Nemanja Ličanin: The progress of the cadet national team is visible, but we failed when it was most important
This year's series of national team competitions in younger categories started earlier than usual, already in mid-June. From June 18 to 24, the World Championship for Cadets (under 16) was held in Malta.
It was the most massive world water polo championship of all time (counting all categories) with the participation of 32 teams.
Serbian water polo players born in 2008 and younger, who were fourth at the European Championship last year, took eighth place in Malta.
The coach of the cadet national team, Nemanja Ličanin, in an interview with the UVTS website, analyzed the tournament in Malta, the preparations, and also talked about the changes in the program of European competitions for younger categories.
We cannot be satisfied with the ranking. Seven teams competed for medals, each of which can beat everyone, but Serbia always strives for the highest goals. Considering that the championship was held unusually early, we did not have time for long preparations, but almost all national teams were in the same situation, says Ličanin.
During the preparations, Serbia participated in two tournaments, where they met with all the selections that were candidates for medals in Malta. In May, in Budva, it won second place behind Spain, and ahead of Montenegro, Italy, Croatia and the Netherlands. Two weeks before the world championship, the Serbian cadets were again second in the tournament in Athens. The first place in the capital of Greece was won by Croatia, Serbia reached the second place, and behind Nemanja Ličanin's choice were Italy, Greece and Hungary
The games shown and the results at the tournaments in Budva and Athens gave us optimism. At the tournaments, we were the only ones who managed to beat Spain, which later won the gold in Malta. Only Croatia defeated us twice and because of that we were left without first place. The team made a minimal number of mistakes in both tournaments, which was an announcement that we will present ourselves in a good light in Malta.
Serbian national team with coach Ličanin at the tournament in Budva Photo: Marija Tomanović/ VPSCG
Two fouls directed the course of the quarter-finals
The competition system at the planet championship was such that practically immediately after the draw it was clear who would meet whom in the quarterfinals.
The selections were divided into eight groups. In each, one favorite stood out. During the group stage and in the round of 16, there were no surprises, so the pairs of the quarterfinals were as planned at the beginning.
Until the quarter-final meeting, everything went according to plan. Our selection was among the top eight with four convincing triumphs (Peru, Brazil, China, Netherlands). In the quarter-finals, Serbia met Hungary. Serbian and Hungarian national team members born in 2008 and younger know each other well. Last year, Hungary defeated Serbia in the semifinals of the European Championship. This year, at the tournament in Athens, they played to a draw, and Hungary got two points after five games.
Ličanin is not looking for excuses, but says that two factors significantly influenced the loss against the Hungarians in the quarter-finals.
It is little known that after the round of 16, we were left without captain and first goalkeeper Mihajlo Gošić, who we did not count on in the last three matches due to health reasons. His absence affected the team, although his replacement Luka Muksinović defended very well.
The second factor is the expulsion without the right to substitute Luka Drobnjaković in the third quarter when the game was still open, Hungary then only had a goal advantage - 6:5. In the four minutes during which we had less players, she scored three goals, took the lead 9:5 and we were unable to come back.
In the end, Hungary won 12:7. When a medal contender is eliminated in the quarterfinals, it doesn't matter to many whether they finish fifth or eighth.
Nevertheless, despite being stopped on the way to the medal, Serbia wanted to make the best possible impression. But she was unable to recover from the defeat against the Hungarians. In the consolation matches for placing from fifth to eighth place. Our national team lost to the USA team (9:12), which "on paper" was the only quarter-finalist who was not given a chance to win a medal. Then, in the duel for the seventh position, it was defeated by Croatia (10:11).
Ličanin with the cadet national team Photo: VPS Montenegro< /figures>
After the defeat in the quarter-finals, a psychological breakdown is normal. However, on the eve of the play-off for fifth place, we analyzed in detail the footage of the match with Hungary and the mistakes we made. We tried to motivate the team and fight for fifth place, although that was not our goal before going to Malta.
However, we did not manage to show everything we can do. It seems to me that the Americans had the most motivation to play and were the only ones fighting for fifth place, which they eventually succeeded in doing. They played well against us, but we made too many mistakes, allowed them to take a big 5:1 lead early. We managed to get closer, to reduce the score to 4:5, but not to fully return to the match. In some periods we played chaotically, we had no answer to their aggressive game.
