Australia, Spain, Italy and Canada qualify for women’s quarterfinals

Match Reports

Classification 1-12 Crossovers

ITALY 13 NEW ZEALAND 8

New Zealand offered the stiffest resistance of the four losing teams in the crossovers on a day when the top teams were dominant.

Italy was never troubled in a quality victory over a defiant New Zealand. Like Israel before it, New Zealand could not match it with Italy, one of the best European teams in the early stages, but mounted a reprisal in the third quarter. Israel beat New Zealand for seventh place at the recent World Aquatics World Cup finals in Long Beach.

Italy charged to a 4-1 lead at the first break, and moved quickly to 10-3 by halftime. It was 8-1 when Emily Nicholson converted extra-man attack after a timeout for New Zealand. It shifted to 10-2 with Sophie Shorter-Robinson with another strike on extra.

The Kiwis had the better of the third period, scoring three while having a penalty attempt rejected. Giulia Viacava began the Italian assault for 11-3 until the Kiwi trio of Millie Quin, Emmerson Houghton and Bernadette Doyle sent the match to the final eight minutes at 11-6.

Sofia Giustini converted a penalty to begin the fourth quarter, nearly eight minutes since the previous Italian goal. Goals were traded with Kaitlin Howarth grabbing a rebound mid-air and slotting into goal for 13-7. Claudia Marletta had the final say at 2:32 with no further goals.

Match Heroes:
Dafne Bettini scored three goals and goalkeeper Caterina Banchelli made 10 saves for Italy as eight Italians scored. For New Zealand, captain Jessica Milicich made a heroic 13 saves.

Turning Point:
Italy going from 1-1 to 8-1 proved a mountain too high to climb.

Stats Don’t Lie:
Italy shot 40 times to 24; converted four from seven on extra-man attack and defended seven from 10. Italy scored all three penalty attempts to New Zealand’s one from two.

Bottom Line:
Italy is far more experienced on the bigger stage with the Kiwis receiving valuable insights, which it can possibly use in the classification 9-12 round.

What They Said:

SILIPO Carlo  ITA  Head Coach

“The benefit of this match was the final score. We played well in defence, but we were always thinking of the next game, which is a very hard one against the USA team. It is the most powerful in the world. We have to play that match with no fear. We played them two times in the last two months and played very well in the World Cup. We just have to make another good game.”

MILICICH Jessica  NZL  Captain

“Every opportunity to play this team is exciting. We are making steps forward. Italy is a quality side and it is great to play them. Playing more games at this level prepares us for the Olympic Games qualification. We will play a three-test series with Australia in Auckland in August (for the Oceania berth in Paris). Anything can happen on the day.”

SOUTH AFRICA 6 CANADA 20 

Canada became the final team to make the quarterfinals with a handsome victory over South Africa with a barrage of goals in the first quarter.

Canada was 3-0 ahead — thanks to two Elyse Lemay-Lavoie efforts — before South Africa’s veteran player Kelsey White sent in a goal from Johannesburg. Canada then shut up shop and went poaching, scoring three more before quarter time. The second quarter was equally kind to Canada as the first three goals sent the scoreboard to 9-1. Chloe Meecham pulled one back and Serene Browne finished the half for Canada at 10-2. Canada had used seven scorers for its 10 goals.

It was South Africa who had the advantage at the start of the second half with Annie Thonton-Dibb scoring her first World Championships goal with a backhand from the right-post position. It took until 4:27 before Canada was back in scoring fashion with Kindred Paul from the top, captain Emma Wright, Axelle Crevier and Wright again pushing the margin to 11  —14-3.

The final period started with two Canadian goals, followed by air mail from Cape Town, thanks to Shakira January, for 16-4. Hayley McKelvey became the ninth Canadian to score, drilling two home in succession. Thornton-Dibb lifted South Africa to five with a shot from deep left; Veronika Bakoc replied; South African captain Megan Sileno backhanded from two metres and Wright closed all scoring on extra with three seconds remaining.

