CHAMPIONS!!! VK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 10:9 (play-off, final, 2nd match)

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

Yes, we!!!
Oh. My. God. OH. MY. GOD. OH! MY! GOD!!!
I still died a few times during the game. No, the stream didn't die this time, just me, but I still brought you some screenshots with my last breath.

Lining up for the introduction of players

Fair-play (mwahaha) handshakes

The boys are getting ready...

...while the team captains discuss with the referees

Then all hands to quarters...

...and a last group hug before swim-off

Here is a video about the roll-call:

Utakmica je počela! Partizan nastupa u sastavu: Rističević (k), Gielen, Tigkas, Manojlović, Subotić, Drašović, Gogov, Jakšić, Vico, Tanasković, Lazić, Asanović, Brakočević, Radojević.
Posted by Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen on Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Then Zvezda took the lead just one and a half minutes after the swim-off. 0:1, unbelievable. First (sudden) death.

Meanwhile this happened. How to strangle Partizan-players slowly but surely

We equalized immediately with Asanović’s goal.

There’s the ball in Zvezda’s box

Then Average Fan blinked twice and it was 2:1, goal scorer: Nikola Jakšić.

Then 3:1. Gogov, from power play. Here Zvezda scored one (3:2), they were also in power play.
We got back our 2-goal advantage almost immediately. Gielen sent a distant cannon shot to Zvezda’s goal and destroyed the right lower corner.

Gilen is swaying the ball just to tear the net into pieces in the next moment

Then Gilen scored another, because it’s always better to be safe than sorry. (5:2) Gilen never acts as chance directs.
Two and a half minutes were left, when Zvezda scored again, now from penalty (5:3).
Then came Gogov’s great moment. Radojević sent him a long cross from the other side of the pool. Gogov pushed it into the box with a delicate movement, almost just stroking it into the net. (6:3)

Gogov celebrating his goal

50 seconds were left from the quarter when Zvezda again scored (6:4) meanwhile both teams were fighting hard with each other.
It was something awful. Partizan played their usual "zone" tactics, while Zvezda came up with the classic man-to-man-fight trick. It meant that whenever we attacked, every Partizan-player got their own barnacle, and these pairs mutually tried to drown each other. The water was boiling sometimes, slap came after slap, and during one of these fights Vico was hit so hard that his nose started to bleed.

This was all you could see. Like when you throw a piece of bloody meat among piranhas

Nemanja Vico could pick himself together, he still had to come out of the pool to get medical attendance

The first quarter finished here.

1/4
Sjajna igra oba tima pred prepunim tribinama Banjice! Nakon prve četvrtine vodimo rezultatom 6-4. Po dva gola su postigli Gogov i Luuk Gielen. #NapredPartizan
Posted by Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen on Wednesday, May 25, 2016

After the goal-rich first quarter the second one brought struggles and clenched teeth. Both teams missed out many chances.
Rističević made some fantastic saves.

Dimitrije "we are closed today" Rističević. He is there behind the water curtain

Zvezda scored their 5th goal only 2 minutes before the end of the first half, in power play, while we couldn’t take advantage of a double power play at the other side of the pool.
This second quarter was a slow brain death in itself, but the third quarter brought the real struggle.
First we made all possible mistakes. Throwing the ball into the goalkeeper from 1 cm, dropping the ball out of the hand in an all-doors-and-windows-open chance and such. Average Fan rapidly grew a lot of new grey hair. Zvezda equalized (6:6). The game turned into more and more ruthless, with a lot of fight and water wrestling. Then 3 minutes before the end we got a penalty. Vico shot and scored. At long last (7:6)

Vico sways, Zvezda’s goalkeeper raises up, but in vain, because in the next moment we were leading again

The problem was that Zvezda equalized again (7:7). Suspends came after suspends on both sides. We had numerous attempts, but we were unable to score. (Thankfully that was true for the opponent as well.)

