Water polo: Hungary won the Benu Cup with a huge series of successes
The Hungarian men’s water polo team, which is preparing for the European Championship as the defending champions, won its third and last BENU Cup held at Hajós Swimming Pool in Margitsziget.
The team of national team captain Zsolt Varga, who was appointed in July, beat the Dutch team 13-9 on Friday.
Men’s water polo BENU Cup:
Hungary-Netherlands 13-9 (5-3, 3-1, 3-5, 2-0)
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Hungarian scorers: Zalánki 3, Vígvári, Jansik, Angyal 2-2, Manhercz, Német, Fekete, Nagy 1-1
On the last day of the BENU Cup, due to the incoming cold front and the accompanying stormy weather, the venue was instead of the open pool of the Hajós Swimming Pool. This didn’t bother the home team one bit, which took the lead with Manhercz’s penalty after less than a minute. The breezy defense experienced in the first two meetings did not change either, so the rival equalized both at 1-1 and 3-3. On the other hand, the Hungarian team was still irresistible in attack and especially in the man advantage, which gained a two-goal advantage by the end of the quarter with Víg’s double.
The second eight minutes were led by a Dutch goal, and the second equalizer was only missed because of Vogel’s feat, as he saved a five-meter shot. On the other side, however, team captain Jansik did not make a mistake in the same situation. As a result of the ever-improving defense, the Hungarians then increased their advantage to four goals with Angyal’s snap bomb and German center goal.
The home team, thoroughly rejuvenated after a disappointing World Cup appearance, got stuck after a half-time change, the Hungarian players hit the post in a row, and then the Dutch were successful three times, mainly thanks to the excellent Te Riele and Janssen. Zsolt Varga also asked for time when the advantage was reduced to a minimum, but it didn’t matter, only Vogel prevented the equalization again. Zalánki broke the Hungarian deadlock, but the Dutch responded immediately, as they did to Fekete’s goal at the beginning of the half. The quarter was closed by Nagy’s parade shot – which hit the top left corner.
The last act, an important first with Pro Recco, was scored by Zalánki, the winner of the Champions League this year, who not only performed well in attack, but also in defense, so he was the best of the field in this meeting. Three minutes before the end, Angyal’s accurate shot finally decided the match.
“You have to accept that it was a difficult game, which is good for us because you can learn from such games. In the ups and downs of the third quarter, according to Vogel’s defenses, the team got the most out of the hole. For the time being, our game is very fluctuating, which is natural in sports, but it would be important for the amplitude to decrease,” assessed Zsolt Varga, the Olympic champion as a player.
In the other match of the day:
France-Japan 12-9 (3-2, 3-2, 4-3, 2-2)
played on Wednesday:
Hungary-France 14-10 (4-3, 5-2, 1-1, 4-4)
Japan-Netherlands 13-12 (3-3, 2-2, 5-5, 3-2)
played on Thursday:
Hungary-Japan 21-10 (6-4, 5-1, 5-3, 5-2)
Netherlands-France 12-10 (0-2, 3-3, 5-3, 4-2)
Final result of the tournament: 1. Hungary 9 points, 2. Netherlands 3 (33-36), 3. France 3 (32-35), 4. Japan 3 (32-45)
(Featured image source: László Dobos / Waterpolo.hu)