JJOO PARIS / Spain opens with a resounding victory against a physical Australia (5-9)
The men's water polo team debuted with a resounding victory against Australia on the first day of Group B of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. The truth is that the Oceanians imposed their physique and speed in the first half of the game (3-5), but the Iberian quality - which did not translate into the scoreboard - made its appearance with three flashes to take the game by a short 5-9, but victory after all Let's go, Spain!
In less than a minute of the game, Alberto Munárriz's first goal in superiority. The first goal against was not scored by an Australian, but by a Serbian (Maksimovic) nationalized 'Aussie' (1-1). Then, a textbook counterattack 'made in Spain' with Perrone and Granados driving Nick Porter, Unai Aguirre's substitute goalkeeper at Barceloneta, 'crazy'. Spain wasted two advantages to escape on the scoreboard, but there was a long game left (1-2).
He unclogged Munárriz's armed arm again, a huge blow with which his clubmate Porter could do nothing. David Martín wanted to close the defense and look for speed, the DNA of Spain, but Australia, in addition to physicality, also has a lot of speed as a great swimming country, hence a 2-3 in the first 12 minutes of the game. Granados did something brilliant but Lambie beat Famera to stay in the game at the long break (3-5).
New counterattack, at the beginning of the third, and a goal from Larumbe (another of the smart ones, with capital letters, of the class). In these, a debatable penalty by Unai sinking a rival's ball was fixed by Aguirre himself, spreading his 'wings' like an imperial eagle to stop an important shot by Mercep.
With 3-6 and at 5 minutes left in the third, Martín called for time and Munárriz justified the tactical stoppage with another 'bombazo' that made it 3-7. This was something else. And even more so when Tahull got three away from him to score an impossible goal and improve the lead to 4-8 with a quarter left.
Last period in search of closing the game but Spain was thick. Tiny figures for both in superiorities and change in the Spanish goal (Edu Lorrio). Finally a goal, in double superiority, by Álvaro Granados (3 out of 10) and 5-9 final to think about Hungary after a very short and thick match, to be forgotten, where the best thing was undoubtedly the points.
RFEN Aquatics Communication. Photo: Alberto Munárriz, top scorer of the match with three goals / (c) COE
