A1 M - De Akker wins in Florence 13-9
An excellent De Akker defeats RN Florentia 13-9 at the Nannini pool and achieves its first away victory, reaching the middle of the water polo premier league standings after five rounds.
Due to Federico Mistrangelo's disqualification, the team led by President Alberto Vecchi was coached by Furio Veronesi, a veteran among Bolognese water polo coaches, but for the first time on a men's Serie A bench.
Mistrangelo's suffocating pressure prepared for the match quickly takes effect, and Bologna takes a 4-0 lead with Abramson's brace and goals from Lucci and Bragantini. In the second quarter, Minetti's team tries to react by halving the gap with goals from Di Fulvio and Bini, but Abramson and Urbinati allow Bologna to stop the Tuscan comeback, closing the first two quarters 6-3.
After the long break, Florence tries to make every effort to regain control of the game and comes close with goals from Sordini and Di Fulvio. However, from the third minute, Bologna resumes strong defense and, with intense pressure, widens the lead thanks to brace from Lucci and Luongo, who misses a hat trick by letting the ball slip from his hand in a penalty shot. Leading 9-5, which becomes 10-5 after the first minute of the fourth quarter, Bologna manages the last minutes with a goal from Condemi and Bragantini's brace.
Next Saturday, De Akker will face Catania, which is only 3 points away, with only one victory against the bottom team, Onda Forte.
"We played a great game," said Furio Veronesi at the end, "maximizing the game plan. We wanted to start strong with suffocating pressure that paid off. We could have better exploited the numerical superiority, at the same time, we defended very well against their advantages. In the third quarter, they pushed a lot, but when we went back to using the pressure as we wanted, the match momentum changed. As for me, I won the first match in Serie A among men, and now I go back to my under 18s," he concluded jokingly. "I will be able to say that I have won all the matches in the top league in which I have participated as a coach."
Andrea Fogacci
Press Office De Akker Bologna
