Water Polo, women's prelims, Day 1 - USA crash Spain, Australia downs Russia

Two pretty strong performances highlighted the opening day of the women’s tournament: in the re-match of the 2012 Olympic final the US team thrashed the Spaniards while the Aussies downed the Russians. Italy also enjoyed an easy cruise against Brazil, the only excitements came right in the first game where Hungary beat the Chinese in a fine match.

Game 1, 9.00 – Group B: China v Hungary 11-13 (2-2, 4-4, 3-6, 2-1)
Referees: Nenad Peris (CRO), Georgios Stavridis (GRE)

CHINA: Yang Jun, Ma Huanhuan 3, Mei Xiaohan 1, Siong Dunham, Niu Guannan 3, Sun Yating, Song Donglun, Zhang Cong 1, Zhao Zihan 2, Zhang Weiwei 1, Wang Xinyan, Zhang Jing, Peng Lin (GK). Head coach: Rick Azevedo
HUNGARY: Edinga Gangl, Dora Czigany 4, Dora Antal 1, Hanna Kisteleki, Gabriella Szucs, Orsolya Takacs 2, Anna Illes, Rita Keszthelyi 3, Ildiko Toth 1, Barbara Bujka 2, Dora Csaba, Krisztina Garda, Orsolya Kaso (GK). Head coach: Attila Biro

Extramen
China: 5 for 10
Hungary: 4 for 10

Penalties:
China: 2 for 2
Hungary: 1 for 1

For a while it was a pretty even game, neither sides could build a two-goal lead. Mostly the Hungarians were in front but the Chinese equalised from time to time, even went ahead at 3-2, but Barba Bujka’s two classical goals from the centre in 45 seconds brought back the usual pattern. Ma Huanhuan just beat the buzzer before half-time in a 6 on 5 for 6-6 and Mei Xiaohan pushed the Chinese ahead once more early in the third.

Based on the proceedings so far, few would have guessed what followed. In 27 seconds Dora Antal levelled the score from a fine action, the Hungarians killed one extra and Dora Czigany long distance shot gave them a 7-8 lead. Soon it was 7-10, action goals from Czigany and Rita Keszthelyi froze the Chinese whose hard pressing defence had worked until that spell but not for these 1:49 minutes when the Magyars connecting goals virtually decided the contest (7-10). Czigany was on fire, she hit four in a span of 3:37 minutes alone in this period which saw six Hugarian goals. The Chinese tried to stage a comeback, as they had done a year ago in Kazan in the first round of the prelims but this time their rivals didn’t let them any chance to come really close.

Attila Biro, head coach, Hungary

“The game was as hard as we expected, China is a pretty strong opponent we couldn’t beat them in the past two and a half years, it’s good to do it at last here. I asked my players to have more moves as the Chinese are bigger players so we can rely on our speed. The girls just did that, we managed to break up their pressing game. We have some ups and downs, of course, but the general impression is definitely positive.”

Rick Azevedo, head coach, China

“It was a great game against a great team. It was pretty even for a while but I had to give some rest for our veteran key players and the youngers ones couldn’t cope with the experiences Hungarians’ efforts. Still, I’m satisfied and we have much more game to play here.”

Game 2, 10.20 ¬– Group A: Italy v Brazil 9-3 (1-1, 2-0, 3-0, 3-2)
Referees: Diana Dulith-Dumas (NED), Dion Willis (RSA)

ITALY: Giulia Gorlero, Chiara Tabani, Arianna Garibotti, Elisa Queirolo 1, Federica Radicchi 1, Rosaria Aiello 1, Tania di Mario 1, Roberta Bianconi 3, Giulia Emmolo 1, Francesca Pomeri, Aleksandra Pomeri, Aleksandra Cotti, Teresa Frassinetti 1, Laura Teani (GK). Head coach: Fabio Conti
BRAZIL: Tess Oliveira, Diana Abla 1, Marina Zablith, Marina Canetti, Lucianne Barroncas, Izabella Chiappini 1, Amanda Oliveira 1, Luiza Carvalho, Camila Pedrosa, Viviane Bahia, Mariane Duarte, Gabriela Mantellato, Victoria Chamorro. Head coach: Patrick Oaten

Extramen:
Italy: 2 for 9
Brazil: 0 for 8

Penalties:
Italy: 1 for 1
Brazil: none

Italy did a clean job against the host side. After a balanced first period the European side started to dominate, as usual between teams not on the same level, the defensive work makes the difference. The Italians had an easy job as only a couple of Brazil players took the responsibility of shooting (six field players had attempts) so marking them was easy for the experienced defenders. A telling data: they killed all Brazil 6 on 5s, holding them on 0 for 8. The hosts managed to score for 1-1 in the middle of the opening period, their next goal came in the fourth, as the Italians shut them out for the entire second and third quarters, exactly for 22:38 minutes and in the meantime netted the necessary number of goals. Roberta Bianconi had three hits, as the Setterosa enjoyed an easy cruise.

