Handball: 1 blogpost, 3 games (superliga, round 4 and 5 + postponed game from round 1)

Mea maxima culpa. I’m lagging behind with the handball games too much. Round 4 was back on 24th September. Jugović was our guest in the Banjica sports hall. We won against htem to 32:30, even though it seemed the result will be better on the guests’ side based on the first half. They were leading for the whole time, the half-time result proved it (15:16). In the second half we were better, though Jugović could still took the lead for a short while. But we equalized in the 43rd minute with Kukić’s goal (22:22), then Ivanović took us back the lead. From then on we kept the game under control leading always with 1-2 goals.
The hero of the day was Nemanja Živković with 10 goals. He is followed by Lazar Kukić (6), Nikola Ivanović and Aleksa Maksić (4-4), Vuk Milenković and Igor Mršulja (3-3) as well as Matija Pižurica (2).

Photos from the game

(photos: srls.rs)

***

The postponed derby against Metaloplastika was played on 28th. It was a very tough game to say the least. Metaloplastika was leading to 0:5 in the beginning, we scored our first goal in the 8th (!) minute by Nemanja Živković (1:5). After 15 minutes it was 4:9... but we didn’t give it up. We jumped to 9:10 in the 20th minute, and 3 minutes before the end we took the lead (13:12). Kukić scored the leading goal, he had a fantastic performance for the entire match. We were leading in the half-time as well (14:13).

The second half brought a nip-and-tuck game. One goal for Partizan, one for Metaloplastika... Sometimes Partizan could have a small 2-goal advantage, but Metaloplastika always equalized. The final result was also a draw, 30:30.

Lazar Kukić was the best scorer (9), followed by Nemanja Živković (6), as well as Vuk Milenković, Nikola Ivanović, Aleksa Maksić and Igor Mršulja (4-4).

Photos from the game

(photos: srls.rs)

***

Finally the last game from round 5. Partizan visited Dinamo in Pančevo. It was... well it was brutal. We had no chance. At the beginning we tried to keep the pace (3:4), then Dinamo equalized and from then on they were leading until the end buzz. They didn’t just keep the lead, they kept on humiliating us... 14:9, 16:11, and that was just the first half. The second was worse. 20:11, 23:15, too big difference for the whole game. Finally the home team won to 31:26.

The two heroes of this battle are Darko Stevanović and Lazar Kukić, both with 6 goals. They are followed by Igor Mršulja (4), Nemanja Živković, Vuk Milenković and Nikola Ivanović (3-3) as well as Stefan Jokić (1). 

(photos: Facebook/Super Rukometna Liga Srbije)

Current championship standings after 5 rounds:
1. CZ 9 points
2. Dinamo 8 points
3. Vojvodina 7 points
4. Spartak Vojput 6 points
5. Sloga 6 points
6. Partizan 5 points
7. Šamot 65 5 points
8. Morava 4 points
9. Metaloplastika 4 points
10. Požarevac 3 points
11. Rudar 3 points
12. Jugović 0 point

RK Partizan - Vojvodina 27:26 (superliga, round 3)

Mea culpa. I almost forgot about this game. It was back on Wednesday, yes, on the same day as the Serbian Cup qualifying. I don’t know whose idea it was, but I send them my warmest (NOT) greetings, because it could be a great game, I assume it was one of the best, if not the best of the season.
Sportuzivo.tv broadcasted it though, I could watch approx. the first 30 minutes. It was not an easy game. Not at all. At least at that point it wasn’t. Looking at the statistics the rest of the game wasn’t any easier. Vojvodina was leading for the whole time. In the beginning it was 3:2 for a short while though, but Team Novi Sad switched it to 3:5.
Then it was 4:10.
Our boys were fighting hard. They put their heart and soul out to the court, but Vojvodina’s goalkeeper saved everything. I swear he even had an evil little smile on his face as well. But even that didn’t keep our team back.
10:12. Then 12:13. The team was on full speed so much, that 2 minutes before the end of the first half it was 13:15, then we equalized for the half-time (15:15).
In the first part of the second half Vojvodina kept their advantage, but this time we allowed them to be ahead with 2-3 goals only. Then in the 49th minute we equalized with Stevanović’s goal (22:22), then Živković took the lead for us!!! (23:22). There was no mercy. Stevanović scored again (24:22)
The last 7-8 minutes surely brought a game on the edge. 53rd minute. Vojvodina reduces the difference to 24:23. Živković has an instant reply (25:23). Vojvodina equalizes with clenched teeth (25:25). What is more, they take back the lead in the 57th minute (25:26). 59th minute. Kukić, who was playing in top form during the whole game, equalizes (26:26). And afterwards, almost immediately, in the same minute the Captain scores the winning goal. 27:26, time for the end buzz, WE WON!!! Well done, boys!
The hero of the day is Lazar Kukić with six goals. He is followed by 3 players, all scoring 5-5: Nemanja Živković, Darko Stevanović and Igor Mršulja. Vuk Milenković and Andrija Đuričić both scored 2-2 goals, while Nikola Ivanović and Aleksa Maksić added 1-1 to the victory.
PS: I hope sportuzivo.tv. will upload this game to Youtube. It will be worth to watch it (again). (If it’s uploaded, I’ll put the link here.)

