Netherlands will play Greece and Olympic champion Spain will clash with Hungary in Saturday’s semifinals of the World Aquatics Women’s Water Polo World Cup here in Chengdu, China. The Dutch defeated Japan 24-16; Greece bounced Italy 19-14; Spain downed China 15-8 and Hungary defeated Australia 14-10.
MATCH REPORTS
QUARTERFINALS
Match 1, NETHERLANDS 24 JAPAN 16 (6-5, 7-5, 5-4, 6-2)
Netherlands came home as expected against Japan, who let the Dutch get to 12-8 late in the first half before coming back to 16-14 late in the third period. Netherlands was always in control and stretched the margin to eight by the final buzzer.
Netherlands went two up, led 4-1 inside four minutes with Maartje Keuning scoring twice then watched as Japan slipped in three goals with two from Eruna Ura. Goals were traded and Kitty Lynn Joustra finished the period for 6-5 ahead. It was shared at six and seven before Netherlands shot out to 10-7. Japan punctuated the charge and the Dutch rattled in three more for 13-8. Japanese captain Yumi Arima scored her third and Ai Sunabe closed the period at 13-10 with a penalty goal.
Simone van de Kraat opened the second half with Ura netting her third. Kako Kawaguchi had her penalty attempt rejected and captain Sabrina van der Sloot converted from the penalty line. Arima made it three penalty goals for her after the Dutch had an illegal entry where the players do not “high five”. Maho Kobayashi finished off counter for 16-14. The Dutch took a timeout and two goals came in the final minute to head into the last quarter 18-14 up. Lieke Rogge scored twice — from the penalty line and on counter — and another Dutch pair pushed the margin to eight. Hikaru Shitara countered and Kawaguchi converted extra on a cross pass for 22-16 before Arima was ejected on a third major foul. Netherlands plugged the last two goals for what was another eight-goal differential.
Match Heroes
Van de Kraats, Maxine Schaap and Rogge finished with three apiece for Netherlands. Arima was best in pool with five goals for Japan while Ura scored three.
Turning Point
From 7-7, Netherlands shot out to 10-7 and 13-8 to set the seal on the match.
Stats Don’t Lie
Netherlands went five from eight on extra and Japan three from five. Netherlands blasted in all six penalty attempts while Japan missed one of its five. The Dutch stole the ball eight to five and shot 35 to 32.
Bottom Line
Netherlands has the runs on the board and will be keen to collect yet another World Cup crown. The Japanese worked diligently to be only two behind late in the third quarter.
Match 2, GREECE 19 ITALY 14 (4-3, 8-6, 4-4, 3-1)
Greece came through a busy match and finished with a flourish after the encounter was level five times until late in the first half. Greece applied the pressure even further just before halftime and withstood an Italian fightback to the last four minutes.
Greece opened with two goals and at 3-1 was looking good. Italy responded for 3-3 and Vasiliki Plevritou gained her second goal for the 4-4 quarter-time advantage. Dafne Bettini scored her second from the top for Italy to start the second quarter with Vasiliki Plevritou crossing the penalty line for her third strike. Goals were traded to 7-6 and Athina Giannopoulou made it 8-6. Veronica Gant and captain Agnese Cocchiere, for her second, levelled the score. Greece scored four of the next five goals with Eleni Xenaki scoring twice from the top right with the second on lob. This gave Greece a 12-9 halftime lead.
Bettini and Chiara Ranalli on penalty brought it to within one. However, Maria Myriokefalitaki turned at two metres and Vasiliki Plevritou scored from 14-11, three minutes into the third period. Goals were traded to 16-13 with Vasiliki Plevritou again in a scoring mood, this time off a cross pass. Both teams took a timeout early in the fourth quarter with Italy the first scorer, well after the timeout. Cocchiere backhanded from two metres for 16-14 down. Then Greece slammed in three more with Myriokefalitaki converting a penalty for a handsome five-goal victory.
Match Heroes
Vasiliki Plevritou topped all scorers with five for Greece while Myriokefalitaki nabbed four and Giannopoulou and Xenaki three each. Captain Cocchiere and Bettini scored four each for Italy.
Turning Point
At 8-8, Greece stepped up the tempo and finished the half at 12-9, then to 16-13 at the last break. Three goals in the final three minutes made the score that much more enjoyable.
Stats Don’t Lie
Both teams struggled on extra with Greece converting two from six while defending eight from nine. No penalty goal was missed with Greece getting three and Italy one. Greece made five steals to three and shot 39 to Italy’s 40.
Bottom Line
Greece has been consistent for some time and Italy is rebooting its team in the new Olympiad.
