13-15. Spain fell against Greece and closed the Paris Games in sixth position

The men’s water polo team has closed sixth position The Olympic Games in Paris after losing 13-15 against Greece in the battle for fifth and sixth place. The Spanish team, affected after the defeat in the quarterfinals and despite the previous victory against Italy, showed itself far from his defensive level typically close out a Game marked by a painful quarterfinal loss against Croatia.

Spain could not hide the Greek potential at any time, in a match where it was mentioned in the rhythm that there was no jackpot at stake. Konstantinos Genidounias, Alexandros Papanastasiou and Konstantinos Kakaris They scored three goals each, in a match where one of the Greek mainstays like Angelos Vlachopoulos did not play. It is unusual to make a marking number Alex Bustos and the ‘gunboat’ Bernat Sanahuja They led the Spanish attack with three goals each, although Bernat, like the entire first line, had a low percentage in front of the goal.

Besides, The Spanish defense suffered to stop the game inside the Greek (4/5 in superiorities, but 4/4 in penalties). Spain remained 8/13 in extra men and 1/1 in penalty kicks. In this way an Olympic tournament is closed It almost certainly means goodbye to Games legend Felipe Perrone.

Unai Aguirre started as the starter, with the second half going to Edu Lorrio. It was difficult for both teams to start the match, with poor shot selection, mistakes and total dominance of the defenses. Álvaro Granados opened the can, although Efstathios Kalogeropoulos’ response was immediate. Konstantinos Genidounias scored from a penalty and Sanahuja, in superiority, put 2-2 after the first quarter.

The defensive intensity of both teams dropped significantly in the second quarter, which turned into a constant exchange of blows and Spain was always forced to respond. Skoumpakis scored in superiority, but Perrone equalized with a penalty. Papanastasiou scored again as an extra man, although Roger Tahull brought the game back. Bustos responded first with goals from Kakaris and then from Genidounias, but Last and again Papanastasiou stretched the score to 6-8 at half-time.

The Greek scoring pace didn’t slow down in the third quarter, but the Spanish did. Gkillas and the double penalties scored by Fountoulis widened the gap which was only answered by Bernat Sanahuja. Although Greece were left without Genidounias, withdrawn, Spain repeatedly stalled in attack and saw Argyropoulos with another penalty after a very poor Spanish interior defense put the score 7-12 there are eight minutes left.

Greece, who were in control of the game, dropped their momentum and Spain tried to get into the match. A direct foul by Munarriz was answered by a counter attack by Kakaris, but then it was Spain who raised the defensive forces to generate counter-attacks and to make it 11-13 with goals from Perrone in superiority and from Bustos and Larumbe in quick exits from behind. Papanastasiou responded, though Sanahuja and Larumbe made 13-14 a minute and a half from the end. however, Kakaris in superiority was judged 13-15 and Tzortzatos’ last stops prevented the score from moving forward again.

In this way, Spain closed these Olympic Games in sixth placeas in Seoul 1988, Athens 2004 and London 2012. The long-awaited Olympic medal was contested for a group that shone during the cycle with an international gold and two bronzes and a European gold and a bronze. The countdown to Los Angeles 2028 has begun.

Match sheet

13-Spain: Unai Aguirre (p), Alberto Munarriz (1), Álvaro Granados (1), Bernat Sanahuja (3), Miguel de Toro, Marc Larumbe (2), Martin Famera, Sergi Cabanas, Roger Tahull (1), Felipe Perrone (2 ), Unai Biel, Álex Bustos (3) and Edu Lorrio (ps)
15-Greece: Emmanouil Zerdevas (ps), Konstantinos Genidounias (3), Dimitrios Skoumpakis (1), Efstathios Kalogeropoulos (1), Ioannis Fountoulis (2), Alexandros Papanastasiou (3), Nikolaos Gkillas (1), Stylianos Argyropoulos (1), Nikolaos Papanikolaou , Konstantinos Kakaris (3), Dimitrios Nikolaidis, Angelos Vlachopoulos and Panagiotis Tzortzatos (p)
Components: 2-2, 4-6, 1-4 and 6-3
Referees: Frank Ohme (Germany) and Raffaele Colombo (Italy). 8/13 in superiority for Spain, with 1/1 in penalties, and 4/5 for Greece, with 4/4 in penalties. Genidounias and Papanikolaou were removed
Incidents: Matches for 5th and 6th place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games