Men's U19 Euro: it went particularly well, that's why it hurts a lot

< p>Unfortunately, we put two balls into the Spanish goalkeeper at the very beginning - first Mór Benedek tried the short shot, then Márton Zeman at the end of a corner; even though Didac Garcia had to be replaced against the Croatians, after he had a 15/3 defense index, it was a shame to start rebuilding his confidence...

To show respect, Gergő Szabó also touched three balls - and then Benedek's second, he already crushed our advantage into the long range, so after almost four minutes he scored the first goal of the match. We got away with the first disadvantage, but Lugosi smashed the post after a great turn from the center. However, after a great possession of the ball in zoning, we were able to make it three in two, and Olivér Leinweber didn't leave it to anyone else to finish (2-0). In fact! Vince Varga stole the ball in close quarters, then at the end of the attack carried out with endless patience, Simon Balázs scored a dizzying center goal from Leinweber's perfect pass. Forty seconds remained when the Spaniards finally broke the silence, Tomas Perrone took advantage of a chance, but we responded with another goal from the center, this time Lugosi finished the action beautifully (4-1). In the quarter-final Spanish game, Szabó got to the shot that was released before the whistle - in the entire European Championship, we did not start a match as focused as we did on the final day. center pass didn't work, they came from that and Simon missed his man by three inches when he launched the shot. And then they were already at 4-3 from another set-up turn attack - they accelerated twice in 73 seconds, it was clear that they had to step on the brakes somehow. A cross could have been the solution, but Zeman's ball got stuck in Garcia. After two good defenses, another chance was offered, but Benedek put the ball over the edge. After Vince Varga's sensational set-up - they would have gone two-on-one, but he forced the Spaniard underwater with the ball - we were able to turn around, it ended up on Leinweber, and he again clicked dead-on. We fought the chances well, on the next one the ball went to Varga, but his shot somehow missed from the thick of it - that's how it became one again instead of three, because they also let a possession go, which turned into a four and a straight two was the end of each (5- 4). Szabó even saved a big one from close range, and we left the last advantage to Leinweber's next swim - well, we hoped that the accuracy seen in the first quarter would be restored; of course, the Spaniards also seriously improved.

Olivér brought the ball for the third time, but failed to create a normal shooting position, but they equalized after they managed to curve the ball to the empty man in the neck of the goal with a man advantage (5-5 ). The battle intensified, at this time a lot depends on the best, and Leinweber crept nicely to a position, and then scored an exhilarating big goal. Szabó's dazzling defense counted for a crazy amount when he was at a disadvantage - Zalán Nagy made it happen with a huge shovel, who scored a goal off the post from seven meters out of nowhere. It's a pity that we didn't come out against Sabadell with a clear enough deficit, but Zeman wonderfully put the ball into the wall for Nagy, who restored the two-goal difference with a sumptuous flick. The Spaniards scored a goal, then they got another one, and that made it five - since they were leading completely normally, we could only grumble moderately, although the story was not clear, but Aguierre brought them back to 8-7. Some fatigue was visible in attack, and another disadvantage came at the back, after we could not reliably guard their center, and Szabó could not reach Sabadell's roast again. It's a pity, it was only six seconds - so the final part started at 8-8.

The fourth started better, with two fought fore, the first was missed, but in the second - after a timeout - the ball went like that , as it should, and Leinweber's snap sat again. Both guards put their remaining energies into defense, there was a fierce swimming competition and positional battle, but we stood our ground, and after the Spaniards paid attention to the arriving Marcell Szécsi, Bence Haverkampf swam in as a center, and Leinweber checked - it was 9-7, but there was still time left. 2:41 a.m. Unfortunately, it quickly became 10-9, we couldn't solve the goal post again with a disadvantage. Benedek made amends for his recent mistake - he relaxed - he destroyed the Spanish attack with a touch, and Vince Varga decided to put an end to the excitement: he destroyed the net from seven meters, from action, 54 seconds before the whistle. However, it wasn't over: at 11-9, the Spaniards asked for time, then they got to a goal quite quickly and after a pass, i.e. we couldn't sit back at 46 (they scored in 8 seconds, which is painfully little). Szécsi took action a bit early, the goalkeeper saved - i.e. they could start from another timeout at 31 to equalize, now 7 to 6. They got a chance without the ball, Sabadell scored at 0:12, although they quite seriously cleared our defenders out of the way; unfortunately, we postponed the end game rather unroutinely, because the exhibition also came from completely unnecessary humanism. Leinweber chose the drop as a closing, he missed - i.e. fives came; and just like the second half of the semi-final, it also brought back memories of Paris, even if the adults' two-goal lead didn't end up like that. after the Spaniards shot the quintessence dead; Gyovai made it to the last place, but unfortunately he didn't have a real chance, so they could finally go to the results announcement for the medal already in hand. It hurt a lot.

But as Székely Bulcsú said: there is no great champion who has not gone through a similar experience - if this makes the guys stronger, they will benefit in the long run, and of course Hungarian water polo will too. .

 

Men's U19 European Championship, Burgas

Bronze match

Hungary-Spain 11-11 (4-1, 1-3, 3-4, 3-3), penalty kicks: 3-5

Goals : Leinweber 6, Nagy Z., Benedek, Varga V. 2-2, Lugosi, Simon