Seventh place in the top national series of men’s water polo he was born in Telimar which ends the series in two straight games. The Palermo team conquers the Bruno Bianchi swimming complex Trieste For 16-12 and goes hand in hand with Wednesday’s home success of 10-9.
The Addaura Club leads the entire match, often reaching +4 and playing a bit of cat and mouse. The fast pace of the initial phases gives way to milder phases of play towards the end with the Sicilians giving something more, always keeping their opponents at a safe distance. In this last match the superiority was excellent: 9 out of 10 achieved. Hooper protagonist with 6 goals.
Sicilians out of the Len Euro Cup after three years in a row but never say never: Repechages or Challenge Cups could still be on the horizon in a summer that promises to be long and hot not only from a meteorological point of view.
Andrea Giliberti, “We deserved more”
The vice-captain Andrea Giliberti takes stock of the season. Long, with a thousand faces and complicated above all due to the well-known events and vicissitudes of the swimming pool which, as the culmination of a difficult period, hosted the first leg match, the last in fact, of the internal calendar of Telimar with the Viale del Fante facility totally unusable.
“Even if the season didn’t end the way we expected, I want to thank the guys who are leaving on behalf of all my Palermo teammates – he is keen to underline – for everything they have given, some for two years, some for just one year, to this team. They never backed down. A special mention goes to the experienced guys, who have always helped us younger people to improve and grow, both individually and as a group. In my opinion this year we put in more than what we collected in the second part of the season. The proof of this is that we closed these two games with our heads held high. The club had asked us to achieve seventh place. We united even more and we made it”.
Marcello Giliberti, “We will present the Len with a request for repechage”
Marcello Giliberti, president of Telimaryou do “Congratulations to the entire team for the well-deserved victory achieved with a constant good performance away against a defeating Trieste Water Polo team, never in the match. Thus we close the Championship in seventh place”.
And then he announces: “At the beginning of next week we will present to Len the request for repechage for the 2024-2025 Cups, also in consideration of the fact that we are finishing adequately equipping the roster. Several departures of top players and also of young people currently in the team, compensated by important arrivals and the inclusion of some talented Palermo prospects”.
The match report, Telimar immediately ahead
Vitale in action in Telimar-Trieste match 2 final seventh place Serie A1 2023-2024. Photo Luca Tedeschi
The Addaura Club started strong immediately, going +3 with Lo Cascio, in addition, and twice with Vitale. He shortens Mezzarobba in addition, but Hooper as an extra player keeps his opponents at a distance. At the end of the first half, Trieste comes back with Marziali and Mezzarobba, both superior.
Upon returning to the pool, Occhione reacts by scoring the 3-5, but Dasic shortens the score again with a perfect diagonal shot from position 4. TeLiMar, however, remains focused and with Hooper added and Marini twice, in counterattack and as extra player, they reach +4. Podgornik moved away from position 1 and tries to keep the game alive. Vitale earns a penalty, which Giorgetti places to Oliva’s left. Petronio for 6-9, but it is Lo Dico’s power that brings the Palermitans to double figures. Again -3 for Trieste, this time with a long range shot from Mladossich.
Trieste tries to recover
After the long interval, Petronio leads the halberds to -2, with Caruso taking Oliva’s place between the posts. Hooper keeps his concentration high, scoring his personal hat-trick in superiority. And immediately afterwards it was Giorgetti who scored a double, following a quick pass from Vitale who had gained the extra man in the counterattack.
Vitale assistman again, again in counterattack this time with even men, with Hooper playing poker, but Petronio doesn’t give up and updates the scoreboard to 9-13. Great work in the defensive phase by the men deployed by Baldineti, who went 9-14 with Occhione, good at believing in it even after the first rebound.
Bini’s tap-in kept the halberds’ hopes alive in the last eight minutes of the game. Hooper also signs the 10-15. Podgornik replies. Hooper again, in extra player, for his sixth personal goal, to which Marziali responds with a nice turn for 12-16. Caruso saves twice, but Jurisic also shows off, blocking Petronio who had attempted a solitary counter-break.
The scoreboard
Telimar-Trieste 12-16
Partial: 3-4; 3-6; 2-4; 3-2
Trieste: Oliva, Podgornik 2, Petronio 3, Buljubasic, Vrlic, Valentino, Dasic 1, Mezzarobba 2, Razzi, Marziali 2, Bini 1, Mladossich 1, Caruso, Liprandi. Trainer: Daniele Bettini
Telimar: Jurisic, Marini 2, Vitale 2, Fabiano, Giorgetti 2 (1 penalty), Hooper 6, Giliberti, Methodist, Lo Cascio 1, Occhione 2, Lo Dico 1, Woodhead, Girasole, Nuzzo – Technician on the pool deck: Ivano Quartuccio
Referees: Federico Braghini, from Marino (RM) and Francesco Romolini, from Sesto Fiorentino (FI). Delegate: Michele Ingannmorte
Note. Superiority: Trieste 2/9; Telimar 9/10 + rig. Note: no one out due to limit on fouls.
Picture of Luca Tedeschi
