The epilogue is bitter. In game 2 of the play-off semi-final, fifth place in the men’s A1 series, the De Akker Bologna won 8-7 on Trieste water polo thus closing the series at 2-0. The sponsored team Samer & Co. Shipping will now play the final for seventh place (where they will face Telimar Palermo) but the objective of qualifying for the next edition of the Euro Cup fails.
The defeat at the Stadio del Nuoto comes at the peak of an overall unfortunate year, during which the halberd group rarely managed to express their considerable potential. Now the company leaders will take a few days to reflect before establishing the guidelines in view of the 2024/2025 season. In the meantime, the focus is on the immediate future, i.e. the away match in Palermo on May 22nd, the task now is to close the competitive commitments as best as possible. “Congratulations to De Akker – explains the general director Andrea Brazzatti – we tried, but too much nervousness didn’t allow us to be effective in the offensive phase. At this moment there is obviously a lot of disappointment.” “It’s very sorry – explains Lcoach Daniele Bettini – we played with our heart but it wasn’t enough.”
The news. Tension skyrocketing, it takes 7 minutes to witness the first goal, scored by the captain Petronius in superiority (0-1). Oliva foils a “one-against-zero” counterattack and protects the visitors’ advantage. Script unchanged at the start of the second period. Olive he saves a couple of dangerous attacks from Bologna, but then surrenders to Camilleri’s diagonal with the extra man (1-1). Alfonso Pozo scores the 2-1 from the mark, Bini finds the 2-2 in superiority, Luongo with a penalty scores the 3-2 at the change of ends. At the start of the third quarter, De Akker gets +2 thanks to De Freitas, Trieste reacts impetuously with a brace from Dasic (4-4), then Grossi scores the 5-4. In the fourth period the Bolognese team made the decisive attack. Luongo scores two photocopy goals interspersed with the goal of Mezzarobba (7-5). With 2’50” left the former Milakovic scores the 8-5 which essentially closes the score. Trieste doesn’t want to give up, Marziali and Bini they bring the guests back to -1 (8-7) but with only 28” to play on the clock, too little to crown the comeback.
DE AKKER BOLOGNA – WATER POLO TRIESTE 8-7 (0-1; 3-1; 2-2; 3-3)
DE AKKER BOLOGNA: Santini, Marchetti, Puccio, Mengoli, De Freitas 1, Grossi 1, Camilleri 1, Milakovic 1, Alfonso Pozo 1, S. Luongo 3, Cocchi, De Simon, Pederielli, Takeuchi. All. Mistrangelo
WATER POLO TRIESTE: Oliva, Podgornik, Petronio 1, Buljubasic, Vrlic, Valentino, Dasic 2, Mezzarobba 1, Razzi, Marziali 1, Bini 2, Mladossich, Caruso, Liprandi. All. Bettini
Referees: Schiavo and Piano
NOTE: De Simon (B) and Buljubasic (T) exited due to fouls in the fourth period; in the third period Alfonso Pozo (B) was sent off, in the fourth period Camilleri (B), Dasic (T) and Mladossich (T) were sent off; numerical superiority De Akker Bologna 2/12+1 penalty, Water Polo Trieste 3/9+1 penalty
