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

Metaloplastika - RK Partizan 30:24 (Serbian Cup, semifinal)

I have a strong suspicion that the reason why Metaloplastika allowed us to win over them with 7 goals was that they knew well they’d beat the hell out of us at this game.
It was awful to watch. I swear those guys ate cement fro breakfast. Their defense line was like concrete and their goalkeeper saved even the impossible.

I tried to make screenshots, but only the flashy advertising boards were visible in the Šabac sports hall instead of the players. It made an interesting shadow-show though; interesting, but not enjoyable at all.

The team is arriving at the court, players were called one after the other

National anthem

Then the game started and that was all you could see. Nothing else. (I have to admit though, those advertising boards were totally cool.)

At first it was a nip-and-tuck game until approx. the 7th minute (4:4), then Metaloplastika probably got fed up with this smooth pace and jumped to 8:5. Their goalkeeper saved all our attempts, their players got into heavy clashes without hesitation. It was visible they’re not just more experienced than our young players but probably they’ve been preparing for this cup semifinal for a while, putting even their shirts to this game.

Well, yea. They surely didn’t want to let down their own spectators.

Their defense line was unbreakable, even for Ivan Popović, our Ivan The Terrible, the Fist of Partizan. In the 15th minute Metaloplastika was ahead with 10:5. What is more. Soon before the half-time it was 16:8 for them. The first half ended with 17:9, and even this standing we provided with a lot of struggle.
The second half continued where the first ended. The two teams played a very tough game - it was sportsmanlike, but rough, with lots of man-to-man fight. Metaloplastika was leading for the whole time, in the 43rd minute it was 22:15 for them. At this point we started to reduce the difference, with sweating, with struggling, with clenched teeth, from goal to goal. For the 50th minute through a heroic fight we came up to 24:20. A ray of hope, that we might still be able to make it...
Unfortunately Metaloplastika woke up still in time and they ground us alive. We tried, we fought hard, but we had a lot of missed-out attempts and/or the nasty grin of Metaloplastika’s goalkeeper as he saved practically everything.
That’s all, folks.
The hero of the day is Lazar Kukić with 7 goals. He is followed by Nemanja Živković and Stevan Sretenović (5-5), Igor Mršulja (4), Mihajlo Radojković (2) and Živan Pešić (1).

This team definitely deserves a big, big CONGRATULATIONS and a salute. Not just for this game, but for their performance in the entire season. For head coach Nenad Maksić, who shaped this very young team so much (keep in mind that team captain Igor Mršulja will be 22 this summer) that they defeated experienced, old players and internationally acclaimed teams. For winning over the eternal opponent in the play-off and finishing the season at the 3rd place of the league table with a fantastic performing. All these while the club was (and probably still is) at the verge of going bankrupt, the president resigned in the middle of the season because he didn’t see the existing financial/material conditions eligible enough and the players didn’t receive salary for months. So now you raise up, stand in attention and salute for them.
Well done, boys!

Grave Diggers in the Šabac sports hall

(photo: Facebook/Restoran stadiona Partizan)

RK Partizan - Metaloplastika 30:23 (play-off, round 10)

This game was interesting not only because it was the last round of the championship, but because these two teams will clash again within 4 days - on 2nd June, to be more precise, at 18:00, in the semi-final of the Serbian Cup. This and the championship title having already been decided brought the two teams trying to hide their tactics for the Serbian Cup Final Four (according to the match report at the handball team’s website).
The first half brought an equal(-looking) game. It was sort of a "ping-pong" game, one goal here, one goal there, with only one goal of difference. We jumped to a two-goal-difference in the 23rd minute first (10:8), then even though Metaloplastika equalized (10:10), we still set back to the two-goal advantage in the 27th minute (13:11) and we kept it up for the half-time as well (16:14).
The second half brought a more stable Partizan-advantage, sometimes with 2-3-4 goals. What is more, two minutes before the end we were leading with 7 goals (28:21). This difference can be seen in the end result, too.
The hero of the day was Nemanja Živković with 11 (!!!) goals. He is followed by Igor Mršulja (4), Mihajlo Radojković and Lazar Kukić (3-3), Stevan Sretenović, Vuk Milenković and Živan Pešić (2-2) as well as Mijat Perunčić, Nikola Ivanović and Mihajlo Stošjević (1-1).
The handball championship have ended. Vojvodina won the championship title with 17 points. Partizan finished on the 3rd place.

CONGRATULATIONS and salute to the players and the coach staff for the fantastic result, for the brave fight and for sticking to the team even in the hardest times!
Well done, boys!!!

(photo: Facebook/Partizan is life)

End result of the play-off:
1. Vojvodina 17 points
2. Metaloplastika 15 points
3. Partizan 12 points
4. Spartak Vojput 9 points
5. Sloga 5 points
6. CZ 2 points

Metaloplastika - RK Partizan 25:17 (play-off, round 5)

This match was back in the week-end, but there's still no materila (photo, video, anything) about it.

