2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Water Polo: August 6-20
- Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre/Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro
- Schedule & Results
The Hungarian men’s water polo team had come out of pool play at the top of Group A, and had led in goal-scoring overall with a total of 57 goals scored in 5 games. They had held their opponents to just 43 goals, adding up to the highest point differential of the twelve teams in the Olympic tournament. Montenegro came into the quarterfinals having scored 36 goals in 5 games of pool play, while allowing 32. The quarterfinal matchup between the two would come down to penalty shots at the end of regulation play.
Darko Brguljan opened the scoring for Montenegro on a power play with 5:58 to play in the first quarter. Hungary’s Krisztian Manhercz and Montenegro’s Aleksandar Ivovic both scored in the final 3 minutes of the quarter, giving the Montenegrins a 2-1 lead. In the first three minutes of period 2, Aleksandar Radovic and Ivovic put two more in the nets for Montenegro and the score was now 4-1. Balazs Erdelyi of Hungary narrowed the deficit to 4-2 with 2:36 on the clock, but Mladan Janovic scored from beyond 5 meters to put Montenegro back up by three. Denes Varga put one in the net with :56 left to go and the two teams headed off at halftime with Montenegro up 5-3.
Hungary outscored Montenegro 3-2 during the third period; Marton Vamos got two long shots off in quick succession; Erdelyi added another with 1:42 to play. Montenegro’s two goals came from Filip Klikovac on a power play and Drasko Brguljan from beyond 5 meters with 1:13 left. The score was 8-6 in favor of Montenegro heading into the final period.
Erdelyi opened the 4th quarter with a goal in the first 45 seconds, bringing the score to 8-7. Ivovic put Montenegro back up by two 30 seconds later, then Vamos made it 9-8 with 6:34 left. The teams traded shots for the next 5 minutes but were unable to connect until Varga scored the tying goal with 1:11 to play. Montenegro’s goalkeeper Milos Scepanovic saved two penalty shots by Hungary and the Montenegrins won 13-11.
Thank you, Anne. This proud citizen od Montenegro is happy today, We are hoping for all Serbs finals, Serbia versus Montenegro.
Republic of Montenegro is country of 600,000 people but world power in water polo. Country that barely has any swim pool, where most (if not all) water polo clubs practice in the sea.