Spain elevated itself to the gold-medal position with a resounding 10-7 defeat of outgoing champion Hungary in the gold-medal final. Australia, who lost to Spain for the bronze medal in 2022 and in this week’s semifinal, claimed bronze with a 13-10 thriller over newcomer Croatia.
AWARDS
Most Valuable Player:
Queralt Anton (ESP)
Best Goalkeeper:
Hajar Perez (ESP)
Highest Goal Scorer:
Margherita Minuto (ITA) — 29
MEDIA ALL STAR TEAM
Goalkeeper:
Hajar Perez (ESP)
Field Players:
Queralt Anton (ESP)
Kincso Kenez (HUN)
Nefeli Krassa (GRE)
Emmersen McEwan (AUS)
Margherita Minuto (ITA)
Lara Srhoj (CRO)
DAY 7 MATCHES
Classification 1-2 (Gold)
Match 56, HUNGARY 7 SPAIN 10 (0-2, 1-3, 3-3, 3-2)
This match promised a lot and it delivered. Spain was heavily favoured, although Hungary was a sentimental favourite as the reigning champion. Spain came to the match with a succession of high-differential wins with only the six goals over USA and seven over Australia offering any resistance. Hungary was untroubled early and needed a penalty shootout win over Greece to make the semifinals where it was five goals better than Croatia.
The first quarter was tight. Marina Pineda turned and shot from the centre position and watched her shot dribble into the bottom right, only just making it. It was not until the last minute that Maria Munoz lay over on her back and lobbed from two metres for 2-0. Pineda started the second period on counter down the left and Martina Fernandez did the same a minute later for 4-0, accepting a cross pass to score. Hungary took a timeout to stop the flow and nearly two minutes later Laura Kerekes scored its first goal from seven metres. Spanish captain Queralt Anton, who had 19 goals before today, scored from deep left on extra for 5-1, which became the halftime score.
The pain for Hungary continued in the third quarter as Martina Fernandez and Pineda scored for 7-1. Kinga Alaksza scored on extra from top right for her team’s first goal in seven minutes. Spain was rewarded for constant pressure when Fernandez scored from the centre at 2:47 for 8-2. She moved outwards, turned and slammed it in with ease. Alaksza buried the extra-man shot from deep left for 8-3. Adrienn Hetzl shot slid the ball into the bottom right from the top for 8-4 at 1:10 to give her team hope. Late in the third, Hungarian goalkeeper Orsolya Horvath faced down a point-blank shot from a Spanish attacker. Both were high out of the water and less than a metre apart. In the fourth quarter, Hungary was all action with Barbara Fule scoring a minute into the period and captain Kincso Kenez scoring extra after a timeout. Kenez had 23 goals before the final, so to be restricted to a lone goal in the fourth was disappointing for her team, but showed how Spain restricted her movements. Pineda on action and Anton on extra had Spain in the box seat at 10-6 by 2:50. The final act of the drama was when Sara Keszthelyi scored at 1:32 with a big bouncer from the left side for 10-7. Spain was proclaimed the champion.
Match Heroes
Pineda with four to finish with 16 was named best in pool; Fernandez with three and Anton with two for a team-high 21. Alaksza made two for Hungary. Kenez with one, finished top scorer with 24.
Turning Point
Spain entering the water to put on another perfect display.
Stats Don’t Lie
Spain converted only two of its six attempts on extra and defended three of six. It missed the only penalty attempt and made eight steals to seven. Hungary took five more shots than Spain.
Bottom Line
Spain was a class above and three goals was the closest any team could come to it.
Classification 3-4 (Bronze)
Match 55, CROATIA 10 AUSTRALIA 13 (5-4, 0-3, 3-4, 2-2)
Australia needed to stop the big three players of Croatia who had 37 goals between them. Croatia had to stop the well-balanced Aussies who relied on teamwork and countering to win matches. Sienna Walker opened for the Aussies with a backhander from the right-post position. Lara Srhoj scored her 18th goal with a penalty. This pair was at it again, swapping goals for 2-2, Walker’s from extra at the right post and Srhoj from a six-metre bouncer. Neli Jankovic on extra (her 16th) and Walker for her third from plum in front of goal took it to 3-3. Jankovic scored another on extra and Ellie Sefton replied on counter off a cross pass for 4-4. Jankovic buried a penalty shot for the quarter-time lead at 5-4. Jankovic and Walker were hot potatoes. In the second quarter, Jankovic missed a couple of shots and Abigail Oates countered for 5-5 at 5:14. A penalty attempt by Australia was stopped by Ema Hanza. The tightness of the match and Croatia’s grip was released late in the period as Ali McCarthy and Sefton both scored on counter for the 7-5 advantage at the turn.