Okay, there is one, that one at the bottom of this post, from the team's home page. But news sites and the superliga's page pretend as if there was no handball championship in Serbia.

The result was expectable (still it's painful...) - Metaloplastika has the biggest chance to win the championship title, their players all have the routine needed, and it seems it was crucial at this match.
In the first half Metaloplastika was leading for almost the whole time. We equalized around the 21st minute (8:8), then we even took the lead with Kukić’s goal (8:9). We kept our one-goal advantage until the 27th minute, when the home team equalized (10:10), and they took back the lead in the last minute (11:10).

Those who allowed this match report to get online should be cursed with a sledge ride in the company of all the devils of hell. 

In the second half Metaloplastika sped up and was leading with 3-4 goals in the first part of the second half. Then they increased the difference to 21:13 and we couldn’t really keep the pace. Around the end of the game the standing was 24:15 (I can’t tell which minute it was, but it was surely over the 50th) and they even scored one goal in the last minute. That’s it, better to forget this game as it is and move on.
Kukić and Živković scored the most goals (5-5), they are followed by Sretenović (3), Maksić (2) as well as Radojković and Pešić (1-1).

Kukić is trying to break through Metaloplastika’s defense line, while Popović is blocking the home team’s No. 4 player

(photo: rkpartizan.rs)

Current standing of the play-off:
1. Metaloplastika 10 points
2. Vojvodina 7 points
3. Partizan 6 points
4. Spartak Vojput 5 points
5. CZ 2 points
6. Sloga 0 point

Metaloplastika - RK Partizan 27:26 (superliga, round 17)

I’d start it with a question: who did this? (And who allowed it to be uploaded?)
These match reports are the basis of my blogposts about handball. If they look this terrible, then how should fans get informed about what was going on at the game - because we can’t rely on any sports media, only the handwritten, cell-phone-photographed and uploaded reports of the association.
Anyway, I downloaded it and could make it more or less readable, thanks to GIMP Image Editor. But all those who tried to access via cell phone were surely cursing loud.
We were defeated by one goal. One goddamned goal in the very last minute.
We were leading for most of the first half. Our advantage was not much, only 1 goal, then the home team took the lead in the last 8 minutes. We were still behind them continuously. The standing was 15:15, when Metaloplastika scored probably seconds before the end buzz. 16:15 was the half-time result.
The second half was approx. the same as the first. We equalized, then it was the well-known ping-pong-game: one goal here, equal, one goal there, equal, one goal here, equal, etc.

The battle of two raging giants. There could be a big fight on the court, that’s when I feel sorry that nobody broadcasted.

The end was the same as of the first half. The standing was 26:26, only 3 minutes were left. Metaloplastika scored in the very last minute and we probably had no time to equalize.
Three of us scored six goals tonight: Nemanja Živković, Mihajlo Radojković and Igor Mršulja. Stevan Sretenović, Lazar Kukić and Ivan Popović scored 2-2 goals, while Mijat Perunčić and Živan Pešić added 1-1.
Photos from the game:

(photos: srls.rs)

League table comes later, there’s one more match left from this round that will be played next Wednesday.

RK Partizan - Metaloplastika 20:20 (superliga, round 8)

Referees fought hard for this draw, so much that 4 minutes before the end we were leading to 20:16 and then came the twist of the storyline.

The atmosphere could have been fantastic at the Banjica sports hall with 1300 spectators.

(photo: Facebook/Partizan is life)

Update: Grave Diggers making a fantastic atmosphere

Earlier this week Grave Diggers made an appeal to all Partizan fans, calling them to come as many fans to this match as possible. The handball team - just like almost all other departments of Partizan - has got very serious financial problems. The income they got from the entrance tickets literally meant survival for them.

This match was broadcasted live by RTS 2. Dear fans, miracles do happen.

The problem was that the only available link was more dead than the mummy of Tutankhamon. The only option left was the usual ’prayingwhilesittingneartheinternetconnection" for ’thesoonestpossiblevictory’.

In short: we were leading for the whole first half. At the very beginning Metaloplastika scored the first goal, then they could only try to equalize. We finished it with 9:9.
For the second half the guest team picked themselves together. They took the lead, though they couldn’t keep it for too long, the difference was always only 1 goal. Then in the 41st minute Radojković equalized (13:13), then we took back the lead with Đuričić’s goal (14:13). From this point on we didn’t let control out of our hands. We were always leading with 2, 3, sometimes even 4 goals (19:15).
Then came the 56th minute. The standing was 20:16 for us, when referees decided that their time has come. They sent off two Partizan-players immediately, Metaloplastika thanked the chance and equalized for the end (20:20).
The hero of the day was Igor Mršulja with 7 goals. He is followed by Andrija Đuričić (3). Mihajlo Radojković, Lazar Kukić, Aleksa Maksić and Ivan Popović all scored 2-2 goals, Nemanja Živković and Matija Pižurica added 1-1 scores to the result.

