December 18, 2019 - Croatia water polo has received yet another impressive recognition as two team members are among the top seven in the world - Maro Jokovic and Josip Vrlic.
Croatia water polo can end 2019 on a high note thanks to its latest recognition. After Sandro Sukno took the Total Waterpolo Player title in 2017 and Andro Buslje and Luka Loncar found their place in the best lineup in 2018, Croatia again has two players in the top seven in the world.
Namely, after Total Waterpolo published all the votes of the jury and the audience (with 30 international coaches and 18 media representatives), Maro Jokovic finished fifth in the overall ranking with 49 points and found himself among the seven best in the right wing position. In the last two years, Luka Lončar has won the award for the best center forward in the world, while this year, his representative Josip Vrlić earned this honor.
"An exceptional season is behind Maro Jokovic. He has taken on a lot of responsibilities and is definitely the best left-hander in the world right now," coach Ivica Tucak told Total Waterpolo.
"It's just impossible to take on Vrlic from two-meters. It's a real pleasure to play with him," said Felipe Perrone, last year's Total Waterpolo Player Award winner, and former Barceloneta teammate.
In an exciting competition for the Total Waterpolo Player title, the highest vote was won by Hungarian Denes Varga (159) ahead of Italian Francesco Di Fulvio (151). In the women's competition, American national team goalie Ashleigh Johnson convincingly took the title.
Best Seven (Men's):
Goalkeeper - Marco Del Lungo (Italy)
Left Wing - Francesco Di Fulvio (Italy)
Left Driver - Denes Varga (Hungary)
Right Wing- Maro Joković (Croatia)
Right Driver - Filip Filipović (Serbia)
Center Back - Aleksandar Ivović (Montenegro)
Center Forward - Josip Vrlić (Croatia)
Best Seven (Women's):
Goalkeeper - Ashleigh Johnson (USA)
Left Wing - Rita Keszthelyi (Hungary)
Left Driver - Roser Tarrago (Spain)
Right Wing - Arianna Garibotti (Italy)
Right Driver - Maggie Steffens (USA)
Center Back - Hannah Buckling (Australia)
Centar Forward - Maica Garcia Godoy (Spain)
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