Captain Emmersen McEwan countered for 8-5 at 6:22 and the fifth goal in this manner in the third followed by Oates on the left post, dropping the catch and picking up to squeeze it past the post for 9-5. Croatia was tiring and the countering was having a devastating effect on Croatia. Srhoj scored Croatia’s first goal in 12 minutes, from the top. It started a mini avalanche as captain Tonka Rogulj and Petra Galic brought the margin back to one. No fear, McCarthy and Lucy Stuart, on a sixth counter, had it back to four by the quarter’s end. Walker netted her fourth to start the fourth period. Nina Jazvin, who came to the match with 12 goals, scored at centre and Srhoj took a penalty score for 12-10 at 4:08. Australia shut the doors and fittingly, captain McEwan scorched in the winning goal from the top at 1:27 for 13-10 and the bronze medal.
Match Heroes
Walker’s four goals set her apart, especially as three of them came so early. McCarthy, adjudged best in pool, Oates, McEwan (top scorer with 10) and Sefton scored twice each. For Croatia, Srhoj banged in four to take her tally to 21 and Jankovic gained three for 18.
Turning Point
The third period where Croatia started to tire and the Aussie counter-attacking machine took a stern hold on the match.
Stats Don’t Lie
Australia had the statistics working against it with only one conversion of five extra-man chances while Hungary slotted three from five. Hungary put away three penalty goals and Australia missed its one hope. Australia, however, made one more steal at 8-7. Hungary shot 32 times to 27.
Bottom Line
Australia deserved to win as it was the only team in the top echelon who did not rely heavily on one or two players. The goals were spread around and everyone seemed composed doing their jobs. Croatia deserved special mention for making the top four in its first attempt and augurs well for women’s water polo to have another nation creep into the overall reckoning.
Classification 5-6
Match 54, GREECE 15 ITALY 9 (5-2, 1-2, 3-4, 6-1)
For Greece to win it had to nullify the scoring prowess of Margherita Minuto who had 27 goals before the match started. Italy had the problem where four Greek players had been amassing large numbers of goals during the week. Italy started the scoring, but by quarter time, four of the big names had goals for Greece and the score was 5-2. Minuto hit the post three times. In the second quarter, she came good with the fourth goal as Greece had slipped out to six thanks to an Afroditi Bitsakou counter-attack score. Minuto’s third attempt found the net on extra three minutes into the third period for 6-5. Greek captain Nefeli Krassa, so brilliant herself, converted a penalty for 7-5. Goals were traded and Malika Bovo made it 8-7 with a bouncer from deep left. Anastasia Bikou replied with an arrow from the top for her 13th goal for 9-7. Italy was not done and Bovo struck again, from eight metres for 9-8 with 26 seconds left on the clock. Bitsakou scored a pair in the fourth quarter, on extra with a heavily guarded drive to the goal and from the centre position with a crisp turn for a majestic three-goal differential inside the five-minute mark. Bikou fired from the top for 12-8 and, at 2:27, Italy’s Carlotta Breda lobbed from top right to bring the margin back to three. Krassa and Androniki Karagianni on penalty took it to 14-9 and half a minute from the final buzzer, Eleni Valvi converted extra for 15-9.
Match Heroes
Bitsakou, with her four goals and 19 for the tournament, was named player of the match. Bikou (14) and Krassa (19) shot three each, Karagianni’s two lifted her to 19 as well.
Turning Point
Early on when Greece took the lead for the first and last time.
Stats Don’t Lie
Greece converted four from seven on extra and defended two from five. It scored all four penalty chances and made three steals to one.
Bottom Line
Greece had too much firepower in its line-up whereas Italy relied too much on Minuto who would have been saddened by her two goals — her lowest collect of 29 goals.
