The Hungarian men's water polo team defeated the defending champions Spain 12-11, thereby reaching the finals of the Fukuoka Water World Championship, and at the same time earning a quota for next year's Olympics in Paris.
Since 1998, the Hungarians have been unbeaten against the Spanish in major world competitions.
Zsolt Varga's team will meet the Greeks, who saw off the Olympic champions, the Serbians, in Saturday's final.
The two teams faced each other in the third tournament in a row among the four: Zsolt Varga's team won 10-8 at the European Championship in Split last year, but the Spaniards won by the same margin in the Super Final of the World Cup in Los Angeles a month ago. At the same time, the Hungarians have been undefeated against the Spanish in world competitions (World Cup, Euro, Olympics) since 1998.
Before the meeting, Zsolt Varga made an unexpected move, as he named the 20-year-old Vincé Vigvári in place of Zoltán Pohl, who so far only got a chance in the non-stakes group match against the Argentines. The other one left out was Vigvári Vendel.
The first goal was scored by the Spaniards, Gergő Zalánki was sent off while swimming back, so they easily sold the turn. The first Hungarian goal came almost immediately, scored by Zalánki, who scored six goals in the quarter-final against the Americans, after a pass. Not long after, the Spaniards regained the advantage, making good use of the fact that the Hungarian defense slipped a bit. After a missed Spanish round - Vogel Soma saved three in a personnel disadvantage - Krisztián Manhercz equalized with a great cross. Soon the judges sent Manhercz out, and the rival played the game in a dazzling manner and regained the advantage. On the other side, the answer came quickly, as the captain of the U20 national team, Vigvári, who won the World Cup gold medal in June, shot an indefensible shot into the net with the help of the top bar.
At the beginning of the second quarter, you could only hear the clicking of the goalposts on both sides, then after four minutes of play, the Olympic champion Dénes Varga flashed into the goal with a wonderful free throw. The Spaniards could have equalized from five meters, but Vogel saved the 37-year-old Felipe Perrone's penalty - against the FTC goalkeeper, the Americans committed three five-pointers. The rival equalized quickly anyway, Alberto Munarriz scored with a nice catch goal, and then Perrone was able to score from a similar angle. On the other side, the third Hungarian advantage was missed, but Perrone caught the thread and this time shot into the net from the middle. The Hungarians could have equalized before the break, but another opportunity remained unused.
The Spaniards started the third period with a man advantage goal, so the difference increased to three, but the captain Jansik Szilárd responded quickly. Manhercz's shot first touched the right and then the left post and spun out, and Ádám Nagy's drop also landed on the crossbar. Dániel Angyal broke the unlucky streak, scoring from a pull-up with the man advantage.
Munarriz broke the Spaniards' long goalless streak, but again the ball did not reach the goal in front of the Hungarian man advantage. At the best possible time, 12 seconds before the end of the quarter, German Toni "brought himself" in front of the goal in a huge water battle and pulled it into the net, but the Spaniards still had time to gain a man advantage, but Vogel made a save.
The final eight minutes started with another Spanish goal, but this time the Hungarians also scored with superior numbers, Manhercz scored in the short. Although Vogel saved a big deficit, Sergi Cabanas shot the top right just as time expired.
Zalánki took the Spanish goal from a free throw well before the end of the attacking time, but the rival responded immediately again, not allowing the Hungarians to get close. The German fought for a ball in the middle, he still had the strength to pass almost underwater to Jansik, who made no mistake from close range.
After Vogel's possession, the Hungarian team could attack for the equalizer two minutes before the end, but Márton Vámos did not count and bombed into the net with incredible power (11-11).
The Spaniards got a man advantage with 36 seconds to go - and Zalánki scored - but Varga blocked, with 16 seconds left on the clock. Zsolt Varga asked for time. During the attack, the ball fell into the hands of Manhercz at the last moment, who shot short from a forced position, and the ball flowed under the arm of the world class player Unai Aguirré. Although the referees used the video referee, the ball was clearly inside, thus ending the dramatic battle.
MTI
