From the special reporter "Vijesti"
The first three games at the Olympic Games gave hope, they showed that Montenegrin water polo players are not that far from the best teams in the world, but after all the heavy defeats in recent years, there is no longer any doubt as to what this team's reach is.
The "Sharks" do not have the quality to fight for a medal, I guess everyone understood that, so it happened that for the first time in history, Montenegro did not play the knockout stage at a major competition. It sounds even harsher - to be eliminated from the group.
It is fatal for the chosen ones Vladimir Gojković was a match against the United States of America - the way they played it and lost it is in itself a confirmation of the thesis that distinction is a mental noun. How distant Budapest looks now from January 2020, when the last medal was won (bronze at the European Championships).
Montenegro knew that the match with the "Yankees" was crucial in the fight for the quarterfinals. She "spent" it as if it was a playoff match - without energy and aggressiveness, no sense in attack, and with so many mistakes on both ends of the pool that the Americans had only to take what was offered to them.
The Montenegrin team played very well in the first three matches at the OI (with Croatia, Greece and Italy), especially against Helena and "setebel".
She didn't beat such big rivals, even though they were offered to her - she was defeated in five-pointers, which is a kind of lottery, but it's no coincidence that Montenegro didn't deliver the final blow in the regular part. It's simple - she didn't know how to break the match she had in her hands.
After such two editions, many expected everything to go well against the USA, to fulfill the goal called the quarterfinals, but the weakness shown by Gojković's team is the image of a team that is not good enough to improve its form at the biggest tournament as it progresses.
And it is noticeable that after three failures in which she gave everything and was left with almost nothing - with two points out of a possible nine - she hit the wall.
"That defeat against Greece didn't leave a mark, but we fell after Italy. So far we looked really good, motivated, the players had unity. Those defeats also had an impact, but I wouldn't say that we gave in under pressure, because this team had matches without the right to make a mistake at the European and then World Championships. So she was beating them," said Gojković.
It is not necessary to describe the match in "Akvatik centrum" separately.
Montenegro equalized only once (at 1:1 when he scored Miroslav Perković), and after two quarters it was 7:2. Marko Mršić in the 3rd period completed the series 3:0 and reduced it to 7:5 and that was the only real, team, reaction of Montenegro.
It lasted a short time, it could not have been otherwise without goals in the attack with the player more - none of the 10 attempts were used.
"There was fatigue, but maybe the exclusion had more of an effect Stefan Vidović at the end of the first quarter. Nothing came together, but I definitely think we could have done things better defensively. It could have been 4:1, not 7:2...", said Gojković.
This is the harsh reality - Montenegro is not among the eight best teams in the biggest competition.
"We left Serbia behind in Zagreb, and were ahead of the USA in Doha. Now here Australia surprised Hungary. I think that we can, first of all, play with the Americans, Australia and Serbia, and that Hungary, Spain, Croatia, Italy and Greece are currently jumping. That's another level," Gojković explained.
Monday is the last match of the tournament for Montenegro - against Romania, which has been convincingly defeated in all four games so far.
MONTENEGRO - USA 7:12 (1:4, 1:3, 4:3, 1:2)
Paris - "Aquatics Center". Spectators: 4.800. Judges: Ome (Germany), Zhang (China). Player more: Montenegro 10 (-), USA 10 (4). Peterci: USA 3 (3).
Montenegro: Lazović (six saves), Mršić 2, Perković 1, Vujović, Mačić, Popadić, Vidović, Đurđić 3, Đ. Radović, Spaić, Matković, V. Radović 1, Tešanović (two saves).
SAD: Vajnberg (13 selected), Huper, Vavić, Obert 1, Daube 5, Cupid, Halok 2, Vudhed, Bouven, Č. Dod, R. Dod 2, Irving 2, Netherlands.
Bonus video: