Ranzi Sports

The in-form HUN team surprised the reigning Olympic champions SRB on Tuesday, July 22, to advance to the men’s water polo final at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025. In the final scheduled for July 24, they will compete against rivals ESP, who dramatically triumphed over GRE in a penalty shootout.

In the day’s first semi-final, the Spanish team struck first with a goal from Alejandro BUSTOS SANCHEZ, while GRE struggled to keep pace throughout the first half. ESP’s well-organized defense made it challenging for GRE to secure easy shots on goal, and their tactical skill in offense allowed them to dismantle their opponents, leading 6-3 at halftime.

The third quarter featured only one goal from GRE, but it was filled with excitement as ESP’s Alvaro GRANADOS ORTEGA was ejected for a violent act late in the quarter. Without him, ESP seemed disoriented as GRE pressed hard in the final period.

They equalized with four minutes remaining, thanks to outstanding goals from Efstathios KALOGEROPOULOS and Evangelos POUROS, while ESP struggled to regain their footing.

Nikolaos GKILLAS then put GRE ahead for the first time with less than two minutes left, suggesting a remarkable comeback was imminent. However, with just four seconds remaining and the final play of the match, ESP’s Alberto MUNARRIZ EGANA scored, sending the game into penalties.

During the shootout, ESP goalkeeper Unai AGUIRRE emerged as the hero, saving GRE’s third and fourth attempts, while his teammates successfully converted all their penalties, securing their place in the world championships final after finishing with bronze in the previous two editions. For GRE, the pursuit of a world title continues, and they will aim to recover with a victory against SRB to claim the bronze.

Meanwhile, HUN and SRB commenced their semi-final by exchanging goals. However, HUN consistently maintained the upper hand, taking the lead several times before SRB equalized through the sharp shooting of star player Dusan MANDIC, who scored a game-high six goals. HUN began to pull away in the second half, thanks to a solid defense and more aggressive offensive strategy was employed, allowing HUN to lead 18-13 before SRB managed to score the next four goals. In the final two minutes, it was Vendel Csaba VIGVARI from HUN who netted the decisive goal, despite a last-minute effort from Milos CUK of SRB that created a tense conclusion to the exhilarating semi-final.

The complete results from today are as follows –
BRA 11-16 CAN
JPN 20-19 ROU (PSO4-3)
ITA 8-12 MNE
GRE 9-11 ESP (PSO 2-4)
USA 9-14 CRO
SRB 18-19 HUN

The water polo competition will resume tomorrow at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, featuring GRE and HUN competing for the gold medal, while USA and ESP will vie for the bronze.