Time-out at the end of the quarter

3/4
Napeto je u bazenu, a i van njega! Ukupno 3 gola u mrežama, a 7. gol za Partizan je postigao Gavril Subotić. Rezultat je 7-7, u toku je poslednja četvrtina. #NapredPartizan
Posted by Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen on Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Something happened for the 4th quarter. I don’t know what Vladimir Vujasinović told (or didn’t tell) the boys, nevertheless six roaring lions arrived for the final, wearing caps with Partizan-logo. Zvezda-players haven’t even splashed into the water when Subotić took back the lead. Only 20 seconds passed from the quarter.

Yes, over there, that’s our 8th goal

Here an amazing comedy came. It started somewhere with Gogov missing out a penalty.

Average Fan’s last wish was a defibrillator.

Then a guy wearing red shirt started to yell with the referee in an atrocious manner. The ref didn’t bother too much, he just showed the seemingly frustrated dude the red card.

I got to know later that he was not else than Viktor Jelenić, Crvena Zvezda water polo club’s president

Red card

Jelenić can’t stop, while security guards gather around him to carry him out of the pool

I don’t know who he was (if you know, then please, write it to me in the comment box), but he also had to leave

Meanwhile the water wrestling continued. Zvezda equalized again (8:8), but one of their players also got a red card. (The coach had to push him to the bench, because the player just couldn’t shut up. I’m really wondering about the referee’s report and what it will include about these incidents.)

Just a few minutes earlier I wanted to die, but at this point I swept my tears off that ran out from laugh. It’s unbelievable, this circus...

5 minutes were left, when we took back the lead with Vico’s fantastic goal (9:8). Tigkas got fouled out, but he took out Zvezda’s team captain with himself. (I’m not sure if the XXXXL-sized captain was also fouled out or he got a red card.)
Only one and a half minutes were left, when Jakšić scored such a HUGE goal that the echo came from Jajinci (10:8). Zvezda could handle the tension harder and harder. Their second coach also got a red card

because the head coach was suspended from this game, as he got a red card on the previous match

so Zvezda had to play for the rest of the game without coach. They could still score one more goal about a minute before the end, but then they had no more chance. And then came the end buzz

AND PARTIZAN WAS THE CHAMPION!!!

It was time to celebrate. We deserved it.

4/4
VK Partizan je ŠAMPION Srbije za sezonu 2015/2016. !!! Fantastična igra u 4/4 za pobedu rezultatom 10-9. BRAVO MOMCI !!!
Posted by Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen on Wednesday, May 25, 2016

The Preciousssss

Celebrating with the fans

Receiving the medals

Nikola Jakšić among children

Team captain Dimitrije Rističević receives the championship cup from the president of the Serbian Water Polo Association

(photo: hotsport.rs)

(photo: sportske.net)

Family photo with the cup, the team, and... MIŠA TUMBAS

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Here’s a video about how they celebrated:

Šampioni!
Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen - ŠAMPIONI SRBIJE 2015/2016.
Posted by Vaterpolo klub Partizan Raiffeisen on Wednesday, May 25, 2016

VK Banjica - VK Partizan 5:19 (Serbian league play-off, quarterfinal, return match)

This game was back on Tuesday, but I focused more on the Serbian Cup semifinal. Also, as you can see, it was merely just a formality. The only question was how many goals we can score.
In the first quarter Partizan totally controlled the game (0:4). The home team picked themselves a bit for the second, but still they could score their first goal only 38 seconds before the end buzz (1:6). In the third part they reduced the difference to 5:7, which meant it was time to stop fooling around. Gogov quickly scored 3 goals (5:10), then Tanasković and Asanović both scored 1-1 goal, just for the sake of it. (5:12)
The last quarter was a fiesta. We scored 7 (!!!) goals and walked into the semifinal with waving flags, where we’ll play against Radnički Kragujevac.
Every player scored at least one goal from us, the most was earned by Vico (5), followed by Gogov and Drašović (3-3) as well as Manojlović and Asanović (2-2).

