Dubrovnik - VK Partizan 9:6 (Triglav Liga, Round 17)

Compared to earlier results we made a pretty good job that we ended up only 3 goals behind them.

Don't look at me like this. You should be glad that I try to stay positive, especially after yesterday. Normally after such events I can only mumble "yada yada yada" for two days.

In the first half the two teams were just strangling each other in the beginning, then approx. 3 minutes before the end of the first quarter Croatians scored the first goal of the game (1:0). Almost immediately (about 30 seconds later) came their second one (2:0). From us Asanović scored soon before the end buzz, setting the result of the first part (2:1).
In the second quarter we equalized right in the beginning, after Subotić scored from penalty (2:2). From this point on the scheme was "Croatians score, Partizan equalizes". But when they scored one more goal 20 seconds before the buzz, we had no time to equalize. Half time, 5:4.
The third quarter brought another episode of water wrestling. The two teams stayed without any goal for a long while, then two and a half minutes before the end Croatians scored (6:4). Then another (7:4). It couldn’t be a happy sight for any Partizan-fan who watched this game instead of the handball eternal derby.

What is more, looking at the statistics, two players from us were fouled out (Drašović and Lazić).

In the last quarter both teams scored 2-2 goals, settling the end result.
The hero of the day was Gavril Subotić, he scored 3 goals. He is followed by Ognjen Stojanović, Mateja Asanović and Filip Radojević, all scoring 1-1 goal.

(photo: waterpolopartizan.rs)

League table will be brought later.

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

VK Partizan - Jug Dubrovnik 6:8 (Triglav Liga, Round 7)

Partizan's water polo team welcomed Croatian team Jug Dubrovnik in the 7th round of Triglav Liga.

There was no broadcast, so again I have to put the events together based on the very few infos. For some reason the Mladost - Mornar game was more important for ArenaSport.

In the first quarter we were leading to 3:1, our goals were scored by Subotić, Radojević and Jakšić. For the half time Croatians equalized (3:3), throwing their two goals only 8 seconds before the end in power play.
For the third quarter the guests took control in their hands. Their defense rolled down the shutters, we couldn’t score any goals, yet they threw two, taking the lead (3:5). In the last part we scored three. It was Drašović, who broke the silence and reduced the difference (6:4). The Dubrovnik-based team also scored one (4:7), at this point Nikola Jakšić brought a goal (5:7). Croatians could throw one goal even in the last minute (5:8), but Tanasković also threw one just before the final buzz, reducing the difference to two goals.

League table will be brought later.

Update: you can find the highlights at this link, click on it, the page doesn't have embed function.

Jug Dubrovnik - VK Partizan 13:7 (Triglav League)

This was not funny.
We kept ourselves until 3:3, even then Stojanović equalized. But even the first quarter was won by the Croatian team to 5:3 and they didn’t really climb down from this height. They made it to 7:3, keeping the lead to 8:4 in the half-time.

I'm not sure how much the fact can be on our defense that neither Subotić, nor Tanasković played. I guess, not at all.

After the half-time we got the coup de grace. At the end of the third quarter the standing was 10:5, they settled the final result in the 4th part.
Partizan’s goals were scored by Mandić (2), Radojević (2), Stojanović (2) and Vico (1).

Current group standings:
1. Primorje 40 points
2. Radnički 32 points
3. Mladost 28 points
4. Partizan 22 points
5. POŠK 16 points
6. Budvanska Rivijera 15 points
7. Jadran ST 10 points
8. Branik Maribor 0 point

VK Partizan - VK Jug Dubrovnik 5:12 (Triglav League)

There isn't much to detail about it... We lost. Croatian team took the lead already in the first quarter, to 1:5. In the second they scored "only" one goal, the half-time result was 1:6. In the third period we threw two goals, but the problem was that the players of Dubrovnik threw another, the standing was 3:7 at this point. In the final quarter they destroyed us.
Only Gavril Subotić can be highlighted from Partizan, he scored two goals. After the match he admitted, the team this night played in a very bad form.

VK Partizan - VK Jug 3:5 (Champions League)

Croats beat us, literally.
One thing is that they were on the lead in the half-time to 0:3. We didn’t give ourselves cheaply, they could score only 1 goal in the entire first quarter and two in the second.
Yet, as for us, we couldn’t throw any goal. Our first score came after 17 minutes, thanks to Mandić. He threw all goals of Partizan, all of them in the 3rd quarter.
Then at the end of the quarter, when the guest team was on attack, the Croatian team captain, Dobud lost his temper and smashed into the face of Manojlović. The young player’s eyebrow started to bleed.

This Dobud was that one who beat up Filip Filipović at a Serbia - Croatia match. For some reason he seems to have a spite against Partizan-players.

The fighting scene:

The "result":