Super Final 2011 (Men): USA, Serbia, Croatia and Italy advance to semi-finals

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1 Published on fina.org - Official FINA website (// Super Final 2011 (Men): USA, Serbia, Croatia and Italy advance to semi-finals Camillo Cametti, FINA Press Commission Chairman FLORENCE, Italy (June 24) - The solid Australian side gave the Italians a rough ride. The score at half time was 4-2 for the home team. A few minutes inside the 3rd period the Italians managed two spectacular goals, from Giorgetti and Luongo, answered by one from Miller. Before going into the last period the score was 63 for Italy.Australia s captain Sam Mc Gregor reduced the gap with a great goal from the distance, a blaze (64). Presciutti (I) on a counter attack and Younger (A) traded goals. Soon after Miller s second goal from sealed the final score on 7-6, with the Aussies just one goal under. Split scores: 1-0, 4-2, 6-3, 7-6. GAME 13: ITALY 7 - AUSTRALIA 6 Quarters: (1-0, 3-2; 2-1, 1-3) REFEREES: CIRIC Mihajlo (SRB), STAVROPOULOS Nikolaos (GRE). FINA DELEGATE: FIROIU Nicola (GER). ITALY: TEMPESTI Stefano, LUONGO Stefano 1, GITTO Niccolo 1, FIGLIOLI Pietro, PEREZ Amaurys, FELUGO Maurizio, GIACOPPO Massimo, GALLO Valentino, PRESCIUTTI Christian 2, FIORENTINI Deni, AICARDI Matteo 2, LAPENNA Federico, GIORGETTI Alex 1. Coach: CAMPAGNA Alessandro. AUSTRALIA: DENNERLEY Joel, CAMPBELL Richard, YOUNGER Aaron 1, BAIRD Mitchell, MAITLAND Robbie, MARTIN Anthony 1, COTTERILL Johnno, MC GREGOR Sam 1, WOODS Gavin, HOWDEN Rhys 1, MILLER Billy 2, ROACH Aidan. Coach: FOX John.

2 ITA vs AUS - credit: Giorgio Perottino GAME 14: USA 10 - MONTENEGRO 9 after penalty shootouts Quarters: (0-3, 3-1; 1-1, 2-1) REFEREES: FLAHIVE Daniel (AUS), CAPUTI Massimiliano. FINA DELEGATE: IBERN Manuel (ESP). MONTENEGRO (MNE): SCEPANOVIC Milos, BRGULJAN Drasko, RADOVIC Aleksandar 1, DANILOVIC Damjan 2 (1P), VUKCEVIC Nikola, TICIC Milan 1, JANOVIC Mladan 3 (1P), DRASKOVIC Dragan, KLIKOVAC Filip, BRGULJAN Darko, PETROVIC Antonio 2 (1P), JOKIC Predrag, SEFIK Denis. Coach: POROBIC Petar. UNITED STATES (USA): MOSES Merrill, VARELLAS Peter 2 (1P), HUDNUT Peter, POWERS Jeff 1, WRIGHT Adam 1 (P), BUCKNER Shea, BEAUBIEN Layne, AZEVEDO Tony 2 (1P), BAILEY Ryan 2 (1P), HUTTEN Tim, SMITH Jesse, KRUMPHOLZ JW 1, ALEXANDER Brian 1. Coach: SCHROEDER Terry.

