Water polo, at the Pro Recco race-1 championship with Brescia

What a strange feeling: the Pro Recco in a final without the scudetto on the cap. “Fault” of Brescia, which in the scorching match of last year snatched it from him with merit. And he shows in this umpteenth confrontation, in the name of balance, that he does not want to give it back easily. Race-1, in the temple of Punta Sant’Anna, smiles at the European champions (8-7) who therefore find themselves with the first tricolor match ball: “The pressure, as always, is especially on the shoulders of Recco. Everyone assumes that he will win, but the opponents must be considered … ”Sandro Sukno sighs philosophically to RaiSport’s microphones. A completely different balance compared to the duels of the regular season, clear successes from Recchesi (4-9 and 13-5).

CORRECTNESS

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Facing the final for the twelfth time, the tenth in a row, the Ligurians and the Lombards give life to an extremely correct match despite the intensity, under the eyes of the coach Campagna. Brescia – fresh from the daring semifinal with Trieste, resolved in three games – seems slower in transfers, the Recchesi maneuver with fast and tense passes, but at the start they have to chase and soon come to terms with two serious fouls whistled at Velotto. At 2-2, after the opening interval, the first minibreak is packaged for the hosts by Cannella (first goal on even men) and Ivovic on a penalty. the defenses alternate pressing, zone and zone M. Halfway through the match it is 5-4 with deficit percentages in numerical superiority for both teams: 1 out of 7 for Pro Recco, 1 out of 4 for the guests. Continuous hit and response also in the third time, closed at 7-7: a real gem on Christian Presciutti’s 6-6 (yet another challenge in the family with his brother Nicholas), after a sliding entry from position 1. A thousand emotions in the ‘last quarter: Ivovic scores the new Ligurian +1 on a penalty, Dolce (among the best in the field) scores 8-8 with the extra man. And even the former Cinnamon is not wrong in superiority, 2 ‘from the siren. “The ball weighed all right, but we are trained for these moments,” said the Roman striker. At -1’40 “, an episode that the Brescia players will regret: the referees grant him another superiority, Bicari is lightning fast to score, but just a moment before the bench had asked for a time out and therefore the marking was rightly canceled . On the next round, Del Lungo foils on Dolce: “Too bad, you have to bite your hands. That’s the only thing I would change about this race-1 ”admits Sandro Bovo. But anyone, instead of him, would have stopped the game. On the final action of the match, then, Brescia finds itself in double numerical superiority, but Presciutti at -13 “is not precise and the epilogue from the penalties vanishes. Pro Recco wins (great performance by Younger), but the applause goes to everyone. Appointment in Mompiano, Wednesday, for game-2 (live on RaiSport). In the first leg challenge for fifth place that is worth access to the Euro Cup, also in the sign of balance, Telimar Palermo goes to Syracuse against Ortigia: 10-9.

PRO RECCO: Del Lungo, F. Di Fulvio 1, Zalanki 1, Figlioli, Younger 2, Cinnamon 2, N. Presciutti, Echenique, A. Ivovic 3 (2 penalties), Velotto, Aicardi, Hallock. Ne Negri. Herds S.Sukno. BRESCIA: Tesanovic, Dolce 2, C. Presciutti 1, Constantin-Bicari, D. Lazic, Vapenski 2, Renzuto 2, T. Gianazza, Alesiani, S. Luongo, E. Di Somma, N. Gitto 1. NeM Gianazza. Herds Bovo. REFEREES: Calabrò and Colombo. NOTE: sup. num. Pro Recco 13 (5 goals), Brescia 12 (4). Exit 3 f. T. Gianazza 3 ° t; Velotto and N. Presciutti 4th t.

THE SERIES: Pro Recco-Brescia 9-8; Wednesday 25 Brescia-Pro Recco (18.30); eventual race-3 Saturday 28 Pro Recco-Brescia (18).