
Qualification for the finals series in April came one step closer today as reigning champion United States of America kept Israel winless, taking out their Group 2 encounter 10-9. Israel is unable to qualify while first-time winner USA needs victory over group leader and four-time victor Hungary on Sunday to make it through.
Overview
This tournament is all about who will go through to the finals and while the top four qualified after the group stage, the bottom four have been dancing in circles to be the two teams to punch their tickets.
Hungary fended off Italy 13-12 in the battle of the top two and Hungary’s chances of beating USA are top notch as Hungary won their group clash 12-7 on day two. Italy also should easily surpass Israel to confirm its passage to the finals, having won their day-one match 16-9.
In Group 1 matches, Olympic champion Spain smashed second-ranked 2023 world champion Netherlands 16-8 and Greece was far better than Olympic silver medallist Australia, winning 12-8.
In Sunday’s matches, Spain will play Greece, having won their day-two match 14-8 and Netherlands downed Australia 11-9 on day one.
Match Reports
Group 2 (Classification 5-8)
Match 17, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 10 ISRAEL 9 (2-1, 1-3, 5-2, 2-3)
USA had to come from behind to defeat Israel and maintain a slim hope of qualifying for the finals series in April. The two winless teams in the competition made a battle of it with Israel determined to upstage USA. USA had the quarter-time lead at 2-1, trailed 4-3 at halftime and led 8-6 at the final quarter. It needed to shrug off Israel at 8-8 to have a two-goal advantage inside the final minute. Israel bounced back with the last goal to no avail and has no chance of making the finals series. Even if it beats Italy on Sunday and USA loses to Hungary, they would finish equal on points and the tie-break is the result between the two and USA has the honour.
It took six minutes before the first goal and USA made it 2-0 with Israel converting extra for 2-1 at the first break. Alma Yaacobi and Maria Bogachenko both scored penalty goals for Israel to take the lead. Goals were traded and Bogachenko’s shot from the top left sealed a 4-3 halftime advantage.
Jovana Sekulic opened the third quarter with a superb centre-forward goal to level at four, although Tahel Levi and Bogachenko, both on extra, boosted the Israeli score to 6-4. USA took a timeout and converted an extra play, levelled from the deep right with Sekulic lobbing on extra for 7-6 and Charlotte Raisin smashing one in from the top left to have USA 8-6 in front — four goals in three minutes. Despite an Israeli timeout, it was the scoreline at the last break.
The final quarter became so important for both teams. Noa Markovsky converted extra from the right-post position, accepting a near pass only seconds into the exclusion period.
USA head coach Molly Cahill (still covering for Adam Krikorian) challenged what she thought should have been a penalty call and was successful. However, the shot hit the left post. Israeli head coach Dimitrios Mavrotas, also challenged and was successful. It gained a free throw and immediately led to a penalty, which Bogachenko converted for 8-8 at 4:25. Chrissy Flynn, who missed the penalty attempt, unleashed a rocket from the top for 9-8 at 4:00. An Israeli timeout came to nothing other than a rest and at 0:50, USA gained a penalty and Flynn converted for what was the match winner. Israel elected to use seven field players on its last attack and succeeded via Bogachenko finding a route through the trees, but at 0:23, USA controlled the ball until the final buzzer and kept its hopes alive.
Match Heroes
USA skipper Amanda Longan with a spectacular 16 saves in goal was best in pool while Flynn scored three goals for USA. Bogachenko worked hard for her five Israeli goals.
Turning Point
USA had to come from 4-3 down at halftime and 6-4 early in the third quarter to lead 8-6 by the next break. Israel closed the gap at 8-8 before nudging out to 10-8. Israel’s final goal was too late.
Stats Don’t Lie
Israel held all the statistics, yet lost. It went four from seven on extra to three from six; converted all three penalty chances and stopped two of USA’s five; collected four steals to none and shot 36 to 32.
Bottom Line
These were the two teams at risk in the tournament and it was a fight all the way. Israel dips out of consideration for the finals and USA hangs on by whisper.
Match 18, HUNGARY 13 ITALY 12 (3-2, 2-4, 6-3, 2-3)
Hungary made sure of qualifying for the finals with a narrow defeat of Italy built on a 6-3 third period and six goals from captain Rita Keszthelyi. Should Hungary unexpectedly lose to USA on the final day, it has the superior advantage of beating Italy, so makes the finals series. Italy now has to down Israel with a large margin. If a three-way tie eventuates among Hungary, Italy and USA, the latter would need more than 10 goals to be ahead of Hungary and then have more goals than Italy beats Israel by. The odds are stacked against USA. Such are the intricasies of the tiebreaking system.
Italy had the better start against Hungary, but, two minutes from the quarter buzzer Keszthelyi and Natasa Rybanska drilled shots from the top for 3-2. Goals were traded at the start of the second quarter and Kamilla Farago pushed it out to 5-3 from deep left on action. Italy bounced back with three goals on three attacks for 6-5 at the long break, thanks to a pair from Morena Leone.
Keszthelyi hammered in two goals to start the second half with Dora Leimeter weighing in with her left arm for 8-6. Paola di Maria, who scored from centre forward for the 5-4 score, made it 8-7 on extra. Goals were traded until 11-9, thanks to two Keszthelyi strikes to close an eventful third period. In the final quarter, both teams challenged decisions with Italy winning a penalty and Hungary losing a violent-action request. Keszthelyi buried a goal on extra for 12-10 at 4:16 and Dafne Bettini scored her fourth to go with the earlier penalty conversion for 12-11 at 3:49. Eszter Varro (HUN) and Agnese Cocchiere (ITA) were red-carded for what appeared to be a little spat at centre forward. Farago sent one in on extra at 0:55. Both teams took timeouts and Italy succeeded with a Bettini missile, however, at 10 seconds remaining, not enough to secure a shootout.