Match Heroes:
Captain Wright made it four goals while Bakoc and Lemay-Lavoie slotted three each. For South Africa, Megan Maartens made seven saves in her three quarters in the cage.

Turning Point:
Canada’s momentum.

Stats Don’t Lie:
Canada shot 37 to 28, converted all five extra-man chances and denied South Africa six of its seven opportunities. Neither side received a penalty foul.

Bottom Line:
Canada deserves to be in the quarterfinals and showed plenty of class tonight while South Africa gained in confidence ahead of its classification 9-12 semifinal.

What They Said:

MIMIDIS Marilia  CAN  Two Goals

On scoring goals in her first year of internationals:

“It was really fun, obviously very rewarding. I’m always looking to be better, the best I can be. I really enjoy being around other teams and other cultures, their smiles and when they look at us as opposition. I love sport.”

THORNTON-DIBB Annie  RSA  Two Goals

“I had this feeling of confidence in this game. We never gave up. I was just feeling that we had more momentum. The team has passion. Canada is very tough and strong. However, we had team composure and it turned into a goal or two.”

AUSTRALIA 16 ISRAEL 7

Australia is the more experienced team by far and showed today the style of play needed to crack the quarterfinals and possibly move higher up the ladder.

From 1-1, Australia surged to 7-1, allowing Alma Yaacobi to nab Israel’s second goal. Six different players scored for the Aussie Sharks with Bronte Halligan the only multiple scorer.

The pace slowed a little in the second quarter, finishing 11-3 with a seventh shooter and repeat scorers Ellie Armit and Abby Andrews.

Veronika Kordonskaia scored her second to start the second half, but Armit twice and Tilly Kearns with her second pushed the score to 14-4 by the final break.

Aussie Stingers captain Zoe Arancini opened the match’s scoring and scored the first of the fourth, but only halfway through as Australia struggled to pierce the Israeli defence. Israel poured credit on itself with three consecutive goals to Tahal Levi with a lob, Maria Bogachenko on extra and Kordonskaia with a drive into the hole. Teneale Fasala became the eighth Aussie scorer on extra-man in the last 18 seconds.

Match Heroes:
Tilly Kearns was busy getting Israelis thrown out of the pool while scoring three goals in a stellar match for her. Ellie Armit netted four goals. Kordonskaia topped the French scoring with three.

Turning Point:
The 7-2 opening quarter says it all.

Stats Don’t Lie:
Australia shot 34 to 22; converted six from 11 on extra-man attack and defended three from six. Australia converted one penalty foul.

Bottom Line:
Australia has all the skills to drill into the semifinals if it applies itself fully. Israel would have taken some comfort from playing the Stingers for the first time and use lessons learnt in the classification nine-12 round.

What They Said:

OBERMAN Paul  AUS  Head Coach

“We’re progressing where we want to be. We’re trying to implement tactics. We’re getting there. It takes time. Israel did a fantastic job. Their result was good. We’re trying to focus on how we want to play.”

PALM Gabriella  AUS  Goalkeeper

“I think we have been really strong and had a good start today. We have connections and we’re feeling good going into the quarterfinals. Israel is a team we’ve never played before, but we did our homework, watched footage. They’re a solid team and they tried to stay with us.”

MAVROTAS Dimitrios  ISR  Head Coach

“It’s the first time we played Australia. Truth is we were definitely sleepy in the first quarter. We tried to fix some things. Australia is a very physical team. We tried to take this and make more moves, more drives to gain some exclusions. I’m satisfied with my girls. This type of game helps make us stronger for the future.”

FRANCE 9 SPAIN 16

World League champion Spain had to do it the hard way and come through the crossovers to cement a quarterfinal berth against Hungary on Monday.It was achieved with 3-1, 4-4, 5-2 and 4-2 periods, showing the resolve of the French team in taking chances and matching Spain in one period. Spain went 3-0 ahead with two Anni Espar goals and then 4-1 early in the second quarter. France pulled it back to 5-4 and 6-5 behind with Judith Forca scoring her second just before the turn.

