Crvena Zvezda - VK Partizan 6:12 (play-off, final, 1st match)

First: WE WON!
Second: to hell with those who switched off the only working stream in the middle of the game. From then on only an error message was there "channel is under maintenance, check back later, kthxbai". I missed out the best parts of the match.

Without Fellow Fan, who told me the end result and all the details I would have turned into a raging serial killer, and you’d find maybe a middle finger here, but not a Partizan-blog. Many thanks to him.
You stand up and salute to him.

I could still make some screenshots.

Introducing players

National anthem

Fair-play handshakes

Vladimir Vujasinović before the game

Last discussion before the start

Swim-off

The first quarter brought a lot of missed-out chances on both sides. Once red defenders were strangling Subotić so long, that we ran out of time. Yet we attacked more, our defense line was like concrete.
Only 7 seconds were left, when Lazić scored our first goal (0:1).
A few screenshots from the first part:

Probably this was the moment Subotić was strangled

Someone from us tries to score

Rističević and one of his fantastic saves (he had quite a few during the match)

Time-out

Here is a video about the first quarter:

1/4
Nakon prve četvrtine rezultat je 1-0 za Partizan, uz nekoliko sjajnih odbrana našeg golmana Димитрије Ристичевићa!
Posted by Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen on Sunday, May 22, 2016

Draško Gogov’s unbelievable march started in the second quarter. But before that we made Zvezda sure that they can’t score from double power play (when two Partizan-players are suspended at the same time).
Better said, in double power play, from the closest distance (aka just a few centimetres).
Dimitrije Rističević saved this closer-than-the-closest attempt with a cold, almost phlegmatic movement.
What is more, we started a counter-attack and GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!! 0:2
Zvezda could pressure out one single goal from power play (1:2).
Then Gogov came, saw and scored. 1:3, that was the end result of the first half.

Ball in the net

2/4
Na poluvremenu vodimo 3-1 sjajnim golovima Draška Gogova! #NapredPartizan
Posted by Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen on Sunday, May 22, 2016

To hell with Facebook for making this embed-a-video function so difficult, when you prefer not to use the standard 560x560 pixels. Why can it not work simply like on Youtube?

The stream died here.
Gogov (and Partizan) nevertheless engaged the first gear and ran through Zvezda. We were leading to 3:6, which for the end of the quarter became 5:8.

3/4
Goleada u trećoj četvrtini! Partizan sjajnom igrom u napadu održava vođstvo uz dva nova pogotka Gogova! 8-5 #NapredPartizan
Posted by Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen on Sunday, May 22, 2016

In the fourth quarter red team scored one only goal, then there was nothing much left for them - maybe except for a red card their head coach received. Meanwhile Jakšić scored our 9th goal, then Tanasković also scored, the unstoppable steam roller Gogov threw two more.

4/4
Partizan je u 4/4 potpuno dotukao rivala! Gogov je kompletirao savršenu partiju sa još 2 gola, ukupno 7! Na kraju 12-6, za vođstvo od 1-0 u seriji. #NapredPartizan
Posted by Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen on Sunday, May 22, 2016

The hero of the day is beyond question Draško Gogov, who scored 7 (!!!) goals and humiliated Zvezda to hell. He is followed by Dimitrije Rističević, who had 8 saves, making our defense line harder than rock. Jakšić and Tanasković both scored 2-2 goals, Lazić threw one.
Next game will be on Wednesday, from 19:00 in the Banjica swimming pool.

VK Partizan - Mornar 5:6

We screwed it up. Okay, half the team is sick and/or injured. What is more, with this defeat we crawled back to the 5th place and if we don’t pick ourselves together for the last round on Sunday against POŠK, we can wave byebye to our chances to get to the Final Four.
Though we were leading at the beginning. It was 2:0 for us with the goals of Asanović and Subotić. Then something happened, because all of our attempts failed. We made a lot of mistakes and it always pays off.
So did it now. The opponent equalized in the last minute

don’t ask me how, I don’t even want to know

the first quarter ended with 2:2.
The second quarter could be awful. The guests seemed to hearten up, because they scored 3 goals, then rolled down the shutters and sent us evil grinnings, while we were struggling. The half-time standing was 2:5.
For the third quarter we came back to life. Most important was that we got no goals - the guests kept on hitting the crossbar -, yet we could score one (by Đorđe Lazić).

Reports say it was high time to do so, after we missed out five (!!!) chances.

For the last quarter Mornar got fed up with our fumbling. They jumped to 3:6 and it all looked to be very sad. Asanović scored two goals, but we had no time to equalize.

