripped through the first set 5-1 with Roko Pelicaric scoring twice and Miljan Boskovic the sole resistance. The second was a different affair even though Croatia held a 2-1 advantage. Montenegro levelled through Danilo Radovic off a five-metre shot. He did it again at 4-3. Luka Murisic took it to 5-3 while Pelicaric scored twice, on extra and penalty, to level at five, five seconds from the buzzer, just sneaking the ball into the bottom right. Montenegro used a timeout to set up the shot at bottom right, which was rejected, sending the set to golden goal. Montenegro won the ball and gained two exclusions, but the shot went on top of the goal. However, as there were two fouls in golden goal, Montenegro gained a bonus penalty shot, which Danilo Radovic converted to win the set 6-5. Pelicaric began the third set with his team 3-0 up before Boskovic replied on extra. Danilo Radovic and Boskovic from centre levelled the set. Pelicaric scored the bonus penalty goal and Ivan Vukojevic, off a five-metre free throw at 0:24, for 5-4. Murisic scored the same way with four seconds left, forcing a second golden goal period in which Nardo Dragas scored on extra for 6-5 favouring Croatia. In the fourth set, Montenegro was 3-1 up at 2:14 before Pelicaric shot two penalty goals and one from centre to swing the match back to Croatia 4-3, which remained until the final buzzer.
Match Heroes
Pelicaric with a magnificent nine goals and Vukojevic with seven, led the Croatian charge. Boskovic scored six and Radovic five for Montenegro.
Stats Don’t Lie
Croatia converted four from nine on extra and Montenegro five from 10. Croatia put away all three penalty chances and Montenegro missed one. The shots favoured Croatia 42-34.
Final Points
Croatia 12, Spain 10, Serbia 9, Russia 9, Bulgaria 8, Georgia 8, Montenegro 8, USA 7, Hong Kong China I 6, Malta 5, Japan 4, Australia 4, Hong Kong China II 3, Lithuania 3, Saudi Arabia 0, Mongolia 0.
Day 5 Schedule
Classification 9-16 Quarterfinals
Match 17. 09:50. Hong Kong I v Mongolia
Match 18. 10:40, Malta v Saudi Arabia
Match 19. 11:30. Japan v Hong Kong II
Match 20. 12:20. Australia v Lithuania
Classification 1-8 Quarterfinals
Match 21. 17:10. Georgia v Spain
Match 22. 18:00. Bulgaria v Serbia
Match 23. 19:40. Montenegro v Russia
Match 24. 2-:30. United States of America v Croatia