The semifinal will be held on 4th May, the return match comes on 7th May. If there’s a third match to be play, that will take part on 14th.

Nemanja Vico

(photo: waterpolopartizan.rs)

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

Question of the day: how on Earth is it possible to screw up a match so much that the half-time 3:7 turns into a buzzer beater draw at the end?
You get what I mean.
Galatasaray is at the last place of the group. So far they had zero (0) point. They earned their one and only point at the last game, that happened to be against us.
The official match report doesn’t tell many details, and there isn’t any other available. At first Galatasaray took the lead, then we quickly scored four goals (first one by Asanović, then Subotić threw two, Tigkas also earned one). Turks could get one more at the end of the quarter, ending it with 2:4.
In the second quarter Galatasaray scored one more goal, tighting the standing to 3:4, we urgently had to do something. Gogov quickly threw two goals (3:6), Subotić scored from penalty, the first half ended with 3:7. At this point it all looked swell.
Well, at this point.
No one knows what could happen in the half-time break. Nevertheless Turks overran us. They scored four (!!!) goals, while we could earn only one (by Nemanja Vico). For the end of the third quarter our advantage was only one goal (7:8).

Where were you, Miloš Obilić?...

The last quarter could be a nightmare. Turks equalized (8:8), then 40 (!!!) seconds before the end they took the lead from power play. (9:8)
Only 17 seconds were left from the game. We attacked. That was probably our last chance.
And we took it.
Draško Gogov scored and this way we could save a point. (9:9)
With this game the Champions League-series ended for VK Partizan. We finished it on the 5th place of Group B with 7 points. From now on we have to focus on the Serbian domestic league, which starts for us this Saturday against Banjica, right with the quarter-final.

Crvena Zvezda - VK Partizan 8:6

This match was supposed to be the eternal derby of Triglav Liga, but the truth is, dear fellow fans that Crvena Zvezda has been excluded from the league. Three of their players’ registration is unclarified, so the League’s jury decided to disqualify them from the series. (What is more, upon the infos of Studio B their president Viktor Jelenić is banned from his office for 18 months.) This match was (theoretically) the eternal derby of the Serbian league.
Well, apart from this we lost.

None of the channels broadcasted the game. Maybe it’s better.

The first half is told to be the worst of all times. Zvezda was on speed, they had a group of new, experienced players and they quickly scored 2 goals (2:0). From us only Gogov could score a bit more than 2 minutes before the end. Still the first quarter ended with 3:1.

Zvezda scored all their 3 goals of the first quarter from power play. If I allowed my black humour to flow, I could say it’s a good sign, because it means our defense line is strong, as they could score only when someone from there was missing. But allow me not to be in a joking mode now.

Zvezda used the same screenplay for the next quarter. From us again only Gogov could score. We finished the first half with 6:2.
Head coach Vladimir Vujasinović obviously didn’t praise the boys in the pause, therefore Partizan came back for the second half being much more determined. We made a 0:3-series (6:5). Zvezda scored (7:5), but the goal scorer Ivan Rackov got such a smash on his head from a Partizan-player that he had to leave the pool and ask for medical attendance.

I don’t know which one of you, brave young lions did this heroic act, but whomever of you it was, high five and hats off to you to demilitarise this America-imported player.

Vico scored, we headed to the final part with 7:6.
For the last quarter there was one Zvezda-goal remaining (8:6) as well as desperate Partizan-attempts (and constantly hitting the goalpost) for the last minutes.

(photo: zurnal.rs)

There is something else I must mention.
Today is the 61st birthday of Miša Tumbas 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HIM!!!!

and the water polo team greeted him for this occasion, because Miša is always there in the Banjica swimming pool whenever the team plays, and Miša is a legend, and the team wanted to somehow pay respect to him and to show gratitude for his support.