Mateja Asanović some time during the game

(photo: waterpolopartizan.rs)

At the moment the league table looks like this:

1. Jug Dubrovnik 48 points
2. Primorje 45 points
3. Jadran HN 39 points
4. Mladost 23 points
5. Partizan 21 points
6. Mornar 19 points
7. Radnički 13 points
8.  Vojvodina 12 points
9. POŠK 8 points

So, if we want to qualify to the Final Four, on one hand we must knock out POŠK tomorrow, also Mladost (4th place) must get defeated by Radnički. (Mladost’s goal difference is 146:146, ours is 142:126).

VK Jadran - VK Partizan 9:8 (Triglav Liga, Round 18)

This is the last match report I owe you from the week-end.

Though I’m not sure if there’s anyone who is yearning to read about another defeat. Okay, we had to fight without Gogov, Jakšić and Tanašković, what is more, Subotić was fouled out around the end.

Reports talk about an excellent game, where the end result was unsure until the end. Jadran was leading to 2:0 after 2 minutes. It didn’t look any better for the end of the quarter (4:2), then the home team was leading with 3 goals in the second part (5:2).
In the middle of the quarter something happened.
Ognjen Stojanović scored (5:3) and Partizan started a fantastic series. We didn’t stop until 5 goals! For the half time we reduced the difference to 5:4, then in the third quarter we scored 3 more goals and took the lead (5:7). Jadran could earn only one goal, we headed to the final part with 6:7.
Right at the beginning Jadran equalized (7:7). Subotić took the lead back to us (7:8), but the home team equalized again (8:8), then in the middle of the quarter they took back the lead for themselves (9:8). That didn’t change for the rest of the game.
The hero of the day was Ognjen Stojanović with 3 goals. He is followed by Gavril Subotić (2) as well as Gilen, Lazić and Vučinić (1-1).

Current standing of the League:
1. Dubrovnik 45 points
2. Primorje 42 points
3. Jadran 39 points
4. Partizan 21 points
5. Mladost 20 points
6. Mornar 16 points
7. Radnički 13 points
8. Vojvodina 12 points
9. POŠK 8 points

VK Partizan - Galatasaray 9:8 (Champions League, Round 3)

I can get totally pissed when RTS 2 (when ONLY RTS 2) broadcasts a match, because it is more than 100 % sure that all working streams will die for that time. I’m sure it’s especially for me. As an extra aggravation, no stream was available at all even at international stream sites

did Turks not broadcast the game? Or anybody else? I can’t believe it

so there was nothing left but waiting for the pigeon-post from Fellow Fan, who sent the news about the result.
But we won and that’s the most important.

(photo: Twitter)

The boys walked out to the pool, smiled around, splashed into the water, then Galatasaray took the lead (0:1). Radojević equalized with a left-handed bomb shot (1:1), but the guests took back the lead right before the end of the quarter (1:2).
In the second quarter it was Gavril Subotić time. He equalized (2:2), then we even took the lead with Lazić’s goal (3:2). Both teams kept on shooting and scoring, one after the other. The standing was 4:4, when just before the end Subotić brutally shot another goal. We finished the first half with 5:4.
In the third quarter Drašović and Radojević came, saw and the standing was already 7:4. Jakšić also scored from penalty (8:4). While at our goal line Rističević again saved all attempts of the opponent. At the end of the quarter Turks scored a goal, we were heading to the final part with 8:5.
For the fourth quarter Galatasaray sped up. They made it to 8:6. Jakšić scored again (9:6). Turks didn’t slow down, they probably mobilized all their spare energies. They reduced the difference to 9:8, but eventually they couldn’t gain any points.

(photo: Facebook/Partizan is life)

The hero of the day was Dimitrije Rističević with 10 saves, while among the "fieldsmen" it was Gavril Subotić with 3 goals. He is followed by Jakšić and Radojević (2-2 goals). Lazić and Drašović both scored 1-1 goal.

Gavril Subotić

(photo: mozzartsport.com)

League table will be brought later.

Update: current standing of Group B
1. Pro Recco 9 points
2. Dubrovnik 9 points
3. Szolnok 6 points
4. Partizan 3 points
5. OSC Budapest 0 point
6. Galatasaray 0 point

Mornar - VK Partizan 6:12 (Triglav Liga, Round 9)

This was the match of invalidated goals.

