Day 16 of the Spanish Water Polo League saw Terrassa make a significant move towards playoff qualification with a crucial win over Mataro. Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Tenerife Echeyde and Real Canoe delivered a nail-biting finish in Santa Cruz.
Terrassa faced off against Mataro in a battle between the 4th and 5th-placed teams. The match was a defensive struggle through the first half, with the score tied at 2:2. However, Terrassa dominated the third quarter, outscoring Mataro 5:1 and securing a 9:4 victory. Gerard Cuacos Pena was the standout performer, scoring all five of his goals from the penalty line as Terrassa capitalized on Mataro’s six penalty fouls. This win puts Terrassa ten points clear of Mataro and strengthens their playoff position.
After a Champions League loss to Ferencvaros, Barceloneta bounced back with a commanding 25:9 victory over Mediterrani. Martin Famera, Alvaro Granados, and Vince Vigvari each scored four goals, contributing nearly half of Barceloneta’s total.
Sabadell secured a 14:6 win against Sant Andreu, led by Francisco Valera’s four goals and Alex Bowen’s three.
Barcelona, rebounding from a Euro Cup defeat to Vasas, recorded a 17:8 triumph over Rubi. Abel Ramon found the net five times for Barcelona.
The most thrilling game of the round unfolded in Tenerife, where the home team Echeyde Tenerife battled Real Canoe. Tenerife led 7:3 at halftime and maintained control through three quarters. However, Real Canoe mounted a remarkable comeback in the final period, scoring five goals to overturn the deficit and claim a 12:11 victory. Javier Ibanez sealed the win with a decisive goal just seven seconds from the final whistle.
Spanish League, Round 16 Results
- Mataro 4, Terrassa 9 (1:2, 1:0, 1:5, 1:2)
- Sant Andreu 6, Sabadell 14 (2:5, 1:4, 2:2, 1:3)
- Mediterrani 9, Barceloneta 25 (1:4, 1:8, 5:6, 2:7)
- Rubi 8, Barcelona 17 (1:2, 2:5, 4:4, 1:6)
- Tenerife Echeyde 11, Real Canoe 12 (4:1, 3:2, 2:4, 2:5)
- Catalunya 10, Caballa 8 (2:0, 5:3, 1:2, 2:3)
Standings (After Round 16)
- Barceloneta – 16 – 48pts
- Sabadell – 16 – 44pts
- Barcelona – 16 – 37pts
- Terrassa – 15 – 33pts
- Mataro – 15 – 23pts
- Mediterrani – 15 – 19pts
- Sant Andreu – 15 – 18pts
- Catalunya – 16 – 14pts
- Tenerife Echeyde – 16 – 11pts
- Caballa – 16 – 11pts
- Rubi – 16 – 9pts
- Real Canoe – 16 – 9pts