Young Barracudas Crush Netherlands, Semifinal Within Reach
Croatia's U16 water polo team defeated the Netherlands 15:7 in the fourth round of the World Championship in Zagreb. Egypt awaits in the quarterfinals, with a win leading to a medal match.
Croatia's U16 water polo team defeated the Netherlands 15:7 in the fourth round of the World Championship in Zagreb. Egypt awaits in the quarterfinals, with a win leading to a medal match.
Croatia's U16 water polo team continues its winning streak at the World Championship in Zagreb. At the pool by the Sava River, the young Barracudas dismantled their Dutch counterparts 15:7 (4:3, 4:1, 3:2, 4:1) on August 6, 2026, in their fourth match. This convincing victory secured their spot in the quarterfinals and brought them one step closer to a medal.
The Oranje managed to stay within striking distance only during the opening six minutes, which is the length of a quarter in this age group. After that, the hosts took complete control of the pool. The decisive separation came midway through the second period. With two goals from Bartol Smoje, first from the left side and then by swimming in from two meters on a power play, Croatia extended its lead to 7:4, and soon after to 8:4.
The Netherlands had a chance to get back into the game midway through the third quarter. Trailing 8:5, they broke away on a clear one-on-none counterattack, but goalkeeper Luko Vezilić, later named player of the match, pulled off a miraculous save from a seemingly hopeless position. That moment completely turned the tide of the match.
Right after Vezilić's heroics, a veritable mini storm from the Croatian youngsters followed. Three consecutive goals in quick succession, Rajčević from the left side, and Srzić and Kundid from center forward, quickly stretched the lead to an insurmountable 11:5. In the remainder of the match, the Croatian side was not even rattled by the third personal exclusion of Ante Domazet, one of the team's top scorers, at the start of the final quarter.
Roko Koncul led the scoring with three goals. Patrik Kundid, Bartol Smoje, Duje Srzić, and Ante Domazet each added two, while Toma Bošnjak, Toni Cvitan, Deni Sappe, and Vlaho Rajčević each found the back of the net once.
The draw for the quarterfinals, scheduled for Friday, August 7, 2026, at 7:00 PM, pitted Croatia against Egypt. The African side, like Croatia, has won all four of its matches so far. However, there is a significant difference in the quality of opposition. While the Barracudas have faced strong teams one after another, the Egyptians have racked up wins against teams from the second and third tiers, defeating Kazakhstan (14:9), Uruguay (21:4), China (8:6), and Zimbabwe (25:1) in succession.
The winner of this clash will meet the better side from the Serbia vs. Brazil match in the semifinals. Given the level of play displayed and the world-renowned gap in quality between Croatian and Egyptian water polo, advancing to the semifinals and a shot at a medal seems highly likely.