(photo: waterpolopartizan.rs)

VK Partizan - Jug Dubrovnik 6:10 (Champions League, Round 6)

I have to confess it to you all, I was watching this game on a Croatian stream. The Serbian broadcaster RTS 2 was blocked at everywhere.

I swear those guys at the state-owned TV make some kind of sport of it that whenever they broadcast an important game, all stream sites show up only error messages.

There was one advantage of this situation though. Croatians broadcasted on ArenaSport 1 in HD-quality, so I could make some really good screenshots during the match.

Introducing the teams

Vladimir Vujasinović

Last discussion and captain Rističević’s encouraging words before kick-off

But the sad reality was that Croatians scored their first goal after 25 seconds (0:1). We missed out two attempts, at one we literally hit the head of a Croatian defender instead of the goal.

Partizan-attack some time in the first quarter

Croatians quickly scored their second goal from penalty (0:2). Our attempts were either saved by the goalkeeper or blocked by defenders. We tried, we attacked, but God knows what Croatians chewed before the game, chips soaked into plutonium or something, they ground us.

Lukas Gilen

Jug soon scored their 3rd goal. The end of the quarter was approaching when we could make our first score by Dimitris Tigkas.

And that was the end of the first quarter (1:3).
In the second quarter (though it was visible even at the end of the first one) our defense line got a bit stronger. We defended more aggressively, we bravely got into one-to-one fights with Croatians, while Rističević made fantastic saves.
Just the problem was that Jug scored their fourth goal, from power play.
We didn’t have to wait long for Partizan’s answer. Tanasković came, saw and threw. 2:4

Croatians immediately, instantly scored another (2:5). It was awful. They were strong, they had great rutin, while Partizan consisted of a lot of very young players.

Meanwhile it was rather depressing to listen to the Croatian commentator’s whoops of joy.

We missed out our chances, all our attempts were blocked. Vladimir Vujasinović asked for time-out...

...but even that didn’t help much. There were only 10 seconds left from the first half, when Croatians scored another goal. 2:6, it was high time for a longer pause.

It wasn’t a cool game, nor was it an exciting game. Nothing special happened, only grinding, struggling, and heavy battles without any spectacular movement.

Mateja Asanović and Dimitris Tigkas in the half-time

Jug started the second half, hitting the goalpost heavily with a shot. After that Stojanović scored our 3rd goal (3:6)

The ball is resting in the corner of the net...

...Stojanović calmly acknowledges it

Here came a short period when nothing happened, then Croatians scored one more goal. The standing was 3:7, it started to get more and more bitter. Partizan-players were fighting hard, but Croatians were just too strong.

One of them is trying to suffocate Nemanja Vico into the pool

Another time-out

Dimitrije Rističević some time during the third quarter

Draško Gogov is trying with a shot at the end of the quarter, but the goalkeeper saved it - so did he with all our other attempts

That’s all about the third quarter.
In the last one first Asanović shot, the goalkeeper saved. We got the ball back, first we shot it right into the goalkeeper from 10 centimetres, maybe. The ball dropped out, we got a corner shot, and this time we made it. Gilen scored, 4:7
The struggling and fighting continued. Subotić got two Croatians on himself as an extra weight, he still shot, the goalkeeper saved. Well, this one he could save. Because the next one left him helpless, Subotić shot and scored, our drawback was only 2 goals (5:7)
Dubrovnik attacks. Great upheaval in our goalmouth, referees whistle, they are convinced that Jakšić made a foul. Croatians get a penalty shot again.

Jakšić can’t believe his ears

Whistle, the Croatian player shoots... and Rističević saves! We swim up, we attack, but the Croatians steal the ball, counter-attack... and they score. 5:8, damn it.
At this point the stream collapsed and stayed in the state of apparent death for a while. When it was willing to work again, only a few seconds were left from the game and Croatians were leading to 5:10. But Subotić scored one last goal only 2 minutes before the end. That was the end result, a very brave, never backing down Partizan against a (compared to us) too strong Dubrovnik.