Classification 7-8
Match 53, NETHERLANDS 10 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 11 (3-3, 3-2, 2-3, 2-3)
USA turned in two winning quarters to snatch victory over Netherlands, the early agitator. Kirra Pantaleon started the match with 16 goals and by the end would have 22 as the best shooter in her team. She showed her value in this match. With the first two goals to set her team on the path to victory. Her captain, Charlotte Raisin, who had a dozen goals herself, took the score to 3-1 before the Dutch scored twice to level through Vera van As and Maud Hoppener. The Dutch then took on the chief aggressor role, making the play with Myrthe Broekmate on extra, Leyla Hiati on action and then on extra for 6-4. Gabriella Alexson kept USA in the picture on extra. Pantaleon also scored on extra, narrowing the gap to 6-5 at halftime. Hiati scored twice in goal swaps at the top of the third period and Pantaleon was there with a penalty strike for 8-7 behind. With just 20 seconds left on the clock, Alexson scored for the 8-8 equaliser. USA turned the tables with a pair of goals early in the fourth, with Pantaleon in there. Hiati and Van As scored on action and penalty to level at 10-10 with 3:18 remaining. USA had a penalty attempt saved at 2:56, but Pantaleon made sure of the next penalty attempt for 11-10 at 2:44. Despite a Dutch timeout in the last minute, there was no change to the scoreboard and USA had won the match.
Match Heroes
Pantaleon with her six goals and 22 in Manisa. Alexson scored twice to finish with 12. For Netherlands, Hiati amassed six goals to lift her tally to 13 and van As scored a pair for nine.
Turning Point
The Dutch taking over the lead in the second quarter and USA controlling the fourth.
Stats Don’t Lie
Perfect scores, should the statistics be believed. USA scored all five extra-man attempts and the Dutch three. Netherlands scored both penalty attempts and USA two from three. USA shot 12 times to 10, according to the statistics.
Bottom Line
Either team could have won.
Classification 9-10
Match 52, GERMANY 5 CHINA 7 (1-2, 1-3, 3-1, 0-1)
China took ninth position with a strong showing throughout. China opened the scoring and had the 2-1 advantage at the first break. Shangyu Chen pushed the margin to 3-1 in the second quarter and later on Jingwen Zhang converted a penalty goal for her for her 11th. Lucy Schuessler also scored a penalty for 4-2 at 0:18 and Siyao Li slipped in another Chinese goal a second from the halftime buzzer. Mara Dzaja scored from a heavily forested centre-forward position for 5-3 in the third and Maya Huesselmann delivered on extra for 5-4 at 3:43. Germany was back in the frame. Clara Straach pummelled in a shot from the top to equalise at five. Jingwen Zhang replied on the next attack with a gift rebound coming into her hand right in front of goal. It gave China a 6-5 advantage going into the final period. When Xiyao Yi scored on action a minute into the period, it seemed to take the oomph out of the encounter as no further goals were scored and China had the match 7-5.
Match Heroes
China’s best was goalkeeper Xiwen Zhang with 12 saves. Jingwen Zhang scored twice for a total of 12. Dzaja scored twice for Germany while Schuessler, who scored once today, was the team’s top scorer with eight.
Turning Point
Scoring first and then at 5-5 keeping Germany scoreless for nine minutes while scoring twice for victory.
Stats Don’t Lie
China won the match with just 15 shots to 22; scored its one extra-man play and defended two from four. Both teams scored their penalty attempt.
Bottom Line
China was more clinical and deserved to finish ninth in its first visit.
Classification 11-12
Match 51, CANADA 12 SERBIA 11 (3-3, 4-3, 4-3, 1-2)
You can have poor statistics and win matches. Just ask Canada who valiantly held off Serbia all match. Serbia started the scoring on extra via Jana Jankovic. However, Canada had other ideas and set about taking the lead with McKenna Pineda-McLean scoring on counter for her ninth goal of the tournament. Goals came on penalty and action via Bridget Mihaljevich and Airi Cowie from deep left-hand-catch. Masa Cuk countered for 3-2 and Elena Cuk scored the equaliser off a long drive down the middle just before the break. Canada’s Hannah Spence sent in a penalty goal for 4-3 at the top of the second quarter and Cowie lobbed from the top for the two-goal margin. Pineda-McLean scored from top left for 6-3. Masa Cuk backhanded at centre and Nika Ratkovic backhanded from wide left for 6-5 — her 10th goal. Goals were traded with Madeleine Eibner driving through to score and Jankovic scoring off a deflection from wide left. Irina Trbanos equalised on extra with a rocket from top right at the start of the third period. Cowie took a six-metre foul and scored from about 10m for 8-7. Clara Shyiak bounced in a penalty shot for 9-7 at 2:40. Cowie gained her fourth goal from the top on extra after a timeout and Canada was 10-7 up. Ratkovic hammered a shot for 10-8 at 1:18. Adelaide Bilodeau and Masa Cuk swapped goals inside the last half minute for 11-9 at the break. Pineda-McLean popped up on the left post to accept and score for 12-9 at 3:31. Meanwhile, in the back pool, goalkeeper Alexandra Stoddart was exceptional with 11 saves by this point. Trbanos scored from very deep right for 12-10. Stoddart came out a long way to steal the ball at 1:37. Serbia went to a timeout at 1:16 and Trbanos drove down the right side of the pool and scored for her third goal of the match and the tournament. It was 1:02 and still time for Serbia. However, Canada played the time out and Serbia managed to get the ball to centre for a who, which was saved by Stoddart.