(screenshot)

In the first quarter Asanović scored first after a few attempts on both sides (0:1). After him Gogov also scored, but the referee invalidated his goal for unknown reasons. Even Radojević shot a goal, but referees whistled off that one as well. Instead of 0:3 the standing was still 0:1.
For our great luck our goalkeeper Rističević at the other side of the pool was as persistent as a concrete wall and saved all attempts of the home team.
Then Jakšić’s goal was valid at long last (0:2). At this point, almost at the end Croatians could score one (1:2), but Manojlović quickly threw a goal right before the buzz, as it’s always better to be safe than sorry. We finished the first quarter with 1:3.
In the second quarter we got a penalty shot. It followed a wrestling scene in front of the Croatian goal line, then all Average Fan could see was the referee whistling, Mornar’s head coach explaining something to him with big gestures, then the referee shows him the yellow card and waving for Partizan to throw a penalty shot. Excellent. Jakšić shot it and scored (1:4). Croatians started to attack continuously. They put our goalmouth under heavy pressure, but Rističević saved their attempts with a Buddha-expression. (Or our defense line blocked their shots.) They could still reduce the difference to 3:4, but Subotić scored as well, followed by Drašović. The home team also threw one goal, the first half ended with 4:6.
In the third quarter the referee again took a goal from us (Subotić threw it, the refere didn’t like it, nobody knows why), and then they even put the home team into double power play (aka they sent off two of our players at the same time).
But they couldn’t score to Rističević, even if we were two men less. Rističević himself was the Serbo-Hungarian defensive army of the Siege of Belgrade from 1456 against the Turkish Croatian team being in superior numbers power play. It was again amazign what Partizan’s goalkeeper made on this match. Referees put Croatians into power play time after time, but they couldn’t score from any. Yet Asanović did score (4:7), so did Lazić (4:8). The home team again scored only at the end of the quarter, the standing was 5:8 at the end of the third part.
In the last part Gogov scored (5:9) after almost two and a half minutes of wrestling. Then Jakšić (5:10), from power play.

Professor Jakšić teaches Croatians how to score from power play, bwahahahahaha

Mornar started to fall into pieces, as for us, we were not in a hurry at all. Rističević saved whenever it was needed, and even Asanović’s third personal foul (and being fouled out) didn’t mean any upheaval for Partizan. Then referees invalidated a Croatian goal as well. There were less then one and a half minutes left, when Lazić scored again (5:11). At this point the stream died for a few seconds, I just missed out the sixth Mornar-goal as well as Partizan’s 12th one. (Running through post-match statistics I think it was scored by Radojević, but correct me if I’m wrong.)
The hero of the game is Dimitrije Rističević, among goal scorers Nikola Jakšić with 3 goals. Mateja Asanović and Đorđe Lazić both scored 2-2 goals, the others (Marko Manojlović, Gavril Subotić, Radomir Drašović, Draško Gogov and Filip Radojević) added 1-1 goal to the victory.

League table will be brought later.

VK Partizan - Vojvodina 12:1 (Triglav Liga, Round 1)

While yesterday everyone was busy with the basketball team being humiliated and washed off in France, Partizan’s water polo team played the 1st round of Triglav Liga.
Or rather, in the course of an easy maintenance training they tore Vojvodina to pieces in the pool near Banjička šuma.

The "shrine" in Banjica

(the author’s photo)

From the very moment our players jumped into the water the only question was how many goals we should score. Gavril Subotić, who won world championship with the Serbian national team in the summer took the team on his back and in the first quarter we were leading to 3:0.
In the half time it was already 7:0.
Even though Vojvodina’s goalkeeper Vitorović saved even the impossible. He had 11 saves (!) during the game.

I hope after the opponent returned back to Novi Sad, they engilded his hands.

But there was no stop even in the second half so much that we were leading to 9:0 at the end of the third quarter. Subotić kept on scoring, he himself shot 3 goals, while our 9th goal was scored by young Nikola Radonjić - this was his first ever goal for Partizan.
Vojvodina could score only in the last quarter, that only goal was shot by youth national team member Kristijan Šulc.
The hero of the day is of course Gavril Subotić with his 3 goals. He is followed by our Greek player Dimitris Tigkas, who earned 2 goals. Danilo Andžić, Nikola Radonjić (mentioned above), Filip Radojević, Nemanja Vico, Filip Janković, Đorđe Lazić and Nikola Lukić all scored 1-1 goal.
Our goalkeeper Dimitrije Rističević also deserves to be mentioned in the Daily Hall of Fame with his 10 saves.

