Final 4 Spots Booked for Men's Olympic Water Polo Field, Canada Doesn't Make Cut

Edmonton (April 6) — Montenegro, Romania, Spain and Greece booked the final berths for the 2012 London Olympic Games when they clearly won their quarter-finals at the men’s Olympic Games Qualification Tournament at the Kinsmen Sports Centre here today. It was a Good Friday for the four teams as they completed the 12-team roster for London, making sure of their berths with some emphatic performances.

Montenegro, spearheaded by captain Nikola JANOVIC (4 goals) and Aleksandar IVOVIC (5 goals), were too strong and always knew that they would book a flight to London, using the match as a showcase of the players’ individual skills. Turkey kept in the game at 5-2 and, but for a toiling effort in the third quarter that brought three goals to Montenegro’s one, had to enjoy the chance of playing one of the best teams in the world.

Romania was the next team to qualify, making up for that disappointing loss to Canada at the 2008 tournament in Oradea, Romania. The strong opening and at 7-0 before Brazil made the scoreboard, Romania set the tone of the match. Romania didn’t want any mistakes, led 9-2 at halftime and 15-3 at the final break before finishing 19-8. A flag immediately emerged from the costume of one Romanian and he waved it in delight before the team joined him in celebration. Captain Cosmin RADU finally gets his reward — a first Olympic Games.

Spain clinched position 11 in London with an 11-7 victory over the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia. It was the inspirational play of captain Guillermo MOLINA, the wily veteran, who slipped five goals past the MKD keeper. Four of those goals came in the second half when most needed as the giant-killer MKD stayed focused and drew the final quarter 3-3.

It all came down to the last match of the evening for the 12th and final place and the in-form Greece proved worthy of that position with a 10-6 victory over the heavily supported Canada. For ageless captain Georgios AFROUDAKIS (35), who scored four goals, it will be a Greek record fifth Olympic Games while his younger brother Christos AFROUDAKIS and Argyris THEODOROPOULOS will make their third appearances. Goalkeeper Nikolaos DELIGIANNIS (36) dared to dream a fourth Olympics and he gained his wish. Greece only led 4-2 at the half but had a three-goal margin heading into the last. In Oradea four years ago Canada was the giant killer but in 2012 there are no such heady celebrations.

The four from Edmonton will join Serbia, winner of the 2011 FINA World League; world champion Italy, Croatia and Hungary — qualifiers from last year’s FINA World Championships in Shanghai; the United States of America as the Americas qualifier; Australia from Oceania; and Kazakhstan from the Asian qualifiers. The first qualifier was Great Britain as the host nation, taking the European berth. The last two days of competition will decide the final placings for the Olympic draw.