Saturday, March 26, 2016

Spartak Vojput - RK Partizan 24:24 (play-off, 1st match)

I always think that I reached the bottom line with amateurism, then a shocking new experience makes me sure that there is always an even lower line.
This game was announced to broadcast for 19:00 at the superliga’s website.
For 19:00 the game was finished long ago.
Congratulations. Well done.
(I lost a few million brain cells for sure.)
We played a draw with Subotica which is definitely not a bad result, concerning Spartak being involved in international competitions until now, they returned to the Serbian domestic league only for the play-off.
The beginning wasn’t easy and it continued not to be easy. Spartak played with big advantage for quite a while. The standing was 10:4 in the 20th minute, when we started to reduce the difference slowly but surely. We equalized in the last minute of the first half (12:12), then we could have a well-earned rest.
The second half brought a more balanced game. Both teams kept on scoring, but the difference was always just one goal. If one of them scored, the other quickly equalized. Spartak could gain a very little advantage in the 51st minute - not much, only 2 goals, but we didn’t allow them to run away. Živković was heroically scoring throughout the entire game, and here, at the end it was him (together with Mršulja and Sretenović) who kept the pace with the Subotica-based team. Živković equalized in the 58th minute (24:24), making it the end result as well.
The hero of the day is Nemanja Živković, that’s beyond question, with his 10!!! goals. The others, Sretenović and Kukić scored 4-4 goals. They are followed by Pešić and Mršulja (2-2) as well as Radojković and Makšić (1-1).
Photos from the match:

Mršulja is pulled from different sides

"Thou shall not pass!" Sretenović blocking Spartak’s player

Home players try to hold back Pešić

Pižurica surrounded by defenders...

...while later him and Maksić are trying to block the opponent
(photos: Facebook/Super Rukometna Liga Srbije)

There’s one game left from this round, so play-off table will be brought only afterwards.
Update: the standing of the play-off after the first round
1. CZ 2 points
2. Metaloplastika 2 points
3. Partizan 1 point
4. Spartak Vojput 1 point
5. Vojvodina 0 point
6. Sloga 0 point

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

RLK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 20:30

I got to know about this game by chance. As usual, nobody ever mentioned it ever.
And we lost, too. In a twisted way.

Again I brought screenshots about the match

Early in the first half Zvezda had a successful try (0:6). We fought hard, we had heavy clashes, and then we could finally earn a try (4:6).

Jašari doing the conversion kick after the try

A bit later we took the lead with a giant touchdown.


The problem was that Zvezda took back the lead in the very last minute of the first half (8:12).
In the second half we were struggling. The opponent was leading to 8:18, when we could make a successful try (12:18). Right after that the difference was back to 10 points (12:22). Then the referee invalidated our touchdown, that touchdown we could earn so hard.
Right after this a Zvezda-player grabbed the ball, ran through the forest of shocked Partizan-players and threw the ball to our area with a nasty grin. 12:28, then conversion, 12:30. It just can’t be.
The rest of the game was spent with bitter fight and heavy Zvezda-pressure. For the end we were stuck behind our 22-metre-line. Perhaps that was our luck. Because in the last few minutes someone from us grabbed the ball. The entire Partizan started to run up and we made a fantastic try that was thankfully validated by the referee. (16:30).
At the very end we made the same scenario, but we had time only to reduce the difference to 10 points. (20:30)

(photo: ragbiligesrbije.rs)

(photo: b92.net)

Monday, March 21, 2016

OK Partizan - Niš 3:0 (play-off, quarter-final return match)

Quarter-final: check.
There isn’t much info about it, even the official report says less than usual. We were leading for the whole match, the final result wasn’t really a question. (First set: 25:21, second: 25:16, third: 25:19.) It also means that we are expected to clash with Crvena Zvezda in the semifinal.

(photo: zurnal.rs)

OK Partizan: Buša (11), Pantić (8), Nedeljković (2), Žugić, Lopar (8), Kostić (3), Rajković (libero), Jokanović (4), Veličković (9), Polomac (8), Popović, Perišić (1)
Vezetőedző: Vladimir Vasović

Niš: Rakić, Pejčić, Kuburović (4), Perović (9), Jelić (2), Stojković (5), Kostadinović (libero), Mijalković (5), Opačić (8), Ilić (4), Jović (2)
Vezetőedző: Saša Stefanović

CHAMPIONS!!! HK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 3:2

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!
CHAMPIONS!!!!
CHAMPIONS!!!!
CHAMPIOOOOOOOOONS!!!!!!!!

We won!!!
Amazing, incredible, fantastic, unbelievable!!!
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!
Before the game we warmed up. Even the greatest champions have to warm up. No warm up, no championship title.