3 USA vs MNE - credit: Giorgio Perottino Penalty shootouts were needed to resolve this tight match. The first half game had two faces: that of MNE in the first quarter when the Balkan team dominate the operations with three goals, respectively from Radovic, Mladan Janovic and Danilovic, in the order; that of the USA in the 2nd quarter when the Americans reacted, also scoring three goals, with Bailey, Powers and Krumpholz (who tied 3-3 on extra-man). At 3:48 Petrovic, again on extra-man, put MNE up one goal again. Score at half time: 3-4. In 3rd quarter Alexander tied for the USA (4-4), thenticic brought MNE one goal up again netting a goal from two metres, at seconds to the end of the period, concluding a perfect offensive manoeuvre from the whole team (4-5). At 1:53 inside the last quarter Varellas gained a new tie for the USA (5-5). MNE once more in the lead with a goal from outside from M. Janovic (5-6). Azevedo tied on extra-man with a few second missing to the end: on 6-6 penalty shootouts were required. Montenegro missed two, the USA just one, so managing to advance to the semi-finals. Penalty shootouts sequence: Jokic (MNE) missed; Azevedo (USA), M. Janovic (MNE), Wright (USA), Danilovic (MNE), Alexander (USA) missed; Petrovic (MNE), Varellas (USA); Darko Brguljan (MNE) missed, Bailey (USA). GAME 15: SERBIA 19 - CANADA 7 Quarters: (6-3, 3-2; 5-1, 5-1) REFEREES: MARGETA Boris (SLO), BRGULJAN Mario (MNE). FINA DELEGATE: FOSTER Richard (USA). SERBIA: SORO Slobodan, CUK Milos 1, GOCIC Zivko, UDOVICIC Vanja 4, VAPENSKI Boris 2, PIJETLOVIC Dusko 3, NIKIC Slobodan 3 (1P), RADJEN Nikola, FILIPOVIC Filip 4, PRLAINOVIC Andrija 1, MITROVIC Stefan 1, PIJETLOVIC Gojko, Coach: STANOJEVIC Dejan. CANADA: RANDALL Robin, KUDABA Constantin, TOUNI Omar, CONSTANTIN Nicolas 3, BOYD Justin 1, ROBINSON Scott 1, CONWAY John 2, GRAHAM Kevin, GASIC Luka, DAKIC Dusko, VIKALO Oliver, MC ELROY Jared, ALEKSIC Dusan. Coach: JOVANOVIC Dragan.

4 SRB vs CAN - credit: Giorgio Perottino Serbia won its fourth match in a row burying Canada, which collected its fourth consecutive loss, under an avalanche of goals. Serbia s line-up for this match consisted of only twelve players, as their #8 Aleksic was excluded for brutality in the previous match. On the bench once more Dejan Udovicic was substituted assistant coach Dejan Stanojevic. Captain Vanja Udovicic and left handed Filip Filipovic were the game top scorers with four goals each. Progressive score after each quarter: 6-3,9-5, 14-6, Serbia to semi-finals. In the second period Canada s coach Jovanovic was shown a yellow card. GAME 16: CHINA 5 - CROATIA 15 Quarters: (2-5, 1-4; 1-1, 1-5) REFEREES: TEPENKA Doriel (CAN), GOLDENBERG Michael (USA) FINA DELEGATE: AMINI Khosrow (IRI). CHINA: GE Weiqing, TAN Feihu 1, LIANG Zhongxing, YU Lijun, GUO Junliang, PAN Ning 3, LI Bin 1, WANG,Yang, XIE Junmin, LIANG Nianxiang, ZHANG Zhufeng, DONG Tianyi, WU Honghui. Coach: CAI Tianxiong. CROATIA: PAVIC Josip, BURIC Damir, BOSKOVIC Miho 2, DOBUD Niksa 2, JOKOVIC Maro, MUSLIM Petar, KARAC Frano 3, BUSLJE Andro, SUKNO Sandro 3, BARAC Samir 2, PASKVALIN Fran, OBRADOVIC Paulo 2, BULJUBASIC Ivan 1. Coach: RUDIC Ratko.

5 CHN vs CRO - credit: Giorgio Perottino As in the previous match the clash between the first of one group and the last of the other group could not have a different outcome. For Croatia this match represented an opportunity for a player turnover as well a profitable training. For China one more opportunity to make experience at the highest possible level of play. Karac and Sukno for Croatia, Pan for China were the game s best scorers with three goals each. Split scores: 2-5, 3-9, 4-10, 5-15.