RK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 30:26 (play-off, round 8)

VICTORY!!!!
What a victory! With such a great game!
Our defense line was like concrete. Živković, Radojković, Ćućuz (and everyone else) did a fantastic job.
I brought you LOTS of screenshots.

The teams line up for introducing the players

National anthem with flag

Radojković (17) and Popović (33) during the Serbian anthem

Youth players holding the team logo

The beginning was a nip-and-tuck game (at one point Zvezda took the lead as well), but afterwards we were leading until the end. The opponent couldn’t even equalize. We didn’t allow them to take over control.

Živković is about to score from penalty (he did so, we were leading to 2:1)

Then Zvezda equalized and they took the lead at this point (2:3). It was only the 6th minute of the game, but referees already sent off Popović for 2 minutes.

Popović had a great game today. He was the bastillon of the defense, Zvezda could approach the goal area only through his dead body.

Maksić rushing back after he equalized (3:3)

Kukić is about to throw a penalty (from which he’ll score and Partizan will lead to 4:3)

Referees didn’t really like us. In the first 10 minutes they sent off two Partizan-players for 2 minutes (one of them was Popović mentioned above, the other was Sretenović), other than this they generously handed out yellow cards. At the beginning they gave out at least 3 (okay, they were for Zvezda, too). Then at 5:5 Partizan got fed up with this nip-and-tuck fumbling and we put ourselves into action.

The moment when Sretenović got his 2-minute penalty. Kukić took back the lead for us just before that

Kukić then sped up and scored two more goals for us. We jumped to 8:6.

Lazar Kukić

And we continued it like this, always with an advantage of at least 2-3 goals.

Milan Ćućuz, one of the heroes of the derby. He had fantastic saves for the whole game

Like this one

This was one of the best moments of the match. Zvezda attacked, but Partizan’s defense line tackled them. Radojković grabbed the ball, ran up, made an amazing counter-attack, then raised up to the air and smashed a HUGE goal into the net. (12:9)

Nemanja Živković from behind, as he’s wiping his face

Then our captain Mršulja also signed himself on the list of goal scorers a few times. We finished the first half with 16:13.

Oppa Zvezda-style - the head coach angrily explains something to Mandić, who claims (seemingly annoyed) that whatever it is about, it was not his fault

Živković scored the last goal of the first half, after that he laid on the court in pain

Ivan "Grozni" Popović

The second half started immediately with Popović being sent off for the second time. Zvezda took advantage of the power play and reduced the difference to 16:15, meanwhile we missed out a number of chances.

Pešić can’t believe his eyes after one of these missed-out attempts

Finally Radojković broke the silence and in the 34th minute he made us jump to 17:15 (he is hurrying back on this screenshot after his goal)

Then we didn’t stop until 19:16, but even then it was just for Ćućuz and his great penalty-saving.
Afterwards we continued with the goal-factory. At this screenshot Živković is celebrating the team’s 20th goal scored by him of course.

This was that point, around the 44th minute that the referees got totally fed up with Popović and they sent him off for the third (and last) time.

Popović got standing ovation and walked off the court like a hero

But even the referees couldn’t stop us marching towards victory. Zvezda had some bitter, struggling attempts, but our defense line was harder than the walls of Kalemegdan.

Meanwhile Popović walked up to the tribune and sat down among fans

Unfortunately I couldn’t catch that frenetic moment, when Živković scored the world’s greatest troll goal at 25:22. He ran up, broke through the defense, raised up to the skies, then lobbed the ball above the goalkeeper’s head with a refined movement. Instead I caught that, when Kukić speeds up (then at the end of the attack, when the goalkeeper is about to pass the ball to the teammate for another Zvezda-attack, Sretenović appears out of the blue and throws the ball into the net among the shocked red players).

Here he is, Stevan Sretenović, celebrating his goal

A few more screenshots from the match:

Mršulja celebrating his goal he scored while Zvezda (!) was in power play

Head coach Nenad Maksić

Pešić scored our last goal

End of the match, Sretenović goes to shake hands with the opponent

End result and a victorious Živan Pešić

Group hug

The hero of the game is Mihajlo Radojković with 7 goals. He is followed by Nemanja Živković (6), Živan Pešić (5), Lazar Kukić and Igor Mršulja (4-4), Stevan Sretenović (3) as well as Aleksa Maksić (1).

This game and the upcoming two will determine whether we can enter SEHA League next season. We won this match, in the next round we’ll play against Sloga (away), then in the last round we’ll be the hosts against Metaloplastika. Metaloplastika is definitely one of the toughest opponents, yet we must not shrug off Sloga either.
Still it’s not impossible.
COME ON, BOYS, TAKE ’EM ALL!!!

Current standing of the play-off:
1. Vojvodina 13 points
2. Metaloplastika 13 points
3. Partizan 10 points
4. Spartak Vojput 7 points
5. Sloga 3 points
6. CZ 2 points

RK Partizan - Spartak Vojput 34:28 (Serbian SuperLiga, Winners' Stage, Round 8)

What a shame. I forgot about the handball team during the great upheaval around football and basketball in the past few days. Though on their latest match our handball players had a fantastic victory against Spartak Vojput.
We needed this victory as the starving needs a piece of bread. And this victory was also special because before this clash Partizan had been at the lower ranks of the league table, while Spartak was second behind Vojvodina.
As much as I could gain from reports, the first half was a nip and tuck game. What is more, around the end Spartak took advantage of our mistakes and switched the standing to their benefit for the half-time to have a one-goal advantage (12:13).
Then Partizan sped up for the second half. Everything was at the right place, everything started to work and roll. After a while the opponent gave up speeding up to our pace. 6-7 minutes before the end our advantage was 8 goals (30:22, then 31:23). For the end the Subotica-based team reduced a bit their difference, but nobody could take away this victory from us.
On Sunday Partizan will clash with Metaloplastika, and you will raise your butt and go to the Banjica sports hall to scream your throat out. This will be the last round of the Winners' Stage, and if we win and can finish on the 2nd place of the league table, we can qualify to SEHA Liga for the next season.