Match Heroes
Stoddart was best in pool for Canada with 12 saves, although team-mate Cowie was given the award for her four goals. Pineda-McLean scored three to give her a score in every match for 11 in total. Trbanos and Masa Cuk grabbed three each with Cuk the team’s top scorer with 14 goals.
Turning Point
Canada taking away Serbia’s lead in the first quarter and despite two ties, maintained the aggression.
Stats Don’t Lie
Serbia had every chance to win the match. It gave up one ejection foul and Canada took the goal. It worked for eight kickouts and only converted two. It took 32 shots to 19 and still lost. It gave up four penalty fouls and Canada said thanks to three.
Bottom Line
The match was tied twice, but Canada controlled the strategy with the poorer statistics and less shots and successfully fended off Serbia.
Classification 13-14
Match 50, THAILAND 9 TURKIYE 10 (2-3, 3-5, 3-1, 1-1)
Turkiye fended off Thailand in the dying minutes to capture the 11th prize. Nattamon Khamma opened for Thailand with one of the hardest-fought goals of the tournament at centre and it took a while for the second to come from Thanidakarn Kwantongtanaree, the team’s highest scorer, coming into the match with 15 goals. Her penalty attempt hit the upright and bounced back. She collected and scored on action at point blank. She scored the second at 2:15. That lead was needed as Defne Keremoglu drove down the left to score and Neda Yildiz scored from penalty to level the match. Yildiz gave Turkiye the edge from three metres, 15 seconds from the quarter buzzer. There was a flurry of action in the second quarter as Turkiye raced to 5-3 from deep- right on extra before Kwantongtanaree found her range from the top for 5-4. Eda Moroglu and Kwantongtanaree traded goals and Turkiye sent in two more for 8-5 at halftime — Naz Ozdemir firing in a pair of action goals, from the top with a bounce and from deep right with a lob. She netted a third for 9-5 early in the third quarter. Kwantongtanaree dragged Thailand back into the match with a couple of goals — one on penalty — for 9-8 behind at 0:14. Khamma equalised from centre forward two minutes into the final quarter and Defne Sekercioglu gave the lead back to Turkiye from top right with the ball falling through the goalkeeper’s hands at 3:03. Thailand missed an extra-man shot and Kwantongtanaree watched as her outside shot hit the post a minute from time — the last shot of the match. Turkiye had 13th classification.
Match Heroes
Kwantongtanaree topped all scorers with five goals and a team-best 20. Khamma sent in three for eight in Manisa. Ozdemir had her highest-scoring match with three and was named player of the match. Moroglu, with one today was the team’s best shooter with eight.
Turning Point
The last goal after Thailand brilliantly came back to level in the fourth.
Stats Don’t Lie
Tight defence meant Thailand was denied four of its five extra-man attempts and Turkiye could not get its two shots through. Turkiye scored its one penalty and defended one of two. Turkiye also made six steals to two.
Bottom Line
It was anyone’s match and Turkiye will be relieved after allowing Thailand so close in that last period. Turkiye was 11th two years ago, so it is only a small slip.
Classification 15-16
Match 49, SOUTH AFRICA 13 UKRAINE 4 (2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 4-1)
South Africa picked up a second win to go with the two-goal loss to Canada in the lesser quarterfinals. Today, South Africa took some time to get the first two goals and allowed Ukraine to get one back before the first break. This led to Viktoriia Rudnyk scoring on extra for 2-2 to give her a team-high nine for the week. This set in motion a seven-goal unanswered haul for South Africa, showing its progression in Manisa. It became 5-2 at the halftime break and advanced to 9-2 with Alika Kurmakaieva sending in a long shot to beat the buzzer for 9-3. Ane du Plessis converted extra; Hannah Savage scored from centre forward and Caitlin Schrimgeour, from the left-hand-catch position, took the score to 12-3 by 2:59. Gabriella Morrell scored from top left after bringing the ball up and the final act was performed by Ukraine’s Yelzaveta Ashanina on extra, one second from the final buzzer, launching the missile from well inside her half, the ball skipping over the right shoulder of the bewildered goalkeeper.
