Gold Medal and participation in the Paris Olympic Games. Spain did not waste the double prize offered by the European water polo final and ate the two candies, which, in reality, were one, but sweeter than ever. The only championship that had been elusive for the men’s team, with triumphs in World Cups and Olympic Games but never continental ones, fell once and for all in adverse, not hostile, territory. In Croatia, against the host and current champion, who succumbed at their own home (10-11).
The Bazeni Mladost pool went from euphoria to sadness in eight minutes. Over time, the Balkan team suffered the bitterness of defeat, gradually, due to the lack of responses from their team, stuck in unforeseen situations, which generated two men in the water. Without forgetting, of course, the hidden, underhanded merit that deserves to be attributed to the guide who walked dressed and dry: David Martín, the coach, true collector of medals since he took office. Together they created a tremendous comeback with a 0-3 scoreline. Ivica Tucak, the Balkan coach, admitted the justice of the Spanish victory.
Alvaro Granados! Alvaro Granados! Alvaro Granados!
🤽♂️ Great goal to turn the final around
SPAIN, EUROPEAN WATERPOLO CHAMPION FINALLY!!!!! pic.twitter.com/iQrPG1gvjU
— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) January 16, 2024
Lorrio replaced Aguirre in the last quarter and played a deterrent role against the Croatians, who did not score any more goals.
abandoned ball
The first name may be Edu Lorrio. The substitute goalkeeper entered in the last quarter, with the score at 10-8, to replace Unai Aguirre. The local traffic jam was definitive. Croatia had just abandoned the ball as time ran out before creating a finishing action and that abandonment was symptomatic. It was the signal that I was no longer going to take another right. Nor when they had the last two attacks of the game, one in superiority.
Spain, which had conceded only four goals in the 32 minutes of the semifinal against Italy, had already accumulated five goals against in the first quarter (5-3) and double that (10-8) before starting the last. Martín had spent one of the two time-outs too early for what the match could have been like. The talk to demand had an effect greater defensive rigor: from 6-3 it went to 7-6. The second call to the band was able to break the attack and restore the confidence of his shooters.
Granados, with one success in six shots, scored the last two for Spain; The final one was a great goal with a reverse shot with his back to the goal.
MVP and top scorer
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As if Lorrio had exerted a psychological effect in front of him, he sublimated the role of Aguirre, who presented a brutal 78% of saves against Italy. Croatia failed four consecutive attacks and gave time and opportunities for Spain to gain hope to make up the difference. Bernat Sanahuja scored 10-9, Lorrio made another stop to score 100% correct, and the figure of Álvaro Granados, the second name of the night, emerged above the water. Spain had only been ahead on the scoreboard with 2-3.
Until then, Fallón, who was later named MVP and was proclaimed the tournament’s top scorer – he had a goal in six shots -, Granados took responsibility to shoot the tying ball, and then took a reverse out of his imagination to shoot with his back to the frame. of Bijak leaving all of Croatia petrified. He rested the ball in the back of the net and all eyes were still looking for it.
Croatia, 10 – Spain, 11
Croatia: Bijac; Buric (-), Fatovic (1), Loncar (-), Biljaka (-), Bukic (4), Vukicevic (1), Zuvela (2, 1p), Marinic Kragic (2), Vrlic (-), Butic ( -), Kharkov (-) and Popadic (-).
Spain: Aguirre (Edu Lorrio); Munárriz (2), Granados (3), Sanahuja (3), De Toro (-), Larumbe (1), Biel (-), Cabanas (-), Tahull (1), Perrone (-), Mallarach (-) and Busts (1).
Referees: Boris Margeta (Esl) and Georgios Stravidis (Gre).
Partials: 5-3, 2-3, 3-2, 0-3.