From the special reporter "Vijesti"
Three participations, three quarter-finals, three semi-finals, three fourth places.
The fourth appearance and new Olympic quarter-final for the water polo team of Montenegro.
Another match for history, a new opportunity to enter the fight for medals, this time from a completely different plan and from the "margin", after unconvincing editions in the group stage, and convincing defeats against Croatia and Serbia, as well as against Spain, which played the group stage at the highest level.
Greece, the rival of the "Sharks" (Wednesday, 8.30 am our time), is right behind Spain, both in terms of impression and results.
"Everything that was before is forgotten - both what we showed and what they provided. This is a match of truth, everything we have done for the last year or year and a half stops in the upcoming 32 minutes", says Vladan Spaić, who suffered an unpleasant injury at the start against Australia, but will be ready for the duel with Greece.
"There have been good and bad moments so far, we will talk about that later, now we have the deciding match ahead of us, for which we have been preparing for a long time", Vlado Popadić points out.
"We will not perceive it as a life and death match, but as a moment in which we want to give our maximum, to show everything we can do and leave the pool proudly. Whether it will be enough to win - we will see. If we are real and the way we can be, we have a chance to win," continued Spaić.
You don't need to be a great connoisseur of water polo and sports in general, it is enough to see the results in duels with the biggest rivals and favourites, Serbia and Croatia, to conclude that Montenegro is far from the form and game needed for an equal fight for medals.
"We were not at the level during the group stage, but I believe that what we did and how we worked will be seen at the most important moment," Spaić points out.
Greece, unlike Montenegro, had a stable form in the first part, and showed a winning mentality in the matches with Hungary, which it broke in the finish, and also with Japan, which threatened until the end, and in the draw with Italy. ..
"We didn't show that we could 'connect' the whole game, that's a fact. I hope that will happen against the Greeks, because we showed that we can play with them, although they play the best water polo at the moment, along with Spain. Greece is filled in all positions, very compact, with good centers and good shooters. He is the favorite, on paper, our obligation is to give the maximum", Spajić points out.
Montenegro and Greece have already played four official matches this year.
The first one, in January of this year, was won by the Greeks in the World League qualifiers, in the next three the "sharks" celebrated - twice in Rotterdam, on the way to Tokyo, and recently in the semi-finals of the World League.
Two of those three triumphs were achieved by brilliant defense, which stopped the fired-up and strong Greek players to only four goals.
"We've played well with them lately. I expect a tough game, a lot of fighting, I believe it can go to our side. They are in a rush, they have confidence, but we have shown that we have a solution for them. We have the right to hope for the semi-finals", concluded Popadić.
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