Darko Stevanović smashing

Partizan bench on their feet

Captain Mršulja and one of his cannon shots

No Vojvodina-player can get any further, Pižurica (13) and Perunčić are watching

Milenković scores, even from the floor

Well-deserved celebration

Current championship standings:
1. CZ 5 points
2. Šamot 65 5 points
3. Dinamo 4 points
4. Spartak Vojput 4 points
5. Sloga 4 points
6. Vojvodina 3 points
7. Požarevac 2 points
8. Partizan 2 points
9. Morava 2 points
10. Metaloplastika 2 points
11. Rudar 1 point
12. Jugović 0 point

(photos: Facebook/Super Rukometna Liga Srbije)

RK Sloga - RK Partizan 27:26 (play-off, round 9)

This game could be one big struggle.
Perhaps Sloga deliberately focused hard on this game to knock us out, or maybe we were by default out of shape

this latter is more likely, as 3 Partizan-players were absent for being injured: Sretenović, Pešić and Đuričić - wishing them all to get well soon!

nevertheless Team Požega stomped us into the court. Looking at the official match report our luck is that we were defeated only with 1 goal. What is more, in fact we could come up for the end that we could have squeezed out a draw with some luck.
The first half was about Sloga. They were leading for almost the whole half, sometimes with 4-5 goals. We could equalize 5 minutes before half-time (12:12), then we took the lead twice for a short lapse of time, first with Kukić’s goal (12:13), then with Radojković’s (13:14). The home team equalized and soon before the half-time buzz they took back the lead (15:14).
The second half wasn’t much happier either. It was a bit closer though, but Sloga was still leading, now with just 1-2 goals. We could equalize several times. In the 53rd minute the standing was 26:26, we equalized with Radojković’s goal. Then in the 56th minute Sloga scored their winning goal. There were no more goals for the rest few minutes, though looking at the official report (and the number of suspensions) there could be a great fight.
The hero of the day is without a doubt Lazar Kukić with his 9 (!!!) goals and superhuman performance. He is followed by Igor Mršulja, who scored 5 goals. Then come Mihajlo Radojković and Matija Pižurica (4-4 goals), Nemanja Živković (2) as well as Mijat Perunčić and Ivan Popović (1-1).
The next round will be the last round, we’ll play against Metaloplastika. I just got to know that RK Partizan qualified to the Final Four of the handball Serbian Cup. Our opponent will be Metaloplastika, at the other side Spartak Vojput and Vojvodina will clash. The Final Four series will be held in the Šabac Sports Hall between 2nd and 3rd June.

(photos: Facebook/Restoran stadiona Partizan)

Current standing of the play-off:
1. Vojvodina 15 points
2. Metaloplastika 15 points
3. Partizan 10 points
4. Spartak Vojput 7 points
5. Sloga 5 points
6. CZ 2 points

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

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.

2 in 1 - handball and water polo

I almost forgot about these two matches played in the previous week-end. Apologies from everyone. You get the two in one blogpost.

