Italy’s 4-1 second quarter performance enough for first win

ITALY 13 JAPAN 7
Italy opened proceedings with what turned out to be the most comfortable of all results on day one. Opening at 2-0 and 3-1 by the break, Italy made it 7-2 by halftime. Japan awoke in the third, ruing a missed penalty in the first quarter and having just one counter-attack goal and an extra-man strike on the scoresheet. Italy won the third 4-3 and squared the last 2-2.

Match heroes
Centre forward Lorenzo Bruni was best in pool with three goals, the first on extra from deep left and the next two from two metres with one an easy extra-man goal. Luca Marziali also nailed three goals, scoring off the post positions on extra. Vincenzo Dolce’s triple included an eight-metre lob. Yusuke Inaba scored three for Japan, including two from the deep left.

Turning point
Italy’s 7-2 first-half performance.

Stats don’t lie
Italy converted three of four penalty attempts while Japan missed its one. On extra-man attack, Italy was devastating with seven from 11 while Japan managed two from eight.

Bottom line
Italy was one of the best teams of 2022 and Japan 10th at the FINA World Championships, so it was not unexpected. Japan has been working hard recently and preparing to host this year’s World Aquatics World Championships. Every match is a bonus towards performing well in Fukuoka.  

 

USA keeps Croatia honest in big-scoring match

CROATIA 16 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 14
Croatia notched up a home victory, shrugging off two deficits in the opening quarter and rising to a five-goal lead at the top of the fourth before taking the foot off the accelerator. USA was dangerous throughout, gained more exclusions and kept the pressure on Croatia for the entire match. It was Croatia’s wily crew who drew five penalty fouls — all converted — and made sure of more action goals. It was 5-5 at the quarter break, 10-7 in Croatia’s favour at halftime and 14-10 heading into the last. It was 16-12 by 5:43 and USA pulled two back while closing up on defence.

Match heroes
Konstantin Kharkov’s six goals attracted the eye of the man-of-the-match selector if not the spectators. After gaining his sixth early in the fourth, he rolled out of the match on a third major foul. Two goals came from the penalty line and two drives down the right were powerful with one spectacular, goading the goalkeeper with a waving arm despite having a defender on his back. Loren Fatovic nailed a counter-attack lob, one on extra and the last from a penalty foul. Jerko Marinic nailed two penalties and an extra-man goal for his three. Alex Bowen blasted in three for USA while having a penalty attempt blocked. Ryder Dodd converted three extra-man goals.

Turning point
The three goals either side of the first break that brought Croatia out to a 7-5 advantage. USA came close at 7-6 and 8-7 behind, but when Kharkov scored his third, fourth and fifth goals, Croatia was 12-9 ahead and settling in for victory.

Stats don’t lie
On extra-man attack, Croatia went 6/14 and USA 8/18 and of the nine penalty shots, only Bowen’s missed the mark.

Bottom line
Croatia had to win at home — nature dictates — and the packed house was not disappointed. However, other teams will take note of the narrow margin and the fact that USA can score 14 goals against a top-line team, making for an interesting week ahead.

 

Hungary finish stretches scoreline

FRANCE 6 HUNGARY 10
Hungary survived a sluggish start, coming from behind three times and racing to a 5-3 lead and onwards to 6-4 at halftime. This moved to 7-5 by the final break and 9-5 before finishing at 10-6. France had two unlucky moments with a goal midway through the third quarter adjudged by VAR as having been still on the hand when the hooter sounded a sole penalty attempt tipped over the bar at 2:09 in the fourth.

Match heroes
Hungary’s Marton Vamos took out the top award. The towering left-hander scored from the penalty line, out the top on action and one on extra-man for good measure. Another leftie, French captain Ugo Crousillat, fired in a pair with his first a missile from 10m.

Turning point
Hungary coming from 3-2 behind at the quarter to 6-4 ahead at halftime. From there, all Hungary had to do was maintain the momentum.

Stats don’t lie
Hungary had four more shots (27-23), fell almost equal on extra-man attack — France was four from 10 and Hungary four from 11. France had two more turnovers (12-10) while the goalkeeper saves were tied at 10. Hungary scored its only penalty shot and France missed its one chance.

Bottom line
Hungary is the better team man for man, while France sat out Thomas Vernoux for the match, which denied the team much-needed dynamism. However, Hungarian head coach Zsolt Varga would probably have liked to have had a better start.

 

Group A points:

Italy 3, Hungary 3, Croatia 3, USA 0, France 0, Japan 0.