That Forca goal began a five-goal lunge as Forca finished the grouping at 11-5 with 5:10 left on the clock. A pair of French goals gave hope, but Forca had the final say for 12-7 heading into the last quarter.

Elena Ruiz and Garcia lifted the score to 14-8 before captain Louise Guillet and Valentine Heartaux responded. However, Spain settled the scoring with the last two goals, Forca accumulating her fifth and Paul Leiton on extra-man attack.

Match Heroes:
Forca was very busy with her five goals and stand-in captain Maica Garcia grabbed another three. Regular skipper Pili Pena, who was captain when Spain last won the title in 2013 in Barcelona, was having a rest.

Turning Point:
The 3-1 start initially and then fending off France in the third quarter with a four-goal haul.

Stats Don’t Lie:
Spain took 28 shots to 23; converted four from six on extra-man attack as opposed to France’s five from eight and converted both penalty chances to France’s one.

Bottom Line:
Spain probably should not have found itself in the crossovers, but that is the reality of the current situation where so many teams are challenging. The extra match won’t hurt. Spain will play Hungary in the quarterfinals.

What They Said:

OCA Miki  ESP  Head Coach

On not playing the crossovers very often:
“Oh, we have many times. Losing to Holland took us to this position by finishing second. France is a team doing very well and improving, beating China and went close to Australia. They are growing very fast and then they are in the Olympics. We started easily and they have three-four very dangerous players. They can score easily and recorded nine. We had 16, so that was a good number.”

LORANTOS Theodoros  FRA  Head Coach

“We kept our concentration for the whole game, especially with the pressure like Spain and an excellent coach with Miki (Oca). We are building a team, mental first, for the next games and the next competition. Our preparation was not enough and we didn’t have common training with other teams. Good luck to Spain.”
On having so many young players:
“We need to improve and develop these young players so I have confidence with the team. We have our mission and we have to work harder next month for the Europeans.”

Classification 13-16 Semifinals

CHINA 16 KAZAKHSTAN 6

China eased into the play-off for 13th with a well-rounded match against Kazakhstan.

China steadily mounted the score to 3-0 in the first period with Kazakhstan arriving in the match at 1:57 when Anna Novikova scored into an empty goal. Siya Yan gained her second to start the second quarter and Zewen Deng followed up with an identical shot. Viktoriya Kaplun scored from the top on extra-man with Chinese captain Jing Zhang replying. Kaplun plugged a penalty goal followed by three straight goals by Jing Zhang to close the half at 9-3 in China’s favour.

China opened the second half with two goals ahead of Novikova’s second on extra-man attack, rising high to accept a pass on the left-post position for 11-4. China was robbed of its captain midway through the third on three major fouls and it was left to Yan to fill the scoring gap for 12-4. Anastassiya Glukova tipped in a ball from the right-post position on extra-man to close the quarter at 12-5.

Lu scored twice to start the fourth period, followed by a second Wang strike, lifting the difference to 10 goals. Kaplun sent in her third goal from the penalty line. Yan netted her fourth on counter-attack at 1:32. A late Kazakhstan timeout yielded nothing and China had the 10-goal victory.

Match Heroes:
Captain Jing Zhang was player of the match deservedly, setting her team up with four goals before being fouled out of the match. Yan also slotted four. Wenxin Dong saved 14 balls in goal for China. Kaplun netted three for Kazakhstan.

Turning Point:
Opening with three goals and scoring five unanswered in the second-third periods gave China the edge.

Stats Don’t Lie:
China shot 33 to 25; converted four from nine and defended four from seven on extra-man. Kazakhstan gained two of its goals from the penalty line.

Bottom Line:
China goes to the 13-14 classification match and Kazakhstan plays for 15th.

What They Said:

PAViLIDIS Theocharis  CHN  Head Coach

“We played with a lack of motivation today. Playing in the last group is not ideal and not where we wanted to be. There was no motivation but we have a chance to finish in a nice way and will probably play Japan who is our main opposition for the Asian Games (in September/October) and Paris Olympics qualification. Japan is very aggressive, enthusiastic and motivated. We have to come in two days’ time with motivation to win.”

