Canada, Croatia, Israel and China win opening matches

MATCH REPORTS

Match 1, Group C, THAILAND 11 CANADA 21 (1-7, 1-3, 6-5, 3-6)

Canada opened proceedings with victory, built on a fast first quarter and ending with a flourish. Thailand may have looked intimidated in the first quarter, but then limited Canada’s access to goal in the second period and went on the hunt in the third, which it won. Canada had the finishers to make sure that a good distance was kept between the pair.

Canada is being coached by 2003 U20 world champion captain Krystina Alogbo who went on to a long senior international career that included various European clubs. She won bronze at the 2005 and silver at the 2009 World Championships with her native Canada.

Thailand had a handful of players who contested the U16 World Championships in Turkiye several months ago and this experienced helped remarkably.

Canada raced to a 6-0 lead with Abigail Folk and Isabella Mady scoring twice each. Thailand had the one credible shot hitting the crossbar before converting the first penalty goal of the tournament for 6-1 at 1:25 via Raksina Rueangsappaisan. Cianne Benjamin scored her second from centre forward to give Canada a 7-1 advantage at the first break.

It was much tighter in the second quarter as Thailand had better defence. Natalia Blazevic had her penalty shot stopped and Rueangsappaisan was successful with hers for 7-3. Canada slipped in three more before the turn, with Blazevic being on top of her penalty shooting for 10-2.

Folk opened the third period down the deep left and goals were traded to 12-4. Folk scored twice more for 14-4 with the second on penalty. Thailand used a timeout to excellent effect, scoring from the top thanks to one of the youngsters from Turkey — Thanidakarn Kwantongtanaree. This was the first of four Thai goals to Canada’s one to close the period at 15-8. The last goal was a brilliant turn at centre by Nattamon Khamma, another from the Turkish tournament.

Thailand scored the first two of the fourth period for 15-10, meaning it had come from 14-4 down to just five behind. Makayla Ulmer-Lutudromu fired in three of the next four Canadian goals for 19-10 and when Benjamin fired in from two metres, Canada had the match at 21-11.

Match Heroes
Folk, with her five goals from five attempts, was named player of the match, with Ulmer-Lutudromu netting four and three each to Mady, Benjamin and Gaul. Captain Alexandra Stoddart made eight saves in third first two periods before she spelled. For Thailand, Rueangsappaisan fired in four goals — three from the penalty line.

Turning Point
The opening period set the scene for the Canadian victory.

Stats Don’t Lie
Canada scored both its extra-man plays and defended nine from 12. Canada made six steals to four and converted three of four penalty attempts while Thailand converted all three.

Bottom Line
Canada has the credentials and the superb teamwork today augurs well for the tournament. Thailand showed its deserves to be at this level.

Match 2, Group C, CROATIA 26 SOUTH AFRICA 4 (2-0, 8-1, 7-1, 9-2)

Croatia was another team who turned up with players from the U16 championships in Turkiye, giving the team vital strength and superb buildings blocks for the future. Those players were quickly in the scoring and helped at the other end in keeping South Africa scoreless until 2:16 in the second quarter. That invaluable experience from the previous worlds played a huge part as five of the first six goals came from those “veterans”.

Captain Jelena Butic opened the scoring on penalty and Neli Jankovic converted extra from the top for 2-0 at the first break. Ria Glas scored the first two of the next period and finished off the quarter with another two, the last steering in a near pass on the left post for 10-1 at the long break. Lara Srhoj, one of Croatia’s stars in Manisa, Turkiye and Nina Jazvin added to the scoring. The South African breakthrough came from Amy van Breda on extra from the top right for 7-1.

The first two minutes extracted three goals for Croatia with Jankovic and Srhoj adding to their tallies and Nika Alamat converting her team’s fourth penalty goal. A fifth penalty goal was struck by Butic for 14-1 and Alka Lulic gained the sixth at 3:03 for 15-1, adding to her sensational six-metre goal in the previous quarter. It took another penalty goal, this time for South Africa, with Mia Loizides converting to lift the score to 16-2 at 1:24. Jazvin closed the scoring from centre forward for 17-2 at 0:15.

South Africa found it hard to get past the arms of Croatia and hit the wood twice as Croatia surged to 22-2 with just the one penalty strike. Amy Smith stopped the onslaught with a missile from the top at 3:25 and 23-3. When Jankovic gained her fourth goal, South Africa went to a timeout and Olympian Kelsey White issued orders on what to do. However, the ball was stolen on the first pass and a subsequent penalty foul gave Croatia the 25-3 margin.  Croatia went to a timeout at 1:38, prolonging the agony, and eventually scored through goalkeeper Lana Korac who was up in the action. South Africa’s last attack was good with Emma Catto sitting up at seven metres and sending the ball in off the left post for 26-4 at 0:26. A final Croatian lob was stolen off the line and Croatia had an impressive opening start in Chengdu.

Match Heroes
Glas put away five goals to be named best in pool while Jankovic blasted in four. Jazvin, Butic and Alamat netted three each. Karac made 10 saves in her stint in goal and collected that last-quarter goal, meaning second goalkeeper Sara Frketic was the only non-scorer for Croatia.

Turning Point
Keeping a team scoreless for nearly 14 minutes gives a team an easy route to victory.

Stats Don’t Lie
Croatia controlled all aspects of the stats, converting two from three on extra and denying South Africa 12 or 13 attempts. Croatia put away eight penalty goals and South Africa one. Croatia stole the ball 12 times to two.

