It’s crossover day in the water polo pool as the second and third-placed teams go head to head for quarterfinal berths in the late session. In the first two matches of the day, the semifinals of the classification 13-16 were played.
Day 9 Schedule
Classification 15-16
Match 31. 09:00. Singapore v South Africa
Classification 13-14
Match 32. 10:35. Argentina v Croatia
Classification 9-12 Semifinals
Match 33. 12:10. China v
Match 34. 13:45.
Classification 1-8 Quarterfinals
Match 35. 16:00. Australia v
Match 36. 17:35. United States of America v
Match 37. 19:10. Hungary v Italy
Match 38. 20:45. Spain v
Match Reports
Crossovers (Winners To Quarterfinals)
Match 27, ITALY 13 CHINA 11 (2-0, 4-5, 5-4, 2-2)
Italy needed to work at its best to beat China and advance to the quarterfinals against Hungary on Saturday. China, played super well and can be proud of its effort under new head coach Miki Oca, the Spanish Olympic champion player and former women’s coach.
The first quarter was a breath-taking affair with more than six minutes of no scoring or stoppages, putting plenty of pressure on the players. Once Italian skipper Agnese Cocchiere scored off the left-post position on extra, neither team could find a hole in the opposition defence. That was until Dafne Bettini plucked one out of the air for 2-0 at 0:48 for 2-0. The second period was full of action and challenges. China started with the scoring and Italy answered. Roberta Bianconi scored and China protested that a penalty foul should have been awarded earlier and China won — Bianconi’s goal was struck off — with Zhang Yumian converting. Bianconi made sure of the next goal with Wang Shiyun scoring off extra.
Goals were traded and Italy challenged a penalty foul, but lost. China hit the post and at the other end, Veronica Gant scored on extra off the left-post position. With 17 seconds left on the clock, China went to a timeout and the ball found Zhang Qishuo at the bottom right and she leapt forward and put the ball into the goal with one second left on the clock — 6-5 to Italy.
Italy reversed the trend in the third period and scored one more than China, racing to 10-6, seemingly insurmountable. However, China took a timeout scored through Nong Sanfeng and Yan Siya with a lob. Chiara Ranalli responded for Italy after China unsuccessfully challenged the penalty foul. Zhang Jingwen went on counter and narrowed the margin to two with six seconds left on the clock. Yan Siya planted one in from the top and it was 11-10 at 6:23 in the fourth period. At 5:50, Morena Leone converted extra from the deep right for 12-10. No score came for the next four minutes so Italy called a timeout to relax the team and set up a play, which veteran Bianconi executed on extra from the top left for 13-10 at 1:24. Insurmountable. Shao Yixin scored on counter for 13-11, but at 0:45, Italy played safe and China failed to get a shot away, giving Italy the quarterfinal berth.
Match Heroes
Bianconi and Bettini with three each for Italy and Giuseppina Condorelli making eight valuable saves in goal. Wang and Yan Siya scored twice each for China with captain Shen Yineng also pulling down eight saves.
Turning Point
Italy taking the two-goal advantage and staying on top. With 10-6 halfway through the third period, there was enough stuffing to carry it to the finish line.
Stats Don’t Lie
Italy scored seven from 13 on extra and China an excellent six from nine. Italy scored its one penalty foul and China one from two. On steals, Italy made 7-3 and overall shooting favoured Italy 34-30.
Bottom Line
Italy has the experienced players and will do well in the second week, although China proved that under Oca, it could go far in the coming years and look a completely different team when Budapest 2027 comes around, if he sticks the course.
What They Said
Classification 13-15 Semifinals
Match 26, CROATIA 15 SOUTH AFRICA 6 (7-2, 3-3, 2-0, 4-1)
Croatia made sure of entering the play-off for 13th position in its debut, building on the strong opening quarter and going on to a handsome victory, but with its hiccups in the middle half. The match opened with swapped goals before Argentina swamped the Singaporeans with five straight. Hannah Banks arrested the slide on penalty and Neli Jankovic also scored on penalty for 7-2. It looked like Croatia was on an almighty roll. However, the second quarter was a different matter , equalled at three. Chloe Meecham scored twice and Boati Motau fired from the top right, which was 4-2 in South Africa’s favour since that Banks penalty. Jankovic closed the half on penalty for her third while Aurora Stipanov scored her second from the top.
