Pros vs. College Kids Brought Attention to New York City Water Polo
Last night, Asphalt Green played host for the first of two evenings of high-quality water polo. As hoped, it was an entertaining—if one-sided—extravaganza, as Pro Recco, the world’s most recognizable water polo club, headlined a slate of matches between European professional clubs and American college teams.
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In a reasonably close opening match, Recco, the Italian polo giant, pulled away in the third quarter to beat UCLA, 16-11. In the nightcap, Ferencvaros of Hungary dominated Princeton from the outset, at one point scoring five straight goals and 10 of 11 over a 10-minute span to open an 11-4 halftime lead on their way to a 23-11 win.
Wednesday’s action between American college teams and the two best professional teams in the world was a prelude to tonight’s contest. Recco and Ferencvaros, which between them have won the last five Champions League titles, will play at 7:30pm.
More important than results was the festive atmosphere. Asphalt Green never looked better for polo: from pristine Malmsten goals and the “wave breaking lines” pool setup to high-energy videos and music to Overnght’s assorted cameras streaming play, the venerable Upper East Side aquatics facility was an ideal backdrop to action in the water.
New York IS magic for water polo
“We are in a moment where we want to take the big step and New York is magic— and [the] United States can teach everyone,” said Maurizio Felugo, Pro Recco president and chief proponent of his club’s trip to NYC.
“Obviously we want to win, and will do everything to win, but we will try to create a product more attractive and start from New York… it’s something amazing,” Felugo added.
His club, which sports eleven Olympians, including ten who competed in the 2024 Paris Games, started slowly against UCLA, the nation’s top-ranked squad. The Bruins pulled within 9-8 midway through the third period due to a flurry of 5-meter penalties against the Italians. A goal by Recco captain Francesco Di Fulvio gave his team a two-goal margin. They then outscored UCLA by 7 goals to 3, finishing comfortably ahead.
Bruin Head Coach Adam Wright, who in 2005 played for the US when the Americans faced the Hungarian national team at Asphalt Green, was pleased with his team’s opportunity to play against the world’s best.
“I mean the guys, the biggest thing is they work so hard and when opportunities like this come up… what a unique opportunity,” said Wright. “90% of our roster would never play those [Pro Recco] players.”
The 10% Wright refers to facing Recco players are Chase and Ryder Dodd, brothers who faced many of them last year in Paris and conceivably will do so again at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The UCLA coach also praised playing polo in the country’s media capital.
“To be able to do that here and more importantly back at Asphalt Green is so special,” he said. “Being back in New York is really special.”
Princeton Head Coach Dustin Litvak was also effusive about the venue as well as competition against a top opponent.
[I]t’s so important, and I think this is just the beginning,” Litvak said. “There needs to be more events like this. Everybody’s learning as we go through this and we keep getting better.
“We’re grateful to be here, but we didn’t want that to be our attitude coming in…. We wanted to compete, we wanted to get better, and you only get better by playing people better than you. And there’s no one better in the world right now than FTC.”
FTC, known historically as Ferencvaros, demonstrated their superiority as they prepare for a Men’s Hungarian Cup match on September 12th. They aggressively attacked their opponent, resulting in breakaways and open looks against Tiger goalie Kristóf Kovács, an All-American in 2024.
With seven Olympians, including Dusan Mandic, a three time (2016, 2020, 2024) Gold medalist with Sebia, Ferencvaros represented a huge challenge for a Princeton squad that began practicing three weeks ago,
That the Tigers’ opponent played hard pleased their coach.
“I was really happy that FTC didn’t take it easy on us,” Litvak said. “They were flying down the pool and going after us. At no point did I feel like they were like: ‘We’re going to pull back now.’
“That’s what we wanted. We don’t want any mercy. We want to play.”
Princeton and UCLA now move on to the Princeton Invitational, which begins tomorrow in New Jersey. For NYC polo fans, the premier match of this series will feature two programs with no love lost between them.
“How is the way to create a good product?” Recco President Felugo asked rhetorically. Clearly, to provide thrilling competition, which ideally will be the case tonight at Asphalt Green.
Michael Randazzo (the Man with a Hat) is a swimming & water polo enthusiast in New York City. He’s the executive director of Inclusive Community Wellness, a Brooklyn-based NPO that provides health and wellness opportunities to New Yorkers. When he’s not on a pool deck helping children and adults learn to swim, Randazzo occasionally writes about water polo, a sport he never played and barely understands.
