Prlainović for B92.sport: "We are the best - Serbia hasn't been so powerful since 2016"

That semi-final match is scheduled for 15:35, and the experienced Andrija Prlainović, a former Serbian water polo player who conquered the planet with the national team and won everything there is to win, is sending support and optimism to Uroš Stevanović's team.

One of the best ever in this sport, who has collected a total of 33 medals under the cap of Serbia, of which two consecutive Olympic golds, is quite satisfied with how Serbian water polo players look at this global competition.

"We look convincing and safe, it's a pleasure to watch from the sidelines and cheer. It's been a long time since the national team looked this good, safe and powerful. Since 2016-2017, I don't think the national team has looked this good in a tournament. I'm optimistic before the semi-finals and before the continuation of the tournament," begins Andrija Prlainović's story for B92.sport.

Peđa Milosavljević/Starsport

On the way to the semi-finals, Serbia recorded two victories against South Africa and Romania, lost to Italy in the group after the penalty shoot-out and captain Nikola Jakšić's dismissal, and that defeat meant the match was more in the knockout phase, where our team first eliminated Japan (21:14) in the round of 16.

"There were different moments when that 2023 quarter-final with Italy was played, compared to the group game, now we are in a better composition. Neither Mandić nor Ćuk were playing then. Now we are here with both of them and with players who won Olympic gold, who are now full of confidence and that is one of the reasons why we look like this. You can see that the players are playing freely, they do not lack confidence and everything really looks good. It is always good to have a strong the opponent in the group, just to see what the current state of consciousness of the players, of the team is, how the team will react to those difficult moments, phenomena that cannot really be influenced, to the referee's decisions and to the opponent", Prlainović is clear.

"Changing the rules? That's in our favor?"

VSS/UNIQA/Slobodan Sandić

In the quarterfinals, there was a duel with the United States of America, where the Olympic champions safely and smartly secured a triumph (14:9), in which way they advanced towards the four best selections on the planet and scheduled a duel with the Hungarians.

"That game in the round of 16 was quite good for us. It was good for us that we had Japan and we didn't have free time, but a game that requires seriousness and maximum commitment, and we prepared well for that. We played very well against the USA from start to finish."

Apart from the additional match in the play-off for the quarter-finals, the new water polo player from Radnički from Kragujevac also points out that the changed rules benefit the Serbian water polo players, who adapted to the new game system quite quickly.

"The players got used to it very quickly. We, our best players, like the smaller pitch and less swimming. I'm thinking of Jakšić, Mandić, Ćuk, and our centers like it, too. Vico, especially, likes the smaller pitch. As for the rule change, I would say that we, as a national team, benefited from it. It certainly didn't hurt us. And now, what those rules will bring to the average viewer and what the goal of the rule change is, I don't know. There are no people in the stands, as it looks to people on television - I believe it looks very similar to the way it looked in the early years and the last decade. I don't see any big changes there, nor will a large number of people start watching water polo because of the change in the rules," Andrija points out.

The duel with Hungary, which defeated Croatia (18:12) in the quarter-finals and left the current world champion without the opportunity to defend the gold won in Doha 2024, will show whether all the pieces have been put together in the Serbian mosaic.

Uroš Stevanović's team was preparing for the WC with the Hungarians in Budapest, when Serbia narrowly lost 13:12, and the last time the two teams met in a major competition was at the Olympic Games in Paris, when the northern neighbors were also better (17:13).

"We are the dominant team in today's water polo"

VSS/UNIQA/Slobodan Sandić

Hungarian shooting rhapsody or Serbian solid defense - Prlainović has no dilemma.

"We are the best there, for sure. The best in the world water polo when it comes to defense, both positionally, probably with one player less, but especially positionally. One on one in the game, we are the dominant team, especially now with Wapenski, who is a returner and who brought great quality and defense in the attack. We are the dominant team in today's water polo. I expect and believe that we can stop all this the best that Hungary has," the former Serbian representative points out.

"What you said, you are right, the Hungarians are first of all a shooting team with good swimmers. They solve those situations very quickly with shots from 5, 6, 7 meters. I think they will have a lot of headaches to stop our attacking options. So I really expect us to find ourselves in the final, based on what I have seen. I am optimistic about the semi-finals with, of course, respect for the Hungarian team, which played very well in this tournament, which came close to beating Spain in the group".

VSS/UNIQA/Slobodan Sandić

"They beat Croatia by a big margin, where they were constantly in the lead from the second quarter. It is a team with a lot of well-coordinated players, who know each other very well. Most of them have been in Ferencvaros for many years. They have won trophies with the club and with the national team. They are not inexperienced players, although the team is quite young, but there are good water polo players among them who have been there for many years in the national team. The opponent for all respect, and also the biggest rival in history. That is why this is really water polo classic. It can't be more than that," says Andrija, who was asked if it would be "better" for us to have Croatia on the other side.

"No, it's more or less irrelevant in the semi-finals. It's impossible to get to the semi-finals in a competition like this. The four best teams are currently there".