Game 3, 11:40 – Spain v United States 4-11 (1-4, 1-3, 2-2, 0-2)
Referees: Daniel Flahive (AUS), Filippo Gomez (ITA)

SPAIN: Laura Ester, Marta Bach, Anna Espar 1, Beatriz Ortiz 1, Matilde Ortiz, Paula Leiton, Clara Espar, Pilar Pena, Judith Forca, Roser Tarrago, Maica Garcia 2, Laura Lopez, Patricia Herrera (GK). Head coach: Miguel Oca
USA: Ashleigh Johnson, Madeline Musselman 1, Melissa Seidemann, Rachel Fattal 1, KK Clark 1, Maggie Steffens 2, Courtney Matthewson 2, Kiley Neushul 2, Aria Fischer, Kaleigh Gilchrist, Makenzie Fischer 1, Kami Craig 1, Sami Hill (GK). Head coach: Adam Krikorian

Extramen:
Spain: 1 for 8
USA: 3 for 4

Penalties:
Spain: 0 for 1
USA: 2 for 2

It began where it all finished: four years ago these two teams contested the Olympic final in London, and the USA prevailed 8-5, but it wasn’t that close as they led 7-2 before the last period (in the prelims they finished 9-9).

Practically, this time there was only eight minutes difference as the US girls needed only two periods to take a 7-2 advantage. And this time the margin even grew as the Americans dominated in all fields. Especially the difference between the number of saves were painfully unbalanced – the two Spanish goalie could come up with one save apiece (two in total...) for a 15.4% while Ashleigh Johnson had a 11 for 15 ratio for 73.3%. Goaltending is the arguably the most crucial element but the other important part, the extraman play was also miserable at the Spanish side (1 for 8, 3 for 4 for the US).

While this performance from team USA is somewhat expected as they won all trophies since 2014 (and they are the title-holders), the Spanish might wish to erase this morning from their memories fast. Perhaps this is the best way to go on in this tournament.

Game 4, 13.00 – Group A: Russia v Australia 4-14 (0-3, 1-5, 3-2, 0-4)
Referees: Marie-Claude Deslieres (CAN), Adrian Alexandrescu (ROU)

RUSSIA: Anna Listyukhina, Nadezhda Glyzina, Ekaterina Prokofyeva 2, Elvina Karimova 1, Maria Borisova, Olga Gorbunova 1, Ekaterina Lisunova, Anastasia Simanovich, Anna Timofeeva, Evgeniia Soboleva, Evgeniya Ivanova, Anna Grineva, Anna Karnaukh (GK). Head coach: Aleksandr Gaidukov
AUSTRALIA: Kelsey Wakefield, Gemma Beadsworth, Hannah Buckling, Holly Lincoln-Smith, Keesja Gofers 3, Bronwen Knox, Rowie Webster 3, Glencora McGhie 2, Zoe Arancini 1, Ash Southern 4, Isobel Bishop 1, Nicola Zagame, Lea Yanitsas (GK). Head coach: Greg McFadden

Extramen:
Russia: 2 for 9
Australia: 1 for 10

Penalties:
Russia: 1 for 1
Australia: 1 for 1

If we said the Spaniards had a miserable morning how we would label the Russians’ painful 32-minute journey against the powerful Australians. It was a bad beating as the Aussies stormed through the pool and demolished their opponents by half-time. A 0-6 rush opened the game, Russia needed 13:20 minutes to get on the scoreboard, but two more goals from Down Under in 49 seconds downed them totally. The rest wasn’t too exciting, to be honest – again, the goaltending figures were telling as Anna Listyukhina and substitute Anna Karnaukh had only 3 stops on 17 shots for 17.6%. At the other end the Aussie goalies enjoyed a calm early afternoon in the sunshine as the Russians had 25 attempts but only 9 reached the target – which is way to less to have the tiniest chance against a team like Australia.

Rowie Webster, player, Australia:

“We're over the moon. We wanted to have a good start and that's exactly what we did. We have been training for four years and we have worked really hard on our tactics and our fitness. We knew Russia are a stellar side, so to come out and have a victory like that in the first game of the Olympics is really special.”
“I think, in patches, we controlled it really well. Russia came out hard in the third quarter to try and gain some goals back, and that's what they did. Overall, to keep any team to four goals means we controlled them really well.”

Andrei Belovastov, assistant coach, Russia:

“We knew the Australian team well. We picked them apart, technically, and came up with all kinds of methods against their defence and offence, but without a doubt, it was very hard to play because we had a very low realisation of goal chances.”
“The fact is, with the exception of a handful of players who actually played to their full strength today, the other players, unfortunately, did not play to their capacity.”