(photo: Twitter)

Again I brought quite a number of screenshots, as usual

Ready for the Big Battle
(photo: Facebook/Savez hokeja na ledu Srbije)

You know it’s something significant when the puck is dropped by a Partizan-legend
(photo: Facebook/Savez hokeja na ledu Srbije)

The first period was about fighting and hitting each other. There were no goals, only slaps and smacks.


Nemanja Janković is about to go to the penalty box for 2 minutes

In the 11th minute a Zvezda-player, namely Crnogorac hit the pale with his face during a group fight. He looked awful, half his face was covered with blood, he was taken off the rink immediately. (Then not much later he asked for his stick and came back, with that ruined face of his.)
Trifonov had fantastic saves. We can thank him that we survived all power-plays with no goal. Even the Captain had to go to the penalty box among others. After the (n+1)th group fight the referee waved him to go out to the box for two minutes. Milovanović looked puzzled, he was just shrugging, probably asking "why the hell", but there’s no remedy against police force, he had to sit down for two minutes.


At the end of the period we had two great chances. Average Fan screamed "goooaaaaal" at both, but both of them were just these "almost-goals". It was always about a millimetre or two, still Zvezda could survive both times.


The first period ended with 0:0.

Krivov discussing something with the teammate before the second period

At the beginning of the first part we had another great chance, again missing only with a millimetre.

Marko Brkušanin

Boris Gabrić getting a two-minute penalty after knocking out a Zvezda-player (after this they were in double power-play - no, they couldn’t take advantage of it)

We kept the opponent under heavy pressure. Zvezda could barely get to our goal line. Their team captain found himself at our half around the 7th minute, but Trifonov quickly inactivated him.
For the second part of the period the pace slowed down. Zvezda had some attempts, but Trifonov was always at his place.

Aleksei Trifonov

Komazec tells the referee what to do, how and especially with whom

Then he suggested the same amusement for the opponent - you can’t say Komazec is not concerned with the pyhsical and mental well-being of those in his surroundings

Only 55 seconds were left from the period when Zvezda took the lead. It was all out of the blue. They came up and scored. That was the end of the second part, 0:1.

Fight with clenched teeth - Dimitrije Filipović, behind him Marko Brkušanin
(photo: Facebook/Savez hokeja na ledu Srbije)

The third period brought another load of fight.




Then in the 5th minute we equalized with Zhukov’s genious goal.


This goal sped up the team. The match became more spectacular and exciting. We attacked, then in the 14th minute we took the lead. Vlasov demonstrated the newest tricks of escape acts (if I could see well, Szabados pushed him to the pale), then he ruthlessly shot and scored.


At this point everyone was wet from sweat. Average Fan watched the clock only, desperately couting down the seconds. Only three minutes left, only two minutes left, hang in there, boys, it’s almost the end...
...and Zvezda equalized only one and a half minutes before the end buzz.
No. Just no. Impossible.

I wish ArenaSport’s commentator a brutal diarrhea with heavy griping pains, possibly during live broadcast. Thank you.

It ended with 2:2.
Extra time.
And golden goal.
Because in the 3rd minute of the extra time Milovanović got the puck and mercilessly shot, Filipović just pushed it into the net with a delicate movement.
3:2!!!!
3:2!!!!!!
We won!!!!!
WE WON!!!!!

The entire team rushed to join the fans in celebrating

(photos: Facebook/Savez hokeja na ledu Srbije)

Time for scream, time for group hug, even for some tears of joy
(photo: Twitter)

(photo: Facebook/Savez hokeja na ledu Srbije)

It was time even for firecrackers

...and torches

"Who’s the best?! Who’s the best?!"
You are the best, Nenad Raković :)
(photos: Twitter)

Then it was time for the official ceremony. Team Captain Marko Milovanović was handed the cup.


Loud celebration (right in front of the opponent, possibly as loud as you can)

...joined by the one and only Miša Tumbas, who was there, of course, to support the team
(photos: Facebook/Savez hokeja na ledu Srbije)

Champions!
(photo: hotsport.rs)

The cup is for the fans, too
(photo: Twitter)

Finally, the match highlights (as well as mocking the eternal opponent):



Saturday, March 19, 2016

RK Partizan - Morava 41:33 (superliga, round 18)

Damn you all.
Seriously. I've been waiting since yesterday to find at least a few pictures about this game. Needless to say, there's nothing, ever. Not even at the league's website.

Okay, I found a few images on fan pages. But for hell's sake, what are news sites and the association's website for? Just for decorational functions?...

Oh well. We won.
We didn't just won, we demolished them with a fantastic game.
At first Morava tried us. They scored a few goals, they were even leading.
For 5 minutes, maybe.
Then Radojković equalized (3:3) and from then on there was no stop. We ran through them, scored a lot of goals and played like it was written in the Big Book of Handball in both halves.

Tell me, when the standing is 33:25 in the 49th minute, what else is it if not INCREDIBLE?

