Water Polo World Champs: Croatia beats Japan to reach Round of 16

Croatia – Japan Men Water Polo during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall B in Fukuoka (Japan), July 21th, 2023

In a commanding display, the Croatian water polo team, affectionately known as the ‘Barakude’, defeated host nation Japan 17-12 in the third round of Group C matches at the Water Polo World Championships to secure a second-place finish in the group.

The victory means that Croatia will now face Montenegro in the Round of 16, scheduled for Sunday, July 23, at 10:00 AM local time.

While Croatia held a slim lead of only one or two goals until the middle of the third quarter, they then broke down Japan’s defences. With a 10-9 lead and just four and a half minutes left on the clock, Marinić Kragić, Bukić, Butić, Lazić, and Harkov scored five consecutive goals, extending the lead to 15-9 to put the game out of reach for Japan. 

Croatia – Japan Men Water Polo during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall B in Fukuoka (Japan), July 21th, 2023.

The focus now shifts to preparing for the match against Montenegro.

Croatia – Japan Men Water Polo during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall B in Fukuoka (Japan), July 21th, 2023.

Coach Ivica Tucak shared his thoughts on the game:

“Playing against Japan is always challenging. Their incredible energy, relentless swimming, and pressing can drive you to madness, I must say. The most important thing is that we secured the victory. Although we faced some challenges during the game, it was similar to our match against Hungary, which was evenly balanced for almost three quarters. What we wanted from this game, we achieved. As for Montenegro, I know them well. I used to be their coach in Herceg Novi. I hold great respect for their young team and my colleague, Gojković, who was once my captain at Jadran in Herceg Novi when I coached them. I wish we could meet later in the tournament, perhaps in the semi-finals. 

Ivica Tucak, head coach of Croatia, reacts during the match Croatia – Japan Men Water Polo during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall B in Fukuoka (Japan), July 21th, 2023.

The Round of 16 is the first elimination game and is often one of the toughest in the tournament. We don’t have much time to rest. I told the players before the game against Japan that we had two paths ahead of us – either Montenegro and Greece or Serbia and Italy. We chose this path, facing Montenegro. I know their strengths, as well as their weaknesses, but make no mistake, it will be a challenging game. I watched their match against Serbia, and they dominated the first two quarters. It’s unbelievable how they lost in the end. Nevertheless, it also showed us that they have their assets, as well as their flaws. I hope we can capitalise on those flaws.”