In the final tournament semifinals on Saturday, the Dubrovnik team defeated Jadran Split 12-10 (3-3, 5-2, 3-2, 1-3), and Kragujevac beat Mladost Zagreb 14-13 (0-2, 1-1, 5-2, 2-3, 6-5) in a shootout. Mladost was aiming for the third overall and third consecutive title.
Jug came to victory in the second semifinal thanks to a better game in the second and third quarters. When coach Vjekoslav Kobešćak’s side took the lead with 11-6 in the 22nd minute, the winner was practically decided. By the end of the match, Split reduced the gap to two goals, but for the second time in a week, they did not manage to beat the favored Jug, as was the case on the recent visit to Gruž in the Croatian championship match.
The most deserving of the Jug victory was Loren Fatović who scored six of the 12 goals for the Dubrovnik side. Xavi Garcia and Hrvoje Benić nailed the net twice. Jerko Marinić Kragić was the best for Jadran with four goals and Marin Delić with three goals.
Jug thus advanced to its 12th Regional Water Polo League final, where it will hunt for its fifth title and the first after 2018. Radnički is the first Serbian club to fight for the title of champion in this competition. This will be the eleventh final for Jug. 2012 remains the only year when the Dubrovnik team did not play in the final.
The finalists were rivals in the qualifying group, and bac in mid-January, Jug convincingly won.
Sunday’s program at the Sava pool in Zagreb will begin at 5:15 pm with the match for third place between Mladost Zagreb and Jadran Split. The final between Jug and Radnički is scheduled for 7 pm.
Source: Glas Istre
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