Cuban polo player Raydel Martínez and his team win subtitle of the 2020 season in Austria

December 23, 2020

Cuban water polo player Raydel Martínez and his team Paris Lodron Salzburg Wasserball closed the season with the runner-up title in the Austrian Cup, to reaffirm themselves among the four best clubs in the country since 1999.

Martínez and Salzburg could not get revenge against ASV Viena and, as happened in the Bundesliga final, they lost again, this time, with a score of 16 goals to six; adding the second prize in 2020 and the ninth runner-up finish in the local Cup.

We knew it was a difficult match, we started well in the first quarter (2-3) but already in the second half we did not score (0-4) and it was decisive in the unfavorable result, since Viena took control in the following periods (2-3 and 2-6) and we could never come back, commented the Cuban international via WhatsApp.

In an active weekend, Salzburg advanced to the podium as second in group two after losing yesterday to WBV Graz 14 to 8; then defeated early this Sunday in the semifinals the leader of bracket one WBC Tirol 13-12 before losing in the title match against ASV Viena, defending champions of this season.

For the Cuban international these were his second playoffs in his debut in the first division of water polo in Austria and in the title match he led Salzburg's attack with three goals to close out the Cup with a total of seven.

The representative of the largest of the Antilles described as positive the sensations of his debut with the Salzburg team in a season marked by Covid-19 that required a lot of physical preparation due to the reduction of the competition calendar.

In his view, participation in the two main competitions in Austria contributed to his growth as a professional player, since at Salzburg he played indistinctly in the positions of defense and attacker.

In total, Martínez played in this first year with Salzburg's team four matches in the Bundesliga postseason and three in the Cup to display 13 goals.

The next season of the Austrian Bundesliga is scheduled to start at the end of February 2021 and Salzburg will demand greater prominence from Cuban Raydel Martínez.