ONE TIME SUPPORT: After Serbia won gold at Rio Olympics against Croatia Belgrade solute the best water polo team in the world.
Golden boys after the spectacular victory
Serbia beats Croatia 11-7 and won its first gold in water polo
Credit: Sergei Grits (AP)
How world reported on this water polo symphony as Andrija Prlainovic named the match for Olympic gold:
Serbia beats Croatia for the water polo gold but it was more than a game
LA Times headlines a golden Rio match.
Nathan Fenno started a report from the scene:
Their countries, Croatia and Serbia, share a 150-mile border and a bloody history. They battled in the early 1990s as part of the conflagration ignited by the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. They traded claims of genocide. Their sporting events against each other became about much more than who won or lost and regularly led to unseemly chants, riots, even diplomatic incidents.
On Saturday, they shared a pool in the water polo final at the Rio Games.
"We don't have any enemies when we play against them," Serbia's Gojko Pijetlovic said after his country muscled its way to an 11-7 victory for the gold medal. "We don't hate anybody. We just play water polo. We play everyone the same."
Then he added: "It's our national spirit. We don't like to lose."
The spirit echoed through the stadium even though empty seats outnumbered the occupied ones and Brazilians dressed in yellow and green dominated the crowd. A few hundred Serbian supporters in the upper bowl waved their country's red, blue and white flag while a handful of hyperactive ringleaders urged on sing-song chants of "Serbia!"
This didn't resemble some of the troubled previous meetings between the neighbors that date back to soccer brawls before Yugoslavia's demise. Violence erupted between Croatian and Serbian supporters during the European water polo championship in 2003 — and led to a window-smashing attack on the Croatian embassy in Belgrade. Fans of the countries clashed in 2007 at the Australian Open tennis tournament, then collided later that year during a water polo match in Melbourne. Riot police became a familiar presence at games.
The usual handful of men wearing the maroon beret of Brazil's National Public Security Force wandered through the stadium's concourse Saturday with pistols strapped to their right legs. A bored-looking soldier stared blankly at the wall near dozens of parked baby strollers. There wasn't anything for them to do.
In the pool, however, everything looked different...wrote Nathan Fenno from LA Times
ONE TIME SUPPORT all over Serbia:
BBC reported:
Serbia won their second Olympic gold in Rio as their men's water polo team beat London 2012 champions Croatia.
The world champions won the final 11-7 to take the title, after winning bronze at the past two Olympics.
Croatia's assistant coach was told to leave the arena midway through the second half after protesting to officials against a decision.
Italy, who were silver medallists in London four years ago, secured bronze with a 12-10 victory over Montenegro.
Credit:Reuters Laszlo Balogh
Joshua Schneyer (REUTERS) reported from the scene:
Serbia's world champion men’s water polo team defeated arch rivals Croatia 11-7 to win their first Olympic gold medal in the sport and dethrone the title holders on Saturday.
The Serbian victory came as the country's athletes round out an impressive Games in Rio and also prepare to compete for gold in women's volleyball and men's basketball.
In a water polo final marked by rough and aggressive play in front of both goals, Serbia showed superior firepower and defense.
Credit: Damir Sagolj (REUTERS)
Serbia's Dusan Mandic scored four times, while goalkeeper Branislav Mitrovic's impressive blocks kept Croatia out. Two goals came from Filip Filipovic, age 29 and a veteran of two past Serbian Olympic teams which each won bronze. Filipovic was elected the most valuable player of the tournament.
A Serbia team that has swept up world and regional titles since 2012 finally proved its dominance on the most prestigious stage. Filipovic said his team, known for both stellar defense and great shooting, was probably the best ever assembled in the sport.
Swimming world magazine Dan D’Addona reported:
After winning the European and world championships, Serbia’s men’s water polo team finally etched itself into Olympic history, winning the country’s first gold medal on Saturday at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Credit: Printskrin Youtube/RedStarFamily
Serbia defeated the defending Olympic champion Croatia team 11-7 to cap a stunning two weeks of water polo in Brazil. The Serbian players draped the flag over the goal and celebrated history in what is arguably the biggest sport in the country.
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BUT, above all the headlines and reports one thing matter the most:
THEY ARE THE BEST TEAM ON THE PLANET
Credit: sportvesti.net
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