Gavril Subotić

(photo: zurnal.rs)

Current standing of the Liga:
1. Partizan 3 points
2. Jadran HN 3 points
3. Dubrovnik 3 points
4. Primorje 3 points
5. CZ 3 points
6. Radnički 0 point
7. Mladost 0 point
8. Mornar 0 point
9. POŠK 0 point
10. Vojvodina 0 point

VK Partizan - Spandau 8:6 (Champions League)

As it often happened to us earlier, too, gears scrunched a bit in the beginning. Germans immediately scored, then Stojanović equalized. The guest team attacked aggressively, their defense line was excellent. They caught and blocked every shot. They gained back their lead from power play (1:2), then Subotić equalized soon before the end of the quarter (2:2).In the second part Gogov took us on the lead (3:2). Germans switched to full force, blocking not just our tryings, but even our thoughts for an effective attack. As soon as they got the ball, they immediately started a counter-attack. But Partizan had Slobodan Soro at their goal line, who brought his usual hammer form. Finally Spandau equalized from a power play, when two Partizan-players (!) were sent off at the same time.
Then came Subotić.
Again at the end of the quarter.
He was far from the goal line. He stopped, swayed the ball in his hand and shot, and the ball fell into the net flying above goalkeeper László Baksa's head. 4:3, it was time for a longer pause.
In the third quarter we pressed Spandau into the concrete bottom of the swimming pool.
Lazić started (5:3), then almost immediately Stojanović (6:3). At the other side Soro saved every attempt, well, if Germans could have any attempt at all. Very often their shots went too far or our defense blocked it. Then team captain Mandić sent a distant shot to Baksa’s goal line. He scored (7:3). We had a difference of 4 goals.
In the final part guests reduced it (7:4). Mandić scored another, the goalkeeper could even touch the ball, but it didn’t help much (8:4). Spandau scored two more, as a two-goal drawback is still better than a four-goal one.

(photo: sportske.net)

Jadran ST - VK Partizan 10:11 (Triglav League)

As they say, in the first half of the match we demonstrated how to play water polo. Then in the second half we demonstrated how not to.

Quoting the witty remark of a fellow Partizan-fan: it could have been with more goals, but we didn’t want to trash the opponent.
We do have heart.

The start was phenomenal. We got the ball at first and immediately scored, with Gilen’s distant shot (0:1). Macedonians equalized, but Gogov shot us back on the lead from a counter-attack. He dribbled himself alone to the opponents goalmouth, a defender desperately tried to catch him, but he was behind the player of Partizan with at least half meter (1:2). Rističević saved everything, rolling down the shutters. Nobody could score to him, not even giving him a nasty look. Not even when the opponent was in power play.
We scored from another counter-attack with Radojević’s shot (1:3). Soon before the end of the first quarter he threw another goal, we could enter the next period with 1:4.
The second quarter was even better than the first. Jadran tried with an attack, but we again got the ball, started a counter-attack and Andrejević scored (1:5). Another counter-attack, another Gogov-goal (1:6). At this point the home team also scored (2:6), our reply was Radojević (2:7). The Macedonian team took advantage of a power play (3:7), later Andrejević did so, too (3:8). Right before the end of the first half Rističević had another giant save while the opponent was in power play.
We had a five-goal advantage. And then, after the break we showed how to waste this advantage and how to sweat blood for the victory.

For the team’s defense: key players got a day off for today. Mandić and Subotić played yesterday for the Serbian national team against Russia, before that they humiliated Galatasaray. So now we had to send those players into battle who had less routine.

Jadran scored two quick goals (5:8), as for us, we could show off only with Gilen’s shot (5:9). Both teams missed out a lot of chances. At the end of the period the home team scored another goal (6:9), from our side Lazić threw one just before the end buzz (6:10).
The last quarter brought a similar amount of missed chances, and it paid off, as it did a zillion times before. Jadran reduced their difference to only 3 goals, when Stojanović threw a score (7:11). At this point we were done. I still suggest though to engild the hands of Rističević, we can thank him and his excellence (among others) that we could finally win this match.

Radnički Kragujevac - VK Partizan 8:10 (Triglav League)

This was the first time in 2 years that Kragujevac was beaten at their home. (It IS a big deal to own this honour.) The first quarter was won by the home team though to 2:1. (Gavril Subotić adjusted the result with a distant bomber shot, not to be so one-sided.) Then we started to come up slowly but surely. In the second quarter we led to 3:2, Lazić and Jakšić did not spare themselves. Radnički equalized just before half time.
In the second half we made a 4:0 series (7:3), the home team reduced it to 7:5. But Subotić and Lazić took the team on their back, swam through the pool like two hydrofoils and finally we won over the home team to 8:10.

(photo: mozzartsport.com)

Current group standings after 8 rounds:
1. Primorje 24 points
2. Mladost 19 points
3. Radnički 16 points
4. Partizan 12 points
5. POŠK 10 points
6. Budvanska Rivijera 10 points
7. Jadran ST 3 points
8. Branik Maribor 0 point