League table will be brought later.

VK Jug Dubrovnik - VK Partizan 12:4 (Champions League, Round 5)

No one broadcasted. Neither sports channels, nor the state-owned. Not even HRT, God damn them.
And after this we were knocked out.
It doesn't make it any less humiliating that we travelled to Dubrovnik without the injured Gavril Subotić. Jug very quickly took control in their hands and practically ate up the young team of Partizan. They shot 3 goals in the first quarter, while we missed out a penalty, finally Gilen scored just before the end buzz, finishing the first part with 3:1.
In the second quarter Croatians scored 3 more goals, we ended the first half with 6:1.
In the third quarter Gogov and Gilen both scored (6:3), but the Dubrovnik-based team earned 4 goals in the last 4 minutes (!!!). We faced the last part of the game with 10:3.
In the fourth quarter Croatians scored 2 more goals, then Vico earned our 4th one 15 seconds before the end.

League table will be brought later.
Update: current standing of Group B
1. Pro Recco 15 points
2. Dubrovnik 12 points
3. Szolnok 9 points
4. Partizan 6 points
5. OSC 3 points
6. Galatasaray 0 point

Vojvodina - VK Partizan 8:11 (Triglav Liga, Round 11)

The winter holiday has ended in Triglav Liga, Partizan's water polo team started the season in Novi Sad. We were leading to 2:4 for the end of the first quarter, and we didn't slow down even for the second. At the end of the first half our advantage was 4 goals (3:7).
Vojvodina picked themselves together for the third quarter, but it was enough only to reduce their difference to 2 goals (6:8), they couldn't even equalize. In the last quarter Šulc scored from penalty (7:9), then Subotić took the entire team under his armpit and quickly shot two more goals, setting the final result. He was the hero of the day with his 4 goals, followed by Drašović and Asanović (2-2 goals). Manojlović, Gogov and Vico all scored 1-1 goal.

League table comes later.
Update: current standing of the Liga
1. Dubrovnik 30 points
2. Primorje 27 points
3. Jadran HN 24 points
4. Partizan 19 points
5. Mladost 16 points
6. Mornar 10 points
7. CZ 9 points
8. POŠK 7 points
9. Vojvodina 3 points
10. Radnički 2 points

Primorje - VK Partizan 15:3 (Triglav Liga, Round 4)

In a short and laconic style: Croatians killed us.
None of the channels broadcasted it, as usual, the available informations are minimal. What is known is that Primorje was leading to 4:1 in the first quarter. For the half-time it grew to 7:1, at the end of the third quarter it was already 10:1. We could score two more goals in the final quarter, but the Croatians scored 5 at the same time.
Nevertheless it says all that 60 % of all Croatian attempts reached the goalmouth, while Partizan's ratio is only 20 %... or the fact that Primorje's goalkeeper saved 72 % of our attempts, while Rističević could do only 11%...

Where the hell has our defense gone?...

Our goals were scored by Subotić, Jakšić and Vico.
Now go and cry.

Current standing of the Liga:

1. Dubrovnik 12 points

2. Jadran HN 12 points

3. Primorje 9 points*

4. Partizan 7 points

5. CZ 6 points

6. Mladost 4 points*

7. Mornar 3 points*

8. Radnički 0 point

9. Vojvodina 0 point

10. POŠK 0 point*

Teams marked with * have played only 3 games so far.

VK Partizan - Radnički Kragujevac 11:7 (Triglav Liga, Round 2)

Partizan’s water polo team again earned a smashing victory, now against Radnički in the 2nd round of Triglav Liga.
The available informations are less than minimal, what is important that Gavril Subotić was again the hero of the day with 4 goals. He is followed by Mateja Asanović, Nemanja Vico and Nikola Jakšić, all scoring 2-2 goals. Marko Manojlović earned 1 goal.

Nemanja Vico

(photo: vaterpolovesti.com)

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

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