The Croatia national water polo team has finished preparations and played its first competitive match after the Olympic Games in Athens on Tuesday against Greece. It was the first game of a somewhat rejuvenated, and definitely different national team in which there are no more legendary players like Bušlje, Joković, Lončar, Garcia, and Obradović.
Croatia thus met Greece in the 1st round of the World League’s Group D, a strong rival that won the silver medal in Tokyo, which is the greatest success in the history of Greece water polo.
The Barracudas started the new World League season with a victory, winning 12:11 with a great defense with a player less, and an even better attack with an extra man.
Before tonight, these two teams had met 53 times, with Croatia being much more successful – 37 wins, 9 draws, and only 7 defeats with a goal difference of 490:377. Croatia’s last match against Greece before this was at the European Championships in Budapest, in January 2020, when the Barracudas celebrated 14:11. Greece last beat Croatia in the qualifications for the European Cup, in Split in 2018, when it was 6:4 for Greece.
World League 2022
Group A: Hungary, Romania, Montenegro
Group B: Germany, France, Spain
Group C: Serbia, Italy, Slovakia
Group D: Croatia, Greece, Russia
Each team in the group will play two games (Croatia plays next in February against Russia, in the 2nd round). The two first-placed teams will compete in the final European qualifying tournament from April 14 to 16 this year. From that tournament, 3 or 4 national teams will advance further, depending on whether the final tournament will be in Europe or abroad. If played in Europe, 3 teams move on because the host of the final tournament acquires the automatic right to play.
The final tournament or Super Final of the World League will take place from July 25 to 30. The hosts of these tournaments have not yet been determined.
Source: HVS
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