Water polo – Szolnok retain championship title

Four-goal Norbert Madaras was instrumental for the hosts as Sándor Cseh’s Szolnok triumphed 10-8 in the fifth match of the E.ON men’s championship final series to keep hold of the championship title they won last year.

Both teams entered the arena knowing that it was now or never: there would be no more opportunities, no more matches to come; the 2015/16 championship would be decided once and for all. The atmosphere was electric; the arena packed full an hour before the start, and – three-time Olympic champion, world champion and European champion – Péter Biros, playing his last championship match before retiring from the pool, received a standing ovation from both sets of supporters. On a more poignant note, a minute’s silence was then held for Sándor Tarics, the 102 year-old former Olympic water polo champion who passed away last weekend, before the teams got down to business.

The hosts would get off to a perfect start, Norbert Madaras scoring as Szolnok took the lead for the first time in the final since the first match, some 99 minutes in all – the second match was decided on penalties after all. By the end of the first quarter they would be three goals ahead, Madaras doubling their lead from an advantage, Gergő Zalánki reducing the deficit and then Dénes Varga and Aaron Younger on target. It could have been different had Uroš Čučković and then Márton Szivós made the best of the opportunities which came their way, but the score stood at 4-1 after the opening period.

Szolnok’s early lead would prove telling, the team immediately loosing the nervousness which had crept into their play as Eger game back in games two and three. It became Eger’s time to doubt, failing to capitalise when a man-up although they did bring the score back to 4-2 through Krisztián Bedő. Tamás Mezei, Balázs Hárai, Vámos and the masked Miloš Ćuk were then all off target and Branislav Mitrović called into action twice from fierce Madaras shots, but the score would remain unchanged as the teams broke for half-time.