In the 16th round of the handball superliga Partizan welcomed Radnički in the Banjica sports hall. The game was very easy, despite the guests took the lead in the beginning with two goals (0:2), we equalized for the 5th minute, and two minutes later Maksić took us the lead (3:2). From then on we kept our advantage for the very end of the game. We were leading always with 4-5-6 goals, what is more, in the half time we were ahead with 10 (!!!) goals (24:14). We kept this pace in the second half as well, our advantage was 10 goals a couple of times, finally we won "only" with a 9-goal-advantage (41:30).
The hero of the day was Aleksa Maksić, scoring 7 goals. He is followed by Nemanja Živković (6), Lazar Kukić (5), Stevan Sretenović, Mihajlo Radojković and Živan Pešić (4-4), Igor Mršulja (3), Matija Pižurica, Darko Stevanović and Ivan Popović (2-2) as well as Mihajlo Stošljević (1).
Photos from the match:

Ivan "The Terrible" Popović

Lazar Kukić

Kukić rising up into the skies

Matija Pižurica

The unstoppable Captain

(photos: srls.rs)

Current championship standings:
1. CZ 26 points
2. Metaloplastika 24 points
3. Sloga 22 points
4. Partizan 21 points
5. Požarevac 18 points
6. Jugović 17 points
7. Morava 14 points
8. Rudar 9 points
9. Radnički 8 points
10. Železničar 1 point

***

In the last (20th) round of Triglav Liga Croatian team POŠK was Partizan’s guests. The game was important for us

yes, yes, I know, every game is important for us, but this one was especially important

because if we can win over POŠK, and at the same time Mladost gets beaten by Radnički, then we can qualify to the Final Four of the league.
In short: we couldn’t.
Even though we tore POŠK to small pieces (it ended with 15:4 for us), the Zagreb-based Mladost also won against Radnički

honestly, the chance for Radnički to win was less than minimal

therefore Triglav Liga has ended for us for this season.
The game itself meant no difficulties for us. Vladimir Vujašinović tried out a few young players at certain places, e.g. our goalkeeper was the young talent Lazar Brakočević instead of Dimitrije Rističević. In the first quarter the Croatians just kindly assisted for us while we kept on scoring (we threw 6 goals in the first part). They made it then to our goalmouth (it wasn’t that easy for them) only 2 seconds before the end buzz, and they took advantage of their chance and scored (6:1).
We slowed down in the second quarter, because it’s not nice to be a rude host, not even letting the guests breathe. POŠK scored two goals, but still, we had to make sure who rules the roost - we also scored two goals, the half time ended with 8:3.
After the break it was time to take control of the events. We ran through the Croatians like a steam roller and scored 3 goals. We were leading to 11:3, then came the final part.
The last quarter was in fact a formality. Croatians scored one more goal, we did four, then at the very end junior national team member Marko Kruška debuted as our goalkeeper.
The hero of the day was Filip Radojević with 3 goals, followed by Gavril Subotić, Radomir Drašović and Danilo Adžić (2-2) as well as Lukas Gilen, Draško Gogov, Marko Janković, Đorđe Vučinić and Mateja Asanović (1-1).

Triglav Liga regular season end result:
1. Jug Dubrovnik 51 points
2. Primorje 51 points
3. Jadran HN 42 points
4. Mladost 29 points
5. Partizan 27 points
6. Mornar 22 points
7. Radnički 13 points
8. Vojvodina 12 points
9. POŠK 11 points

Crvena Zvezda - RK Partizan 32:32 (superliga, round 15)

First a heartfelt message to all in charge at RTS:

FUCK YOU!!!!

Because you promised to broadcast the handball eternal derby. Even a few days ago it was still there in your TV-program, saying "Crvena Zvezda - Partizan rukomet uživo".
After this you changed your mind (and program), let me guess, in the very last minute and decided to broadcast rather the goddamned Assembly instead of the game.
Public service, a?... Public service my ass!

My great luck was actually, you fat Vučić-fans, that I found absolutely no working link for RTS 2. All were banned. I just started to get desperate. There were maybe 20 minutes until the game, when I took a look at sportuzivo.tv, just out of the blue. And well, pigs might fly, Average Fan might find a link for the eternal derby, an excellent, HD-quality one that didn’t lag at all. After this I got suspicious a bit and took a look at the TV-program on RTS’s website. I could see only then that for these radio-televizija-monkeys the pig-faced politicians are more important than brave sportsmen. 
Congratulations.

