The Hungarian men's water polo team defeated the Italian team 12-10 in the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday after the five-meter events, thus reaching the top four.
The hero of the dramatic clash was Vogel Soma, who saved two five-meter shots in regular time and three five-meter shots in the penalty shootout, and Krisztián Manhercz, who scored five goals and scored the last shot.
The Hungarians will meet the world champions Croatia in Friday's semi-finals.
Result:
men's water polo, quarter-finals:
Hungary-Italy 12-10 (3-2, 1-0, 2-5, 3-2, 3-1) - with five meters
—————————————— ————–
scorers: Manhercz 5, Zalánki 3, Fekete 1, and Di Fulvio, Echenique 3-3, Velotto 2, Presciutti 1
Hungary:
————-
Vogel Soma – Gergő Zalánki, Dániel Angyal, Szilárd Jansik, Dénes Varga, Krisztián Manhercz, Erik Molnár – replacements: Márton Vámos, Ádám Nagy, Vince Vigvári, Gergő Fekete, Balázs Hárai
The two national teams have met several times in recent months. In January, the rejuvenated Hungarian team defeated the Italians in the group stage of the European Championship in Croatia, but the rival triumphed in the semi-finals, while in February, Zsolt Varga's almost Olympic team won the group stage of the World Championships in Doha with five meters.
The teams also hosted each other during the summer preparations, the Italians won the Domino Trans Cup in Margitsziget 13-11, and then in Sicily after five meters at home.
The match started with an undefended Italian goal, and after more than two minutes of play, Manhercz set the tone with a long-range action goal. After another good defense, Dénes Varga appeared from under the water from the center position, and when he was there, he fought for a five-meter shot, which Manhercz sold. On the other side, the Italians also got a penalty, but Andrea Fondelli shot on the post. The Hungarians had a chance to attack for the three-goal difference, but Varga's shot went over the top, and the rival made a lucky save from the man advantage. At the end of the new Hungarian forum, Manhercz came up with the figure, and the class player in his third Olympics shot under the crossbar with tremendous power, scoring his third goal in the first quarter. The referees blew three counters in a row, and the Italians came out better from swimming back and forth, Alessandro Velotto was successful for the second time. Before the break, the Hungarian team could attack with superior numbers, but this time it was Zalánki who couldn't find the goal (3-2).
In the second quarter, the audience could not see a goal for more than five and a half minutes, in this period the whistle of the referees remained almost silent, only the Hungarians had an unused forum. In the end, the Italians could (should) break the deadlock, Vogel still saved the first attempt at a disadvantage, but he proved to be powerless against Francesco Condemi's elemental goal post bomb. During the shot, Condemi hit Jansik in the face, whose eyebrow was torn, so he had to be treated. The referees judged the incident as brutality after watching the video, which meant that the goal was disallowed, Condem was sent off for good, and the Hungarians had a man advantage for four minutes and were able to score a five-pointer, which Manhercz sold. Unfortunately for the referees, it was clear from the replays that Condemi hit Jansik by accident only at the end of the shooting movement, the Italian half of the arena and the entire bench, led by the national team captain Alessandro Campagna, of course, were furious (4-2).
After the turn, the Italians, who still had a man disadvantage for a minute and a half, took the lead, and Francesco Di Fulvio's shot slipped under Vogel's hand. After Vámos's huge goal post, the Italians escaped and Gonzalo Echenique equalized. The Hungarians "froze" in attack, Marco Del Lungo blocked Zalánki's shot in the tenth round, but on the other side, Echenique also scored from action, with which the opponent took the lead, in response to which Zsolt Varga asked for time. The rival Di Fulvio, who was playing in a frenzy, pulled away with two after another brilliant move, and Zalánki finally managed to break the long Hungarian silence. Di Fulvio caught the rhythm, the Pro Recco world class already recorded his third hit, to which his teammate, Zalánki, responded with a catch (6-7).
Echenique finished the first Italian attack of the fourth quarter from the front, Gergő Fekete flashed on the other side, also with superior numbers, and after the missed Italian opportunity, Zalánki surprised the Italian defender and goalkeeper, shooting over the heads of both of them into the net to equalize (8-8). According to the referees, Vogel's displacement reached five meters, but Fondelli's shot was again saved by the Hungarian penalty specialist. Hárai fought hard, and the finisher was Manhercz at the penultimate moment, who also scored the ball on the next attack. There were one hundred seconds left when the Italians had a man advantage, Campagna asked for time, and Nicholas Presciutti finished the game with a goal (9-9).
The Hungarians also got the opportunity from the judges, Zsolt Varga ordered a meeting, after which Manhercz's shot was saved by the Italian goalkeeper. With 42 seconds left in the game, Campagna held a briefing again, but the shot came off the block, from which Jansik escaped and stood alone in front of the goalkeeper, but Del Lungo saved the match for his team with an amazing feat in a five-meter duel.
The drama continued, Varga was the first to make a mistake, but Vogel immediately "equalized". Vámos fired confidently into the lower left corner, and Vogel saved for the second time. The Italians changed goalkeepers, but Zalánki was not disturbed by this. Presciutti made no mistake, but Fekete's shot was saved by Nicosia.
Vogel blocked the five-pointer from his Ferencváros teammate Di Somma, and Manchercz gave the penalty kick.
MTI
Cover photo: Krisztián Manhercz (j) played in the quarterfinals of the men's water polo tournament of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics between Italy and Hungary at the Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre, near Paris, on August 7, 2024.
The Hungarian national team won 12-10 in a penalty shootout. MTI/Tamás Kovács