Ćućuz, the golden-handed goalkeeper

"Gimme that ball, bro" - Radovanović tackles the opponent’s player

A Spartak defender hanging on Igor Mršulja

Lazar Kukić

Someone is trying to score a goal to Mihailo Ilić

Air Vanja

Group hug

(photos: rkpartizan.rs)

Curent standing of the Winners' Stage:
1. Vojvodina 16 points
2. Spartak Vojput 9 points
3. Partizan 7 points
4. Jugović 6 points
5. Radnički 5 points
6. Metaloplastika 5 points

RK Partizan - RK Vojvodina 24:25 (superliga play-off, round 6)

In the beginning it was a nip and tuck game. 3:3, 5:5, in the 17th minute it was 7:7. Then in the 20th minute we were leading to 9:7, meanwhile Ćućuz made miracles in the goal area. Our defense line was made from concrete, for the 23rd minute we have increased the difference to 10:7.
Soon before the end of the first half Vojvodina picked themselves together. First they just reduced the difference (12:10), then they equalized (12:12). We missed out numerous chances, also whenever Vojvodina attacked, one of their players always sneaked up to the right corner, from where he smashed the ball into our net with a deceitful trick, meanwhile Partizan-defenders desperately tried to throw themselves into the way, but most of the time they were too late.
The second half started with a draw (15:15), then on one hand Vojvodina took the lead (15:16), on the other Partizan-players were smashed on the ground too often. The team physician had a kind of "shuttle service" always running up and off the court to give medical assistance. We equalized with blood and sweat (18:18), but in the 43rd minute the standing was 18:20. Vojvodina’s defense line was very strong, their goalkeeper saved everything, even the impossible, additionally one had a growing suspicion that maybe even referees didn’t like us that much.
18:21.
19:22. Vanja Ilić falls to the court, he is in pain, but stands up heroically, with clenched teeth, shakes himself and continues to play. Then one of our players was pushed into the goal area. The referee whistles - and gives a penalty to Vojvodina. The entire Partizan bench jumps up, everyone facepalms, but the referee is relentless, he points at the 7-metre line. Vojvodina’s player shoots, Ćućuz saves with a giant movement, but the ball is again in Vojvodina’s possession. At this point they have run out of compassion, they shot and scored. 21:24. Meanwhile a goal was invalidated for us, and Vojvodina’s goalkeeper rolled down the shutters and saved even the indefensible with a smirk on his face.
Despite all these, we reduced the difference for the 53rd minute to 23:25. A bit later we got a penalty. The difference was only one goal afterwards. (24:25) We miss a chance, Vojvodina comes up slowly and comfortably, just walking, playing for time... and Ćućuz has a great save again. We run up for a counter-attack. There is an upheaval behind the free throw line, finally the referee takes a big breath and gives us a penalty. Mršulja stands on the 7-metre line. Whistle. Mršulja shoots... and the ball hits the goalpost.
Almost immediately comes the end buzz.

It’s surely more than difficult now for Igor Mršulja. There is the (absolutely understandable) pangs of conscience, but at the same time Sportski Žurnal has already started to mock him for the missed penalty. I can say only what I have said a million times: if you have never ever had your hand or knee shaken in the crucial, edgy moment, only then raise your hand. Mršulja is a hero, because in such a moment, when everything is hanging on a thin thread, most people dirt their pants and escape. Only the bravest stays there, risking even the possibility of not making it. A big high five and respect to our young left back.

Right now Partizan is positioned as 5th in the play-off with 1 victory, 1 draw and 4 defeats. Vojvodina is on the top of the table, they won all 6 matches so far. The other 4 teams of the play-off have their matches on Saturday.

Igor Mršulja being attacked by two Vojvodina-players

(photo: zurnal.rs)

RK Partizan - Rudar Kostolac 27:28 (SuperLiga, Round 18)

It wasn’t funny.
Let’s make it clear: being defeated is never funny. Especially not with just one goal. And such a defeat that comes from the team on the 8th place of the league table is the "Are you kidding?"-category.
Kostolac was on the lead practically for the whole time.

Well, okay. That’s not true. We took the lead for approx. one and a half minutes, to 2:0. Then it was gone.

Once we could almost equalize, but then guest team player Nedeljković sped up, about a minute before the end.
The hero of the day is goalkeeper Ćućuz with 16 saves, plus once he even saved a penalty. The most goals (7) were scored by Vanja Ilić.
Yet we are still on the 4th place of the league table, our position is not in danger. Thank God.

(photo: zurnal.rs)

Current championship standings:
1. Spartak Vojput 25 points*
2. Jugović 24 points*
3. Metaloplastika 23 points*
4. Partizan 22 points
5. Crvena Zvezda 19 points*
6. Železničar 18 points
7. Požarevac 15 points*
8. Rudar Kostolac 14 points
9. Planinka 14 points*
10. Kolubara 0 point

Teams marked with * will play on Saturday.