USA Men Advance To Euro Cup Group Stage With Strong Qualification Round Showings

European Club Results (Men)

LEN Euro Cup, Qualification Round

Group B
Final rankings:

1. Brescia (ITA) 12
2. Endo Plus Service Honved (HUN) 9
3. Valis Vega (SRB) 6
4. Budvanska Rivijera (MNE) 3
5. Banja Luka (BIH) 0

After spending several successful seasons in the Champions League, Max Irving and Brescia are aiming for another nice campaign, this time in the Euro Cup. Two weeks after failing to make the cut in the Champions League qualification rounds, Brescia started its new season strong by beating Hungary's Honved with a dominant performance. They were fueled by a 5-0 run while shutting out their rivals for 14 minutes. In the end, Irving led the scoring with three goals in a 12-7 win.

Brescia came away with another nice win in Game 2 as the Italians thrashed the Serbian based Valis squad, 17-9 while Irving notched another hat trick.

Brescia produced a dominating win over Banja Luka, 32-3, which secured the Italians' spot in the Group Stage and first place in Group B. Irving found the back of the net four times for Brescia in the victory.

Brescia dominated the whole match against the hosts Budva, as the Italians built a 10-2 lead by halftime and further expanded the margin to win 19-7. Irving tied for the game-high with four goals scored in the contest.
 

Group C
Final rankings:

1. CN Barcelona (ESP) 9
2. Vouliagmeni (GRE) 6
3. Solaris Sibenik (CRO) 3
4. Iren Genova Quinto (ITA) 0

In Barcelona, Sibenik led 8-9 against Dylan Woodhead and Vouliagmeni early in the fourth, but the Greeks ran off four goals in a row and the Croatians could only match the scoring output as Vouliagmeni emerged victorious, 12-10.

CN Barcelona beat Greece's Vouliagmeni in a thriller, 11-13. The match featured twists and turns, as the lead was changing constantly. Knotted at 11-11, the Spaniards netted an action goal with 4:07 to play. Vouliagmeni had two man-up opportunities late but missed both and could not equalize. Woodhead scored once for Vouliagmeni in the tight contest.

Vouliagmeni dismantled Iren Genova in the second half. It was an even game up until the half when the two sides stood at 6-6, but this was followed by a 9-2 scoring binge in the second half which secured the Greeks' spot in the Top 16.
 

Group F
Final rankings:

1. VK Jug AO Dubrovnik (CRO) 12
2. Panathinaikos AC (GRE) 9
3. Bologna De Akker (ITA) 6
4. Pays d'Aix Natation (FRA) 3
5. SV Ludwigsburg (GER) 0

VK Jug handled Tyler Abramson and Bologna De Akker to leave no doubt to the result. The title-holders expanded the gap quarter by quarter and eventually won 16-10. Abramson found the back of the net once for the Italian squad in defeat.

Panathinaikos beat Bologna De Akker 11-4, utilizing a 7-1 run in the first half to put the game away early.

On the last day of qualification, Abramson registered a hat trick to help Bologna De Akker to a 13-10 win over Pays d'Aix Natation but it was not enough to advance.
 

Group H
Final rankings:

1. BVSC-Manna ABC (HUN) 9
2. Pro Recco (ITA) 6
3. Primorje EB Rijeka (CRO) 3
4. CN Terrassa (ESP) 0

Team USA captain Ben Hallock and Recco returned to the European stage in style. The Italians won the clash of the runners-up over Primorje of Croatia with a convincing performance. The Italian team won the middle two periods 8-0 over last season's Euro Cup finalists to kick off their season with a 13-3 win.

Italy's Recco had to overcome some headaches against Spain's Terrassa before securing their berth in the following round. This was a lopsided match until halftime, as Recco led 9-3 and seemed on course for another comfortable win. Then, the Spanish side hit five goals in a row and came back with one (8-9) but couldn't tie the match. Instead, Giacomo Cannella netted two, and Recco never let the Spaniards get close again, winning 15-10 at the end. Hallock netted one goal in victory.

In the match for first place, the home side of BVSC came up with a superb performance and handed Recco a 16-11 defeat. The young Magyars were flying in the second quarter when they staged a 5-1 run to lead 10-5 at halftime. Though Recco had a couple of better spells later on in the match, they could never get within three scores.

Upcoming Matches

LEN Champions League, Group Stage (Day 1)

October 9 - Sabadell (ESP) vs. Savona (ITA)
 

LEN Euro Cup, Group Stage (Draw)

Group A: AN Brescia (ITA), Jug AO Dubrovnik (CRO), Team Strasbourg (FRA), Apollon Smyrnis (GRE)

Group B: Panionios GSS (GRE), CC Ortigia 1928 (ITA), BVSC-Manna ABC (HUN), Vouliagmeni NC (GRE)

Group C: Recco Waterpolo (ITA), Szolnoki Dozsa-Praktiker (HUN), ASC Duisburg (GER), HAVK Mladost Zagreb (CRO)

Group D: Panathinaikos AC (GRE), VK Sabac Elixir (SRB), CN Barcelona (ESP), Endo Plus Service Honved (HUN)
 

Information via European Aquatics