Match Heroes
Hungary’s Keszthelyi with a magnificent six goals was best in pool. For Italy, Bettini produced another five-goal effort.
Turning Point
Despite losing the lead in the second quarter, Hungary, thanks to Keszthelyi, regained the front-running and always seemed to be the team to beat.
Stats Don’t Lie
Hungary converted five from 11 on extra and Italy five from 13. Italy converted the only penalty foul while Hungary stole the ball six to two and shot 31 to 28.
Bottom Line
Hungary was the team who mastered Spain on day three, just missing the top tier. No matter, it is heading to the finals without any doubt while Italy needs confirmation on Sunday.
Group 1 (Classification 1-4)
Match 19, GREECE 12 AUSTRALIA 8 (3-3, 4-2, 3-2, 2-1)
Greece bounced back from the one-goal loss to Netherlands the day before to take it up to the Aussie Stingers in front of a parochial crowd that filled all the seats in the stadium. Australia opened but Greece had the upper hand at 3-1 by 2:56 before Australia struck back for 3-03 with two Abby Andrews goals by the first-quarter buzzer. Emma Putt converted extra with a short pass to the left-post position from centre forward for 4-3 up a minute into the second quarter. A four-goal rush by the Greeks with Maria Myriokefalitaki and Vasiliki Plevritou gaining their second goals, changed the face of the match. Veteran Bronte Halligan drove the length of the pool to score for 7-5, the closest Australia could come by halftime.
Goals were traded early in the third period and the Plevritou sisters each scored for 10-6. Captain Eleftheria Plevritou snapped one in off the right-hand-catch position; Vasiliki Plevritou had a penalty rejected by Aussie goalkeeper Genevieve Longman and then she responded a minute later for 10-6. Pippa Pedley rifled in a goal for 10-7, 10 seconds from the final break. Danijela Jackovich scored on extra off a short pass on the right post for 10-8 to start the final period. It was the only joy for Australia as stout Greek defence and a pair of goals, including a third for Myriokefalitaki on penalty, had the score at 12-8 by 6:15. Foteini Tricha had her penalty attempt saved by Longman and neither team could find a scoring hole for the rest of the match.
Match Heroes
Vasiliki Plevritou and Myriokefalitaki with three goals each led the way for Greece. Abby Andrews scored twice for the Aussie Stingers.
Turning Point
Greece had to come back from 4-3 down and it did so with a four-goal surge that became 7-4. Australia narrowed to two either side of the final break but, too little, too late.
Stats Don’t Lie
Australia had the better of the stats, converting two from six on extra and holding Greece to one from four; stopped two of Greece’s three penalty attempts; won the steals four to three but had four less shots than Greece at 34-30.
Bottom Line
Greece is on fire in Alexandroupolis and the three-goal and four-goal bursts made it tough for Australia to respond.
Match 20, SPAIN 16 NETHERLANDS 8 (3-1, 3-4, 4-1, 6-2)
Spain knocked off the second-ranked team by a hefty margin, showing just how powerful the team is. The wen was constructed on a 3-1 first quarter and limited to a one-goal advantage at halftime before swimming away with the match in the second half. Netherlands started first and three goals in three minutes had Spain in the ascendancy. Goals were traded in the second quarter with Lieke Rogge scoring twice for the Dutch and Paula Leiton netting a second for Spain. Tess van der Meer sliced in a long shot for the 6-5 differential at halftime, favouring Spain.
Paula Crespi and Ariadna Ruiz shunted the score to 8-5 with Simone van de Kraats converting extra from the deep right. Crespi off the left post on extra and Carlota Penalver from the top, lifted Spain to 10-6 at the final break. A Spanish challenge for a penalty was lost at 1:02. That two-goal burst became a waterfall of seven goals without answer with Leiton in the mix at centre forward, scorching the score to 15-6. Van der Meer at 0:38; Paula Camus at two metres and Marit van der Weijden on the buzzer finished the scoring at 16-8. Spain had stamped its authority on the match and the competition.
Match Heroes
Leiton topped the Spanish scoring with three while nine others scored. Van der Weijden, van der Meer and Rogge netted a pair each.
Turning Point
The 3-1 helped at the start, but it was the 10-minute shut-out in the third and fourth periods where Spain plundered seven consecutive goals that made the difference.
Stats Don’t Lie
The best extra-man statistics of the tournament — Spain converted all six attempts and shut down 11 of Netherlands’ 16 chances. Miraculous. Neither team had a penalty foul; Spain stole the ball 10 times to four and shot 29 to 25.
Bottom Line
This shows why Spain is the Olympic champion. Take on the next top team and crush it.
Progress Points:
Group 1: Spain 6, Netherlands 3, Greece 3, Australia 0.
Group2: Hungary 6, Italy 3, United States of America 3, Israel 0.
Day 6 Schedule
Group 2 Series (Classification 5-8)
Match 21. 15:00. Italy v Israel
Match 22. 17:00. Hungary v United States of America
Group 1 Series (Classification 1-4)
Match 23. 19:00. Netherlands v Australia
Match 24. 21:00. Spain v Greece