The Greek men's water polo team has successfully secured its place in the final round of the World Cup, set to take place in Kotor, Montenegro, from April 11 to 13. In a gripping quarter-final match of the first-division qualifying round held in Otopeni, Romania, the national team overcame Japan with a decisive 20-16 victory, thanks to a remarkable second-half performance.
Under the guidance of coach Thodoris Vlachos, the Greek team has made an impressive stride towards the World Cup Super Final. They are set to face Hungary in the semi-finals tomorrow, January 11, at 17:30. Hungary secured their place by defeating Georgia with a commanding 21-10 win earlier in the tournament.
The encounter against Japan proved challenging for Greece, as the Asian champions came out strong, taking an early 5-2 lead. Japanese player Yosuke Inaba was particularly relentless, finding the net from distance and putting pressure on Greek goalkeepers Panagiotis Tzortzatos and Manos Zerdevas. However, Greece fought back with determination, scoring three unanswered goals in the last ninety seconds of the first period, leveling the game at 5-5.
With standout performances from players such as Konstantinos Argyropoulos and Dimitrios Papanastasiou, Greece managed to edge ahead for the first time with an 8-7 advantage. The first half concluded dramatically with Japan regaining the lead 10-9 after a VAR-reviewed penalty.
In the second half, Greece capitalized on Japan's diminished pace and attempts to play a more conventional game. A dominating 5-0 run in the third period widened the gap to 14-10, and by the time the quarter ended, Greece had established a solid 16-11 lead. The Greek team extended their lead to 19-11 at one point before Japan rallied with a 5-0 run. The final score of 20-16 in favor of Greece reflects the team's resilience and strategic adjustments.
The period scores were 5-5, 4-5, 7-1, and 4-5. Referees for the match were Margeta from Slovenia and Berishvili from Georgia.
Team Line-ups:
Greece (Coach: Thodoris Vlachos): Zerdevas, Genidounias 4, Skoumpakis 2, Giouvetzis, Argyropoulos 4, Papanastasiou 4, Gillis 3, Kalogeropoulos, Alafragkis, Kakaris, Nikolaidis 2, Chalyvopoulos 1, Tzortzatos, Kourouvanis
Japan (Coach: Yoshinori Shiota): Nishimura, Adachi 1, Watanabe 1, Yamamoto, Suzuki 2, Date 2, Takata 2, Nita, Inaba 6, Ogihara, Araki 1, Sasano, Katayama 1, Moriya
As they advance to the next stage, the Greek team remains focused on achieving the best possible ranking in the upcoming Super Final.