Match Heroes
Cadha Mosehla topped the scoring with four goals and won the award after a quiet tournament. Ane du Plessis grabbed two more. Holly Strydom, who scored once today, closed the event with eight goals.
Turning Point
South Africa going from 2-2 to 9-2.
Stats Don’t Lie
South Africa would be happy to leave with five from five on extra while shutting down two from four. It scored the only penalty awarded and had 21 shots to 13.
Bottom Line
South Africa has been improving all tournament. It leaves with 15th place after finishing 12th in 2022. Ukraine has set the bar, being here for the first time.
Classification 17-18
Match 69, KAZAKHSTAN 13 CZECHIA 7 (5-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-2)
Kazakhstan took home 17th classification with a commanding performance. Czechia may have started the scoring, but it was Kazakhstan who had the quarter-time lead, inspired by such players as Yana Smolina whose play at centre forward is exciting and determined. She scored the first and fourth from two metres, muscling her way around to shoot. She had nine coming into the match and started building the tally as the match progressed. It was 5-1 at the break with Minora Mirzakarimova with a long shot bouncing off the goalkeeper’s hands into goal three seconds from time. Goals were traded early in the period and then again around the last minute with Smolina on target and Viola Svitakova converting extra at 0:25. In the third period, the left-handed Yana Martynova scored her second for 8-3. More traded goals lifted it to 9-4 and Mirzakarimova made it 10-4 on extra. Svitakova speared a penalty goal for 10-5 to close the quarter. Mirzakarimova and Smolina scored either side of a Jolana Chodlova goal for 12-6. Chodlova scored on extra at 1:20
Match Heroes
Mirzakarimova was named player of the match with her six goals and Smolina netted five to give her top billing in the team with 14. Czechian captain Chodlova shot three.
Turning Point
Taking that one-goal lead off Czechia in the first quarter.
Stats Don’t Lie
Kazakhstan scored three from six and defended four from six. Czechia had the only penalty goal and stole the ball five times to two.
Bottom Line
Kazakhstan had the better shooters who have been performing in Manisa.
Classification 21-22
Match 69, NEW ZEALAND 12 ZIMBABWE 2
New Zealand repeated the dose of the day before as these two teams played a double header, in Wednesday’s semifinal and today’s classification. It was 11-2 the day before and 12-2 today. Isabella Lambie started proceedings on extra and it was five minutes later before Zoe Knight gained the second on penalty. Natasha Chaniwa sent her shot in from downtown on the buzzer for 2-1. The Lambie show rattled on in the second as she scored from the penalty line, on counter and from extra-man attack from the middle top for 5-1 at 3:11. Bella Needham scored on penalty to close the period’s scoring. Lambie countered and converted another extra for 8-1. Gemma O’Brien turned and shot from centre forward for 9-1.Sasha Tindall converted the next penalty shot for 10-1 heading into the final quarter. Venetia Hickey backhanded a goal from two metres to start the final period. Zimbabwe went to a timeout when Hickey was ejected and Mazvitaishe Zuze scored from deep right-hand catch for 11-2. New Zealand had a penalty attempt blocked and at 2:14, Smith scored from centre for the winning goal.
Match Heroes
Lambie with her six goals to give her 11 for the championship. Chaniwa finished with three of Zimbabwe’s 11 goals in Manisa.
Turning Point
None at all.
Stats Don’t Lie
New Zealand converted three from four on extra and defended one of two. On penalties, the Kiwis fired in four from six. In all, New Zealand shot 26 times to 11. The steal count was also telling, New Zealand snatching 26 to 11.
Bottom Line
New Zealand proved it was the better team twice and both teams return home with a new experience.
Final Placings
1.Spain
2. Hungary
3. Australia
4. Croatia
5. Greece
6. Italy
7. United States of America
8. Netherlands
9. China
10. Germany
11. Canada
12. Serbia
13. Turkiye
14. Thailand
15. South Africa
16. Ukraine
17. Kazakhstan
18. Czechia
19. France
20. Malta
21. New Zealand
22. Zimbabwe