DIVISIÓN DE HONOR FEMENINA I The best League (Iberdrola) in the world starts...
This Saturday, without a doubt, the best League in the world starts. We are talking about the División de Honor Femenina or Liga Iberdrola, because this year it has a green ally as a surname. Without the risk of being presumptuous, the data does not lie: the 13 current Olympic champions are going to play in this championship, which also has three of the four best clubs in Europe after last year's Final Four, with Astralpool CN Sabadell as continental queens WATERPOLO F IN CAPITAL LETTERS!
Rodrigo Gil-Sabio (RFEN Aquatics Communication)
As an 'appetizer', this last Wednesday there was an advance match of the first day, in which CN Terrassa beat EPlus CN Catalunya by 10-7 in the Olympic Area thanks to the offensive success of Olympic champion Isa Piralkova, Paula Prats or the Dutch Nina Ten Broek.
The rest of the matches that will be played this Saturday, October 12, the Feast of El Pilar, are: CN Sant Feliu-Santa Cruz Tenerife Echeyde (12:00), CE Mediterrani-CD Waterpolo Iruña 98 02 (13:00), CN Sant Andreu-Astralpool CN Sabadell (13:00), Simalga Real Canoe NC-Assolim CN Mataró (13:30) and CN Rubí-Zodiac CN Atlètic-Barceloneta (16:00).
Without a doubt, the big duel of the first day will be the one between Sant Andreu (current Queen's Cup champions) and Sabadell (current European champions). No less than 9 Olympic champions in the pool: 5 from CNSA and 4 from CNS. Pure spectacle to start off a duel that was already epic and recurring last season. Let's see how the teams led by bench strategists Javier Aznar and David Palma handle themselves.
ASSOLIM CN MATARÓ DEFENDS TITLE
The League champions, Assollim CN Mataró, visit Madrid with their squad transformed by more than 50%. We must watch with anticipation the new proposal of Dani Ballart, who in principle starts as the main candidate to take the points from Pez Volador against a Simalga Real Canoe NC that hopes to maintain the category and, if they are allowed, to be a little higher up to avoid agonizing final days.
Santa Cruz Tenerife Echeyde travels to Catalonia to face CN Sant Feliu. The islanders come from playing the European phase of the Champions League - they will return to the Eurocup - and seem more experienced than their rivals, although we must also wait to see the new proposal of the hosts.
CE Mediterrani, with its new Olympic signings Anni Espar and Laura Ester, is looking to get off to a strong start by hosting the recently promoted CD Waterpolo Iruña 98 02. Both teams will be playing in different leagues once they part ways on the second matchday, with the exception of the second half, where the Pamplona team will host Marian Díaz's team in their own 'bombonera'.
Finally, CN Rubí, which saved its category last season in the play-off for relegation against CDN Boadilla, will host a CN Atlètic-Barceloneta women's team that has the 'Zodiac' name, like the men's team. An evolution is expected for Chus Martín's team, which incorporates last year's top scorer with CE Mediterrani, the 'gunner' Daniela Moreno.
Photo: CN Sant Andreu and Astralpool CN Sabadell begin sporting hostilities on the first day of the 2024-25 Iberdrola League / (c) Jordi López (RFEN)