ZHANG Jiaqi  CHN  Goalkeeper

“It was a very important game today. The best part was our defence and we scored a lot. For the next game we have to have a lot of energy and focus.”

ARGENTINA 11 JAPAN 21

Japan warmed up for the next stage of the competition with a stunning performance against Argentina, rushing to an 8-0 opening quarter and onwards to victory. Its target now will be China on Monday to decide 13th position and give a pointer to the Asian Games in the coming months, where an Olympic berth is on offer.

Six players made the scoring sheet in the first period and in the second, Japan stretched the margin to 10 before Marina Canda scored from centre forward for Argentina. The Argentinians started putting the brakes on Japan and it was some time before Japan scored again, only for Fuka Nishiyama’s goal to be scrubbed for an illegal entry by an Argentian shortly before. The clock was wound back and after the long recess, Japan scored and Argentina started its rise, going to the second half at 12-3 behind.

The third period was all about Argentina as it won the period 5-4 with Anahi Bacigalupo, just 17 years of age, backing up her 11-3 goal with two more. A late goal by Kyoko Kudo had the match at 16-8 with the Argentinians revitalised. Japan sent in three more with Nishiyama scoring her fourth from deep left. Kudo and Eruna Ura made it 20-9 and Argentina called a timeout. No goal came, Japan scored on counter-attack and then Magali Bacigalupo created Argentinian history with the first 10th goal at a World Championship, by shovelling in the ball from two metres. Nine was the highest before in two appearances at this level. Hatcher netted the 11th goal from long range as the dying seconds ticked over. Japan had advanced to the higher-classification match.

Match Heroes:
Nishiyama took out the top prize and was swamped by the Japanese media soon after. Yumi Arima — the tournament’s best shooter — scored four times to lift her tally to 18 in Fukuoka. Anahi Bacigalupo was Argentina’s heroine with three goals.

Turning Point:
The withering first quarter.

Stats Don’t Lie:
Japan shot 39 times to 26; converted five from nine on extra-man attack while Argentina netted three from five. Argentina made the most of penalty fouls, scoring three and Japan one from two.

Bottom Line:
Pride is on the line now with Japan putting China firmly in its sights and Argentina taking on Kazakhstan.

What They Said:

OMOTO Yoji  JPN  Head Coach

“We were hoping to be in the best eight (in the tournament). This time we wanted to show in this swimming pool the progress to people supporting our team. The next match is the pre-match for the Asian Games and we want to show at our home game that we are No 1 in Asia and qualify for the Olympic Games. Today’s game was OK. Normally we are not good in the first and third quarters, but today we did well in the first. We made a lot of mistakes in the third.”

NISHIYAMA Fuka  JPN  Player Of The Match/Four Goals

On if she enjoyed the match:
“I was not a starter (when Japan went to an 8-0 lead), so when I joined the game my team was relaxed and I could enjoy the game. Our main target is China (on Monday). Today’s game was preparation.”

LEONARD Cecilia  ARG  Goal Scorer

“We had a little bit more control (in the second half). We have never played a team with press defence. We were scared of them counter-attacking. We were controlling the ball when we were able to secure the ball and send it down the wings and feed the centre.”

On the clash with Kazakhstan for 15th on Monday:
“Last year we had the opportunity to play Kazakhstan (at Budapest 2022) and now have an international rivalry. It was the same against South Africa and now with Kazakhstan. Last year we lost by six goals. This is what we are here for, to gain experience. We only train when there is a tournament.”

Monday Schedule

Classification 15-16
Match 31, 09:00, KAZ v ARG
Classification 13-14
Match 32, 10:30, CHN v JPN 

Classification 9-12 Semifinals
Match 33, 12:00, ISR v NZL
Match 34, 13:30, FRA v RSA

Classification 1-8 Quarterfinals
Match 35, 14:00, USA v ITA
Match 36, 15:30, NED v CAN
Match 37, 18:00, GRE v AUS
Match 38, 19:30, HUN v ESP