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Gergely Kiss and Daniel Varga on their 1st Euro League clash

This Saturday... it’s a yet-again clash of Vasas and Honved... but this time they’ll fight each other in Euro League. www.vlv.hu made a parallel interview with the two players. What do you think of your team in Euro Leage? Are there any injured ones? Gergely Kiss: I’m proud to say that we had done big work since September – both in the gym and in the pool. Everybody did his best. We have small illnesses, but these happen every week. The playing team hasn’t been decided yet – perhaps on Friday or Saturday. Daniel Varga: It’s difficult for us, because we haven’t played any Euro League game in this season. Although we have met with Honved twice, but we don’t have any experience in the Euro League. But we’re very motivated. We don’t have any injured players, except one (Attila Kincses) who has an infection. Everybody is ready. Aren’t you guys bored from each other (Vasas/Honved)? Now that it’s international cup, does it give any new motivation? Gergely Kiss: The world of waterpolo is small to have diversity. The European Top means 5-6 countries, so it can easily happen that same nations meet in a group. It’s a fact that we have played many games with one another. In the last couple of years we have met in Euro League, Hungarian Cup, Super Cup and sooner or later in the Hungarian League as well. So the coaches should introduce us to one another. Therefore our preparation is a special one. It’s not just the typical style, but to pay extra attention for the tendencies, their actual shape and their weak points. What will be different is the international referees – they’ll whistle in a different style. It’s also different, that if any team lapse now, you have the chance the revise… even against a foreigner team. Daniel Varga: I think we’re bored from each other, but each Honved-Vasas game give an extra motivation. And this is a Euro League game. As we’re the host team, it’s required for us to win. Especially if we want to qualify, and we want to qualify. Is there any elaborated strategy for group games? Any peak aims? Gergely Kiss: Our situation is special as we play our first 3 games in Hungary (1st game in Komjadi – Vasas home pool, next 2 in Koer utca – Honved pool). These are scheduled within 4 weeks and it would be good to win this 3 games, because that would bottom our position in the group. But I rather say, it would be good to gather the most points, especially against the 2 foreign teams. We will see what’s next in the second part of the group games, it’ll be a clearer picture. Daniel Varga: Strategy?… I can only answer to that in banality. We would like to win all of our games. It’s a bit same as being in the top 4 in Hungarian League: points gained in non-home-pools worth much more. That’s why I say this should be a must have winning. If Honved could get points now, it’d be a big progress for them to qualify – although it’s only the first round. Do you think that you should overcome Vasas/Honved in the sum up to qualify? Gergely Kiss: Both teams are able to qualify. A lot will depend on the games played in Dubrovnik. I gave 30-30-30% for the 3 teams, and maximum 10% for the Greeks to qualify. Any team who can gain point in Dubrovnik, makes a big step towards qualification from this 3 odds group. Daniel Varga: It will be a very tough fight. I can even imagine that on the last game (it will be in Koer utca) 1-1 goals will decide. And this won’t be about the end of the game, but on the score-scale. And this can decide the group position from 1. to 3…. anyhow. What do expect from the game on Saturday? Gergely Kiss: I won’t say anything new: big fight, as Vasas starts its Euro League debut after a defeat. And they were beaten in home pool, so now they sure want to make even. We go with the thought that we won against them in our home-pool, but in the final game in Komjadi, we were beaten… with a bad game. Both Vasas and Honved couldn’t make it on their last two games in Komjadi. The question is: who gets over it sooner? Daniel Varga: I expect victory of course. We prepare a lot for this game. We need success as we had a quite bad series nowadays and we want to show it to everyone that this isn’t a common thing. What’s a common thing is what we did with Honved on our 1st game in the League. Or if that’s an overestimation, then the “normal” is that in our home pool we should win. How would you evaluate Daniel Varga/Gergely Kiss? Gergely Kiss: I meet Dani just as much as an opponent and as team-mate in national team. I see him quite often in both roles, although he gets a different role in national team, like in Vasas, so he has to work this out week after week. The attacks of Vasas are mainly based upon him. His a fundamental guy in this field, and in the national team he has less role in attacks. He’s one of the most talented players in the last couple of years. Actually the word “talent” is not enough, as he has entered into the “mature player” age. I expect him not to show a good performance on Saturday, but other than that I wish him to play useful both in Vasas and in the national team. Daniel Varga: The play of Gergo Kiss is the most defined. If I should “take away” 3 players from Honved, than it would be the two goalies and Gergely Kiss…  The main thing is that everything starts from him and rarely concludes with him… So he’s initiate and end player in Honved in this season. He’s in a key position, so our No. 1 task is to reduce his activity. Send a word to him! Gergely Kiss: Well, I don’t think so that he should put my photo on his night-stand to recognize and remember me. If yes, he can memorize me on Saturday. Daniel Varga: He’ll get my message on the game!… I will let him know by using tools of meta-communication.