Update: end of the game - high fives and celebrating together

Igor Mršulja in a "sandwich"-position, but he was still unstoppable

Goalkeeper Tomić was in shape

Grave Diggers

Ivan "Parni valjak" Popović

Nemanja Živković

(photos: srls.rs)

Current championship standings:
1. CZ 13 points
2. Sloga 13 points
3. Metaloplastika 12 points
4. Partizan 11 points
5. Požarevac 7 points
6. Morava 7 points
7. Jugović 7 points
8. Rudar Kostolac 6 points
9. Radnički 3 points
10. Železničar 1 point

RK Partizan - Metaloplastika 23:28 (Serbian SuperLiga, Winners Stage, Round 9)

May a thunderbolt crash into all goddamned sports sites that none of them was willing to report about Partizan’s handball match. Only Sportski Žurnal was soooo generous to mention in a half-sentence that "Partizan lost against Metaloplastika", but the battle between Spartak and Radnički seemed to be more important for them. I have had more than one and two rants about sports/news sites barely or never mentioning RK Partizan or handball in general. For God’s sake, there is the superliga, players, teams, fans, please, respect them by writing match reports.

The fact is still a fact though, we lost against Metaloplastika. I must sadly admit, Metaloplastika was better. The truth is, we missed out too many chances and goal attempts for the entire match, and Metaloplastika used it for their own benefit.
In the first half both teams built a concrete wall around their penalty area. There was a big battle on the court, with very few goals, about 10 minutes before the end the standing was 4:6. Teams started to score in the last minutes of the half. 5 minutes before the end it was 8:10. At a point we could equalize (10:10), that was the only moment we could catch up with the guests. The result of the first half was 11:13.
In the beginning of the second half Metaloplastika was leading to 13:16. It soon became 13:18. We still missed out our attempts... Vanja Ilić scored two, reducing the difference (15:18), but the guests were still leading. Around the 48th minute we made it to 21:22, but at this point the game was fragmented, there were a lot of fouls. A Partizan-player (I’m not sure which, it was impossible to see his shirt number from the distance) got so injured he couldn’t continue the match. (Mršulja substituted him.) Metaloplastika made a 4-goal series (21:26). There were maybe 2 minutes left from the game when both teams started to score in large scale. The problem was that Metaloplastika scored more than us.
The hero of the game was Vanja Ilić, scoring 8 goals. He is followed by Sretenović (4 goals), Marsenić (3), Radojković, Kukić and Popović (2-2) as well as Mršulja and Pavić (1-1). You can watch the first half here, the second here.

Current standing of the Winners Stage:
1. Vojvodina 18 points
2. Spartak Vojput 10 points
3. Partizan 7 points
4. Metaloplastika 7 points
5. Radnički 6 points
6. Jugović 6 points

Metaloplastika - RK Partizan 29:31

Handball season started and what else could be a more styled opening than a victory. The team was playing for the whole time with high self-confidence. At first we made it to 3:6 with the help of Živković, then in the 24th minute it was 9:15 for us.
In the second half it started to look like a training match (13:20), the Šabac team mostly just assisted for our actions. Finally they picked themselves together for the last 10 minutes, stabilized their defense line and reduced the difference to 25:28. Ivan Popović was the one whose goals decided the end result in the last minutes.

A group of Grave Diggers travelled to Šabac to support the team. They even got police escort (probably as a Valentine’s Day present). They made a fantastic atmosphere. A big thank you to you, guys, for being there!

Thanks to sportuzivo.tv you can watch both halfs in full length.

1st half:

2nd half:

RK Partizan - Metaloplastika 27:27 (Serbian handball superleague, Round 4)

I want to thank posteriorly to all whom it may concern NOT to mention this match at anywhere and I had to dive to the depths of internet again to be able to identify (more or less) the details of this match. I'm fed up that seemingly really nobody cares about the handball superleague, the team's Facebook-page has also been deleted, the update of their website isn't always up to date, to say the least, e.g. the players of the 2014/15 season are still not listed. No, I do not understand at all and I do not apologize for this rant. Goddamn it, at least try to respect the team and refresh the site regularly. Even if you're in pieces, both financially and morally. There are fans who do care about the team. (Just like those 300 people who visited today the Banjica sports hall.)
As for the facts: the result was a draw, though at the halftime the guest team was ahead with 2, to 13:15. The hero of the day was young Lazar Kukić, scoring 6 goals.

(image: rkpartizan.rs)

He was followed by Ilić and Sretenović, both scoring 5 goals, then Jovanović and Radojković (3-3). 2-2 goals were scored by Pešić and Mršulja, and Popović also earned 1, just to make everything alright.

Current championship standings:

1. Metaloplastika 6 points
2. CZ 5 points
3. Železničar 5 points*
4. Požarevac 4 points*
5. Jugović 4 points
6. Spartak Vojput 4 points
7. Partizan 4 points
8. Rudar Kostolac 3 points
9. Planinka 3 points
10. Kolubara 0 point

Those marked with * played only 3 matches.