Match 3, SPAIN 15 CHINA 8 (2-1, 4-2, 4-3, 5-2)
Spain put paid to China’s hopes of making the medal semifinals with a victory built on solid quarters.
Elena Ruiz and Paula Camus responded to Yan Siya’s opening penalty goal by 4:20 left in the quarter. There were no more goals until the buzzer. Ruiz pushed it to 3-1 in the second quarter and Nona Perez gave Spain a 4-1 advantage. Yan and Zhang Yumian pulled two back before captain Bea Ortiz and Paula Leiton scored on penalty and extra for 6-3 by halftime.
Leiton scored twice from two metres early in the third quarter with Zhou Shang and Paula Crespi scoring twice each for 10-5. Yan closed the period with an extra-player goal. Crespi and Ortiz made it 12-6 early in the fourth period with Yan gaining her fourth on extra. Leiton gained her fourth on extra with Isabel Piralkova scoring on extra and penalty for 15-7. Zhou scored the last goal just inside the final minute for 15-8.
Match Heroes
Leiton finished with four goals and Crespi three. Yan topped China’s tally with four and Zhou nailed three. The Chinese goalkeepers made 13 saves between them.
Turning Point
Spain coming from 4-3 to 8-3, a difference it worked hard to maintain.
Stats Don’t Lie
Spain shot 40 times and limited China to 20 shots. Spain converted five from 10 on extra and stopped five of eight Chinese attempts. Spain scored both penalty chances and China one. On steals, Spain was merciless with 13 to three.
Bottom Line
Spain is the Olympic champion, but China made sure the win was not going to be easy. This was truly a low-scoring match.
Match 4, AUSTRALIA 10 HUNGARY 14 (2-1, 2-4, 3-5, 3-4)
Hungary earned a shot at Spain in the semifinals with a solid victory over Australia, which is using the tournament to give newer players a chance at this level. The Aussie Stingers were worthy opponents for a spirited and sharp-attacking Hungarian offensive unit.
Australia had the better of the opening quarter with captain Abby Andrews, a two-time Olympian and silver medallist from Paris 2024, opening the scoring on extra-player attack. Kinga Peresztegi-Nagy, wearing the prestigious eight cap in the absence of the legendary Rita Keszthelyi, lobbed from the top, two minutes later. Andrews responded on the next attack with a penalty conversion. For the next 3:26 there was no goal scored. Hungary shot out of the blocks in the second quarter with three goals — Dora Leimeter from wide, Vanda Valyi from the top and Natasa Rybanska from a six-metre shot for the 4-2 lead. Alice Williams converted a penalty foul and Andrews finished possession from her favoured top-right position to favour her left arm. It was 4-4. Hungary called a timeout and soon after, Nora Sumegi converted the extra-player situation for the halftime 5-4 lead.
Hungary repeated its dose in the third period, with a crushing four-goal burst with Valyi netting two more. Williams arrested the surge with a nine-metre shot. Rybanska replied from centre forward for an impressive 10-5 at 3:11. Then came Danijela Jackovich to the fore, turning at centre forward and then, after a timeout, scoring from the left-post position for 10-7 in arrears. The last goal came at 0:38. Hungarian youngster Kata Hajdu scored either side of a Tenealle Fasala goal for 12-8. Charlize Andrews and Sienna Hearn brought the match close to 12-10 with 1:27 remaining. Captain Krisztina Garda pummelled one in from the top and Valyi snared her fourth on counter at 0:42 for the healthy four-goal margin. Valyi is back in the pool after shoulder surgery following the Paris Olympics while Rybanska took over centre-forward duties following a small finger injury to first-choice centre forward Tekla Aubeli forced her from the match.
Match Heroes
Valyi was the top player with four goals for Hungary with Garda, Rybanska and Hajdu scoring a pair apiece. For Australia, Andrews fired in three with Williams and Jackovich claiming two each. Goalkeeper Genevieve Longman made nine saves.
Turning Point
The opening periods of the second and third quarters where Hungary gained separation.
Stats Don’t Lie
Hungary went three from six on extra with Australia scoring two from four. Australia scored both penalty shots. Hungary made 12 steals to 11 and took 28 shots to 25.
Bottom Line
Hungary had the better settled international team while Australia was returning with six Olympic silver medallists and a host of youngsters. Both teams performed admirably and Hungary was the all-round better team.
Day 2 Schedule
Classification 5-8 Semifinals
Match 05. 14:00, Japan v Italy
Match 06. 15:45, China v Australia
Classification 5-8 Semifinals
Match 07. 18:30, Netherlands v Greece
Match 08. 20:15, Spain v Hungary