Our boys were just warming up

After a (long) while the opponent crawled out, too

(screenshots)

In the beginning we were leading for a short while. Our third goal was scored by Nemanja Živković, with an amazing, cheeky movement, passing the ball just above the goalkeeper’s head. (2:3)

He did this trick quite a few times during the game. Todorović, the goalkeeper of the other side was totally pale at the end, whenever Živković possessed the goal. And well, it happened numerous times.

Then Zvezda equalized in the 5th minute (4:4), they took the lead in the 8th (5:4).
And it remained like this for long.
Zvezda played roughly, aggressively, sometimes bulldozing our youngsters. Their goalkeeper saved everything

well, at this point, ehhehe

and they used a sly trick as well. Our goalkeeper Tomić (or later Ćućuz) had a fantastic save, the ball dropped out of the penalty area, and ther was always a Zvezda-player sneaking around. This player jumped out of the blue, grabbed the ball, took advantage of our players already running up to the other penalty area for a hoped attack and our goalkeeper being all alone and ruthlessly threw the ball into the net with an evil grin. We tried sometimes to complain at the referee, needless to say it was all in vain. The half-time result was 16:12, there were only 4 seconds left until the end buzz, when they just had to push in another goal.
The second half didn’t start too happily either. In the first minutes one of those just threw Pižurica to the court while we were attacking. They were leading to 17:13 in the 32nd minute and it looked as they would skin us alive.
Then something happened. The Parni valjak started to roll or the other side got tired in the 40th minute. Nevertheless we reduced the difference to 20:19 (we made a fantastic counter-attack and Živković scored such a giant goal that he surely made the plaster fall down from the wall behind the goal line). Babić and Pižurica almost got into a fight, referees pull them apart from each other. At this point we were strangling them by their throats, their advantage was only 1-2 goals (24:23, 25:23, 45th minute). Živković was burning on a thousand degrees Celsius, he just scored his left-handed goals, one after the other, I swear, after this match Todorović will see Nemanja Živković in all his nightmares, as the young right-winger runs up, raises his mighty left hand and BRUTTTTTALLY scores.
(And here Todorović wakes up screaming and being wet from sweat.)

I don’t know who was the commentator at this game, but on one hand it was very annoying to hear him openly rooting for Zvezda, on the other I can’t believe he doesn’t know any other word than "odlično" (excellent). Hey, man, even my Serbian vocabulary is better than yours!

In the 50th minute we equalized with Maksić’s goal (26:26) and from then on Zvezda could stay ahead only with 1 goal, yet we always equalized.
It was already the last minute. The standing was 32:31. Pižurica equalized (32:32). Barely 40 seconds were left, when Zvezda’s coach asked for time-out. After that they ran back to the court, ran up, they were seemingly about to do a sweeping attack...
...AND ALEKSANDAR TOMIĆ, OUR GOALKEEPER HAD A GIANT SAVE!!!
My God, what a save it was!... Even the commentator gasped for breath.
At the end there was still time for a Partizan-attack, but the end buzz cut it. Radojković stayed on the floor (he got medical attendance), the two teams got into a fight (if I understood well, one of the reds mocked Pižurica), but the most important is that we brought a point home from Šumice sports hall and now it is equal to a victory.

Medicals picking the pieces of Radojković, while the two teams are already arguing

Shit hit the fan

(screenshots)

The hero of the day is of course Nemanja Živković, who scored 11 (!!!!) goals. He is followed by Stevan Sretenović (6), Igor Mršulja (5), Darko Stevanović (3), Živan Pešić and Aleksa Maksić (2-2), also Matija Pižurica, Mihajlo Radojković and Lazar Kukić (1-1).

Radojković trying to run away with the ball, Pižurica arrives for his help

(photo: zurnal.rs)

Sretenović watching shocked as Babić is trying

Does anyone know when Radojković got injured on his chin?

Peruničić trying to stop a Zvezda-player

Unity is strength - Pešić and Peruničić know it

(photos: srls.rs)

League table comes later.