Serbia ended the tournament by losing to Croatia (10:11).
We led almost throughout the match for seventh place, we had an advantage of 3:0, 6:4, and before the last quarter, 8:6, but we did not finish the game in the right way. We made too many individual mistakes, because of which we conceded five goals in the last part and suffered a defeat.
Scheduled when it was most important
Summarizing the entire tournament, Ličanin takes responsibility:
My responsibility as a selector is the greatest. Among other things, because we did not manage to raise the team after the defeat against Hungary, and also because of the selection of players when it comes to psychological preparation, because it should not have happened to us that our players fell for provocations, continued Ličanin, referring first of all to the red card. .
Although the results were not great, Ličanin says that during the summer he also saw things that encourage future challenges and the further maturation of Serbia's young water polo players.
During the preparations and until the quarter-finals of the World Championship, our cadet national team showed that it had progressed compared to its first major competition, the European Championship for 15-year-olds in 2023 in Podgorka, when it was the fourth. During the club season, many gained experience playing in senior competitions, as members of Banjica and Sava, as well as in Valis, where two water polo players from Vojvodina played on loan.
Progress is visible, but we didn't show it in key matches at the World Cup. We missed and made too many mistakes when it was most important, which shows that a lot of work is still needed in developing the potential of the guys.
Nemanja Ličanin Photo: VPS Montenegro
Spanish dominance in the semifinals and finals
At the World Championship, there were no unexpected results until the quarter-finals, but there were surprises in the final, because few could have predicted that instead of equal battles, the two matches would be a game of "cat and mouse". In the semi-final, Spain outclassed the European champions Hungary 14:6, and then even more convincingly defeated Italy in the final - 18:6. However, the difference in the quality of the players is probably not as big as the results suggest. The key to success is also in something else
Spain was the most prepared team at the tournament, primarily because ten of their representatives trained and played together in the Spanish water polo camp throughout the club season. They deservedly triumphed.
The Spaniards have made several steps forward compared to the 15-year-old European Championship. Last year, Spain was fifth in Podgorica. Then, in the duel for fifth place, they beat Italy by only a goal difference (8:7), and in the quarter-finals they suffered a painful defeat against Greece (6:15).
What the new rules bring
Although they shone at the finish of the championship, the Spaniards struggled before the quarterfinals. In the round of 16, they were losing to Germany 4:5 at halftime, but still turned around and won 11:9.
The German team, excellently led by Serbian coach Zoran Milenković, made a good impression in the match against the Spaniards, but did not last until the end. However, the Spanish were not the only ones who struggled, and this was partly influenced by special rules.
Last year, the EP for 15-year-olds was played according to standard rules, but they were not applied in Malta, as well as for the first WC for 16-year-olds, held in 2022.
The dimensions of the playing field were 25x20 meters, and only from the quarter-finals the quarter lasted eight minutes - until then it was six. I believe that World Aquatics wants to give more chances to teams that do not belong to the top. Practically every favorite had at least one game in which he needed more time to break the resistance of the underdog. We also played one such match. Towards the end of the first half of the duel with Brazil, the score was 2:2, and at the end 15:5. The changes in the rules made some matches more interesting, but they did not bring big surprises, the difference between the favorites and those who were not always came to the fore in the end.
Changing the program of European junior competitions
Generation 2008 and younger will not have their own competition next season, because, unlike previous seasons, the European Championship for 17-year-olds will no longer be organized in odd years. There was not much talk about it in water polo circles, and Ličanin explains:
The European Federation has changed its competition program, in order not to give priority to even years only. The age limit will be the same as at the world championships. Instead of the European championships for 15-year-olds and 17-year-olds, from next year the continental championships will be organized for 16-year-olds and 18-year-olds. Thus, next summer, the generations of 2007 and 2009 will play on the European stage, while players born in 2005 and younger will have the World Championship. The even years of 2006, 2008 and 2010 will have their competitions - two world and one European championship - in the summer of 2026.
Serbia is already preparing for changes. This year, preparations were organized for the national team of players born in 2009 and younger, who participated in two tournaments against one year older rivals who later participated in the WC in Malta. Younger water polo players were also given a chance at the World Championship.
Serbia was among the youngest teams in the tournament, because we had three players born in 2009 and one in 2010, added Ličanin.
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