The water polo team is the champion!!!!

This whole story starts in the Banjica swimming pool, where the team played the 2nd match of the final (you can read about the first one here)

and I send a nuclear bomb right into the lap with all my heart to that person who again put the water polo and football match right to the very same date and time

where the two teams fought and struggled with each other for 32 minutes, to make it to 7:7 for the end.
It began with Mandić, who came, saw and it resulted in 2:1 for us for the end of the first quarter. Partizan started with great pace and pressure, while the Kragujevac-based team was just watching with a dry resignation as our Captain scored two goals.

(photo: sportskacentrala.com)

For the second quarter they picked themselves together. They shot 3 goals, but at the same time we also scored 3. We were leading to 5:4 in the half-time. Radnički figured out, if they hadn’t done something very quickly, they would have waved goodbye to the championship title dreams.
After this they took the lead to 5:7 for the third quarter.
It must not keep going like this.

Timeout

(photo: sportskacentrala.com)

There came the 4th quarter.
Jakšić got the ball and scored. 6:7, the difference was only one point then. At the other side of the pool Rističević saved even the impossible.

Statue to him and Soro, NOW, to the entrance of the Banjica pool.

Subotić equalized. End buzz, 7:7. Penalty shootout. Soro was at our goal line, he was the goalkeeper in the first half as well.
And it was an excellent choice. Soro

engild both his hands

saved two penalties. One of them was shot by Ćirić, he saved it literally with his forehead. The other was by Vuksanović. The end result was 12:13, the team was looking forward to the Saturday match with two victories behind them.

(photo: zurnal.rs)

A big thank you to SOS Kanal to upload the highlights of these matches to their Youtube-channel. Without these videos I could have written even less about this match, because - you can pelt me with stones - I was watching the football team’s victory and joy in Kruševac.

Then came Saturday, third match, again in the Kragujevac swimming pool.

This was the most awful. At first it seemed to be perfect. It started after the football match, it all looked too good to be true.
Well, it wasn’t.
The match was broadcasted only by RTS 2. No other channel took it over, and none of the goddamn stream links worked. As if an elephant would have sit on all of them. I swear, I grew 10 years older during these one and a half hours, when I got to know the result. My gratitude goes to pafteq to inform me.

All that I could learn from the different reports, it could be the Match of the Year, nerve-racking, with lots of battles, being uncertain about the final result until the end buzz. We won the first quarter to 4:5. We were still on the lead to 5:7 in the half-time, but Radnički didn’t let themselves push down and it was clear, we must not gather long-term conclusions from this two-goal difference.
It was especially true when Kragujevac reduced the difference to one goal for the third quarter, when we were leading to 9:10. We were ahead with one goal, but the end seemed to be further than ever.
In the last quarter it was a nip and tuck game. One and a half minutes before the end the standing was 13:13.

Those lucky fans who could watch the game, were searching for heart pills at this point, or screamed for defibrillator.

And here came Dušan Mandić and his left hand.
13:14!!!!! We are leading!!!!
And it was still not the end.
Because only 30 seconds before the final buzz our goalkeeper, Dimitrije Rističević, who made wonders again at our goal line, performed one of his best, or not even the best save of his career by keeping our net from Basara’s shot.
End.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!
This is our 26th championship title, just like for the football team!!!!
Happiness. Joy. Tears. Screaming, singing, jumping to the water with clothes on.

(photos: zurnal.rs)

The players got these T-shirts after the victory. It says (approx.) "despite all, we are champions again".

(photo: juznifront.com)

(photo: Twitter)

Then they arrived back to Belgrade, where a bunch of happy fans with torches were waiting for them in Banjica.

(photos: juznifront.com)

Partizan will enter Champions League in the next season.

Match highlights:

VK Partizan - VK Crvena Zvezda 12:9 (Triglav League)

It was a great match.
The two teams started immediately a heavy fight. Nemanja Vico scored the first goal (1:0). Mandić quickly brought two more (3:0, the latter one from penalty), meanwhile on the other side Slobodan Soro saved all tryings of Zvezda with a wide grin.
They could still threw two (3:2), then Draško Gogov shot one just before the end buzz, because it’s better to be safe than sorry. (4:2)

In the beginning of the second quarter the stream died. Me too, a bit.

More than 3 minutes passed until the first goal of the second part, scored by Subotić (5:2). Goalkeeper Šefik just watched with shock, not knowing what happened... Yet Zvezda couldn’t take advantage of a double power play (two Partizan-players were sent off). They still reduced the difference from a counter-attack (5:3), they made a speed-swim to our goal line and shot.
Mandić again scored from penalty (6:3), Soro was the strong bastion of our defense. At the end of the first half, just 10 seconds before the buzz the opponent scored, so we went to the half-time pause with 6:4.
The 3rd quarter started and Zvezda didn't even pushed themselves at the swim-off. Mandić didn’t hesitate much, but scored another goal (8:5).
Then referees showed the red card for Vladimir Vujasinović. (He complained after a foul, referees didn't like it.) The head coach found a place on a tribune, from that point on the second coach was in charge.
Soro was still our biggest strength, Subotić had a brilliant try left, he wanted to shoot with a backhand twist, but he missed. (Had he scored, it would have been the Goal of the Month.)
The final part was opened by Stojanović (9:5), Zvezda had an instant reply (9:6) - but us, too! Repanović scored, immediately (10:6). Zvezda kept on trying (10:7), our rapid reaction came by Manojlović (11:7). What is more, Mandić stole the ball, swam up to Zvezda’s goal line like a shark on speed (all defenders were left far behind him) and threw the ball into the net without mercy (12:7). Zvezda had two goals left to score, but they couldn’t switch the standing to their benefit.

(photo: sportske.net)

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)

VK Crvena Zvezda - VK Partizan 8:8 (Triglav League)

We started with a good pace. Average Fan even had distant day-dreams about a possible high goal difference victory over the red team, especially that the match was organized in Milan Gale Muškatirović Swimming Pool.
In the first quarter we were self-confident, winning it to 3:4. Slobodan Soro finally came back home from Brazil and made miracles at the goal line. Subotić and Mandić made a fool of Šefik time after time. We even made it for the half-time, being on the lead to 4:6.
The third quarter is yet something to forget as quickly as possible. Nothing worked, the entire period was a desperate swimming between the two goal-lines struggling. It isn’t much of a comforting thought that the opponent also failed to take advantage of their chances, the quarter’s only goal was still scored by them soon before the end. Their goalkeeper picked himself together and their defense line formed a much stronger wall than in the first half.
The last quarter was a total nervous breakdown. Red team equalized, then they even took the lead (8:7). Their goalkeeper made impossible tricks while having a wide grin at Partizan-players who seemingly turned into more and more pale. Finally Jakšić got fed up and equalized 40 seconds before the end buzz.

The team’s best were Subotić, Mandić and Stojanović, all scored 2-2 goals.