Sloga - RK Partizan 28:19 (superliga, round 13)

Before starting this match report you click and watch this heartfelt video with captain Mršulja, then you run head over heels to help the handball team.

The handball team is in a very big trouble. For a while it was questionable even if they can start the spring season of the championship. The reason, as always when it’s about Partizan, is the financial state of the team. For this reason Srđan Cekić, RK Partizan’s president resigned two weeks ago. He said, "The club has been on the verge of existence for 3 years now. In this situation I cannot guarantee even the minimal conditions for the team’s basic functioning. It was my moral duty to resign."

After this it’s no wonder at all that we were defeated with almost 10 goals at the season opening match.
It started well though. In the beginning we were leading, always with one or two goals, with Sloga constantly equalizing, but Mršulja, Živković, Pižurica, Sretenović and Kukić joined their forces. We hung in there until the 21st minute, when Sloga took the lead (8:7) and from then on they didn’t let control out of their hands for the rest of the game.
Here, at the end of the first half we could still equalize a couple of times (8:8, 10:10), but the half-time result was already 14:10.
For the second half Sloga overgrew us. They ran away, sometimes to the difference of 7 goals (19:12, 20:13), what is more, in the 48th minute their advantage was 23:15. We fought hard and brave, we scored goals (25:18, 55th minute), but the strain from the home side was too much.
The hero of the day was Igor Mršulja with 6 goals. He is followed by Nemanja Živković (5), Stevan Sretenović (3), Lazar Kukić (2) as well as Matija Pižurica, Mijat Perunčić and Aleksa Maksić (1-1).

 (photos: srls.rs)

League table will be brought later.

Update: current championship standings
1. CZ 23 points
2. Sloga 20 points
3. Metaloplastika 18 points
4. Partizan 16 points
5. Požarevac 16 points
6. Jugović 12 points
7. Morava 11 points
8. Rudar 9 points
9. Radnički 4 points
10. Železničar 1 point

Jugović - RK Partizan 21:21 (superliga, round 12)

The handball team had an excursion to Kać today to clash with Jugović. The home team used to have better days - in the previous season they even had the chance to get the championship title, while in the current one they have 5 victories, 5 defeats and (from now on) 2 draws, having their place at the lower side of the league table.
The game started very well. (Kać can be a beautiful town in Vojvodina, with atmospheric little streets. How nice it could be to have a walk before the match, maybe even drinking a coffee or something like that.) Our boys walked out to the court and the standing immediately became 0:4 (Kukić started, Živković scored two, then Popović also threw one). It all looked great, just Jugović equalized in the 17th minute (5:5). No problem, we took back the lead with Pižurica’s goal (5:6). We kept leading, sometimes the home team equalized (8:8 in the 27th minute, then 9:9 in the last one), then right before the buzz Živković and Mršulja quickly scored 1-1 goal, so we finished the first half with 9:11.
In the second half we kept the lead with much more confidence, then in the 41st minute, when the standing was 14:17, Jugović got into power play (Đuričić had to sit out to the bench for 2 minutes) and started to reduce the difference. Their player Beloš scored two goals, the standing was 16:17. Radojković quickly shot and scored (16:18), but from this point on the difference was much smaller and Jugović was right behind us with 1-2 goals only. Finally in the 54th minute they equalized (20:20) and even though Kukić scored one more goal (20:21), the home team equalized again in the 57th minute. For the rest of the game none of the teams could score.
The hero of the day was Lazar Kukić, who just turned 20 this Saturday - he celebrated his birthday with 8 goals. He is followed by Nemanja Živković (5), Ivan Popović (4), Igor Mršulja (2) as well as Matija Pižurica and Mihajlo Radojković (1-1).

Photos will be available probably later, as soon as I find any, I update the post.

Update: photos

Popović is about to tear the net of the home team to pieces

Hero of the day, Lazar Kukić

Đuričić is blocking

Pižurica vs. a home team player

(photos: srls.rs)

Current championship standings:
1. CZ 21 points
2. Sloga 18 points
3. Partizan 16 points
4. Metaloplastika 16 points
5. Požarevac 14 points
6. Jugović 12 points
7. Rudar Kostolac 9 points
8. Morava 9 points
9. Radnički 4 points
10. Železničar 1949 1 point