Bottom Line
Croatia was the bigger and stronger team with the skills to match. Winning early is the only way out of these lower groups. Croatia wants to make a play in the upper class.

Match 3, Group D, TURKIYE 8 ISRAEL 13 (1-2, 3-2, 2-5, 2-4)

Under the careful guidance of Shunit Strugo, a virtual legend in Israeli water polo, the young Israeli team held strong and survived early pressure to overcome Turkiye by a handsome margin and register its first victory in its first visit to these championships.

Israel shot out to 2-0 ahead in the first three minutes and then allowed Turkiye into the match with three unanswered goals straddling the first-quarter break. Turkiye went to 3-2 and 4-3 before Mayer Katzir scored her second successive goal to equalise at four, 2:30 from halftime. It was game on. Derin Pehlivanoglu scored identical goals from the top right for the go-ahead Turkish goals and both of Katzir’s goals came on extra plays off the right-post position following a near pass.

Turkiye was penalised big time in the third period after taking a 5-4 lead with a shot from the top by Hamiyet Suzmecelik for her second. Three consecutive penalty strikes gave Israel an 8-5 advantage with Miya Tirosh netting two of them and Teva Dorfman the other. Pehlivanoglu pulled one back but Hanzade Dabbag, who scored Turkiye’s second goal, could not find the net from the penalty line and later, Gili Borenstein converted extra from deep right for 6-9 just inside the final minute. Israel had a three-goal advantage heading into the final quarter.

Carmel Rahum, who scored the opening goal from centre forward, did the same to start the fourth. Turkiye replied and Tirosh netted her third penalty goal to keep Israel at four ahead two minutes into the final period. Borenstein scored off the left-hand-catch position for a five-goal advantage. The match was slipping from Turkiye’s grasp. Borenstein came good again from the right for 13-7 at 3:25 and despite Suzmecelik scoring her third from the top on a bouncer at 2:58, no further goals eventuated and Israel survived the first hurdle.

Match Heroes
Rahum, Tirosh and Borenstein scored three apiece for Israel while Suzmecelik and Pehlivanoglu netted three each for Turkiye.

Turning Point
The third quarter that lifted Israel from 5-4 behind to 9-6 ahead. That and the three-goal burst in the final quarter that had the match sewn up at 13-7.

Stats Don’t Lie
Israel converted six from 11 on extra and held Turkiye to one from two. The four penalty goals to Turkiye’s one from two, also made a huge difference to the final score. Israel stole seven balls to three.

Bottom Line
Israel had the better all-round play and scored the goals it needed. Turkiye has some work to do.

Match 4, Group D, CHINA 22 MEXICO 4 (6-0, 5-2, 3-1, 8-1)

China notched up a big victory in its quest to jump into the top eight, demolishing Mexico, making its second appearance at this level, finishing 16^th in 2016.

China was in control from the beginning and comfortably slotted six goals from six different players. There were two extra-man goals, one from centre forward and a pair from the top among the goals. The second period opened with a penalty shot, converted by Zhang Jingwen, the first double scorer. Mexico threw up some excellent defence and at the other end was rewarded with a penalty foul, which Mercedes Feliciano converted for 7-1. Mexico stole more ball and China responded through Shi Yitong on extra. China gained three consecutive penalty fouls and converted all three, thanks to Shao Yixin, for her second goal and two from Zhang Yumian  for her second and third goals and 11-1. Kimberley Jimenez converted Mexico’s penalty chance and Shao, swimming up to the penalty line for China’s fifth attempt, lunged forward on the shot and it was disallowed, leaving the score at 11-2 by the turn.

Zhang Yumian notched her fourth goal, driving in down the left to score for 12-2 at 5:34 in the third quarter. Sofia Gaytan accepted a long pass on counter and flipped the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper to give Mexico its third goal, four minutes after China’s last goal. Shao from the right and Zhang Jingwen from deep left, pushed the margin to 11 in the last 80 seconds.

The final quarter was mainly all China after goals were traded — Mia Brondo scoring an outside missile for 15-4. Zhang Yumian buried here fifth and sixth goals, Shao claimed her fourth and Zhang Jingwen also scored her fourth with still three minutes left on the clock and 19-4. Yu Anran went on counter after a missed penalty attempt by Mexico; Li Jiao and Li Jianyu scored in the dying minutes for a comprehensive 22-4 victory.

Match Heroes
Zhang Yumian (above) with six goals; Zhang Jingwen and Shao Yixin with four apiece led the charge for China while Mexico’s star was goalkeeper Alma Luna with 10 saves.

Turning Point
That 7-0 lead created a memorable and winning match.

Stats Don’t Lie
China had the better of the statistics — three from four on extra and defending both Mexico’s chances; slotting four from four on penalty and rejecting one from two, while making a staggering 18 steals to five.

Bottom Line
China has had greater experience at all levels of women’s water polo. Mexico is on the rise and should have gained much from this encounter.

Progress Points         

Group A: ESP, ITA, GRE, NED
Group B: AUS, NZL, HUN, USA
Group C: CRO 3, CAN 3, THA 0, RSA 0
Group D: CHN 3, ISR 3, TUR 0, MEX

Day 2 Schedule

Match 5. 10:00. Group A, Spain v Italy
Match 6. 11:30. Group A, Greece v Netherlands
Match 7. 13:00. Group B, New Zealand v Australia
Match 8. 14:30. Group B, Hungary v United States of America