The hero of the day, the steam roller of the team was Nemanja Živković with 12 (!!!) goals. He is followed by Mihajlo Radojković, who scored 8. Other scorers: Igor Mršulja (4), Stevan Sretenović, Andrija Đuričić and Lazar Kukić (3-3), Aleksa Maksić and Ivan Popović (2-2) as well as Đorđe Šotra, Darko Stevanović, Matija Pižurica and Živan Pešić (1-1).

Victory
(photo: Facebook/Partizan is life)

Well-deserved celebration.


League table will be brought later.
Update: end result of the regular season
1. CZ 28 points
2. Metaloplastika 26 points
3. Sloga 24 points
4. Partizan 23 points
5. Jugović 21 points
6. Požarevac 20 points
7. Morava 14 points
8. Rudar Kostolac 13 points
9. Radnički 10 points
10. Železničar 1 point

The regular season of the championship has ended. Partizan finished it at the 4th place, qualifying to the play-off, where the first 4 teams of the regular season will be joined by Vojvodina and Spartak Vojput. Draw comes later.

HK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 6:1 (play-off, 3rd game)

Victory!!! What a victory!!!
Fantastic, amazing, incredible, confident, smooth, when the only question is how many more goals we should score to them.
We slid out to the rink and tore their faces off.

I brought lots of screenshots, these are from the warming-up


Team captain Marko Milovanović

Head coach Nikola Bera

This is one of the rare non-screenshots: group hug before face-off
(photo: Facebook/Hokej savez na ledu Srbije)

Fan banner: Nemate pare, imate nas! (You have no money, but you have us!)
(photo: Twitter)

Face-off: the puck was dropped by Partizan’s legendary goaltender Rašid Šemsedinović

The game almost started with a fight, after a Zvezda-player mocked Gavrić. This time the pace wasn’t that fast, compared to the previous two matches. Both sides were trying, attacking, Trifonov had some great saves.

To hell with these names. I failed to write correctly at least two, but possibly even three players’ names. Apologies to all whom it may concern. After I finished this post, I go back to my previous ice hockey reports and correct them all.

Nevertheless we scored our first goal after 3 minutes. Captain Milovanović personally took control over things when he got the puck after the great teamwork of Filipović and Janković.

Victorious high five with everyone on the bench

The goal made us even more fierce, while Zvezda was at a loss. They could barely get to our goal area, their only luck was that their defense line blocked our attempts relatively successfully. There was only one moment when they dangerously approached our goal line. There were approx. 9 minutes left from the first period. There was an upheaval in Partizan’s goalmouth, then the camera showed goalkeeper Trifonov laying on the rink with a Zvezda-player topping him, while a Partizan-defender (probably Srđan Ristić) threw himself into the way of the puck to keep it away from our goal line.
He succeeded.

The moment before the upheaval. Ristić raises his stick, while Krivov is arriving from the other side

After this we ruthlessly scored our second goal. Čuković was the goal scorer, assisted by Zhukov.

Hands up in the air...

...the entire bench is on their feet...

...Čuković arriving for high fiving

And this was just the beginning. In the 12th minute Ristić forwarded the puck to Ogrizović, Ogrizović wasted no time, shot and scored. 3:0!!!

Ogrizović with Luković behind him

Only 10 seconds were left from the first period when Vlasov scored our 4th goal, because it is always better to be safe than sorry.



Zvezda tried in the second period, too, without any success. Interesting that the 10th minute of the second part brought the first penalty. A Zvezda-player made Gabrić trip, he ended up sulking on the penalty bench for 2 minutes.

Komazec arrives at Partizan’s bench for a short rest

There were fights, but none of them ended up in a major battle

Mass scene at Partizan’s goalmouth

Then in the 11th minute Zubov scored our 5th goal.


For the end of the second period Zvezda got into double power-play but they couldn’t take advantage of it.

Brkušanin was one of the players who had to stay off the rink for two minutes

Penalty is over, Marko Brkušanin in da house

Anton Zhukov after the second period

Boban "Hitman" Čuković before the third period

Aleksa Luković (#13) is watching

Face-off before the 3rd period, Vlasov goes for the puck

Partizan-bench during the 3rd period: Aleksa Luković (#13) and Dragan Komazec (#15)

In the last part Zvezda switched to full speed to be able to score a goal. They were so successful about it, that Ogrizović scored our 6th goal in the 9th minute.
Bwahahahaha.

Ogrizović (25) almost falls into the box together with the puck...

...GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!


Zvezda could finally score one single goal in the 14th minute, but it didn’t matter.
We won. And we could celebrate.





The third game will be on Sunday, from 17:30. If we win that game, we'll be the champions.
Here is the postscript: this (most probably) screenshot was uploaded to HK Partizan’s FB-page. Boban Čuković said thank you to the fans for the support.

"Thank you, Grave Diggers, for the utmost support. Together for the title!"
(source: Facebook/Hokejaški klub Partizan (Fan page))

Last but not least, massive ecstasy at the end of the match.