South Africa restricted Croatia’s momentum in the third quarter with Iva Rozic scoring a backhand from two metres at 3:28 and at 0:52 Croatia going to a timeout, setting up Ria Glas on the first pass to score from the top right for 11-5. This was testament to South Africa’s defence, in particular. Croatia managed to get through twice in the fourth period before South Africa went to a timeout at 2:00. It had not scored for nearly 18 minutes. The move did not come off and Croatia countered for a penalty goal, which Stipanov converted. Tumi MacDonell drove to score and break the drought for 14-6. Ana Desnica scored her first of the week on a drive down the left post, gaining the cross pass from the right for 15-6, the final flourish.
Match Heroes
Jankovic topped the scoring with four, followed by Glas and Stipanov with three each for Croatia. Meecham was South Africa’s double scorer.
Turning Point
Going 6-1 supplied the buffer for victory.
Stats Don’t Lie
Croatia was excellent with the stats, converting six from seven on extra to South Africa’s one from five; scoring three to two on penalty; stealing 11 to 10 and shooting 32 to 28. South Africa can be proud of those statistics, as well.
Bottom Line
Croatia has proved a revelation in Singapore and addresses the needed rise in numbers of women’s teams at the top level. South responded after the poor start, which will set it up for the 15th-place play-off on Saturday.
What She Said
Neli JANKOVIC (CRO) — Player of the Match
On the team’s performance:
“We performed very well. I hope we continue to play like this and get more wins… We had a difficult group (in the group stage). Unlike the pressing from Japan and Greece (in the group stage matches), today we are able to find space and shoot more goals.”
On Croatia being a young team and what it means to compete at the World Aquatics Championships:
“It’s an honour, but our main focus is to prepare for the U20 World Championships. We learnt a lot from this experience.”
Match 25, SINGAPORE 9 ARGENTINA 18 (2-4, 1-6, 3-4, 3-4)
Argentina has eased into the play-off for 13th position, with a solid victory over host Singapore. The South Americans will finish higher than 16th in 2023 but behind 12th in 2022, its best effort. Argentina had too much firepower and found that shooting from well outside had its rewards. Goals were traded at the start with Julieta Auliel giving Argentina the edge on penalty. Heather Lee missed her penalty chance and Anahi Bacigalupo converted hers for 3-1. Tingting Koh scored her second goal for Singapore with Auliel striking back on penalty for 3-2 at the first break. Kristen Lim lobbed from the right for 4-3 at the start of the second quarter but that’s where the scoring dried up as Argentina swam rampant with six goals. Auliel took her tally to three with the 10-3 goal, 13 seconds from the halftime buzzer. Captain Maria Canda and Bacigalupo had two against their names.
Canda scored twice to start the third period for 12-3 but Singapore shot back with three of the next four goals with Bacigalupo finishing with a brilliant turn at centre forward for 14-6, 12 seconds from time. Xiao Koh and Tingting Koh scored from outside and Yap from centre forward on the possession buzzer. An Argentinian triple began the fourth quarter and then the team went to a timeout at 4:43. Unfortunately no goal eventuated but Tingting Koh scored at the other end for 17-7. Yap drilled from the top as did Auliel and Cheng Ong made it a third Singaporean goal in less than four minutes when she converted a penalty goal for 18-9.
Match Heroes
Canda top-scored with five goals, Bacigalupo rammed home four as did Auliel for Argentina. Tingting Koh scored three, Yap and Xiao Koh two each.
Turning Point
Argentina taking control in the second quarter with long outside shots.
Stats Don’t Lie
Argentina converted two from three on extra and Singapore three from five. Argentina buried all three penalty attempts and Singapore one from three. Argentina made 19 steals to six and shot 33 to 19.
Bottom Line
Argentina was the better team by far and has proved to be a worthy combination in Singapore.
What They Said
Julieta AULIEL (ARG) — Four Goals
On the team’s performance:
“We had really, really tough three matches (in the group stage) and this match was really good. We played as a team. So, it was actually the big difference compared to the last three games.”
On the team’s growth since its last World Aquatics Championships appearance in 2023:
“The main six or seven players (in the current team) that played in 2023 were actually really young. So now they have grown older. They trained a lot these two years. This (maturity) was the difference.
“We feel really excited about the difference (in the team) right now. Obviously, we have already shown that we have improved from 16th place (in 2023). We are looking forward to the next match. We will do better and let’s see if we can finish 13th place.”
KOH Ting Ting (SGP) — Three Goals
On the match:
“Today’s match was aggressive and also a tough one. We all knew that going into the game, but we just tried our best to win today’s game to get a good opportunity to be in the 13th-14th placement match. Nevertheless, we did our best. We tried to get as many exclusions as we could and tried to play the man up. I think our team did well in the third quarter; we gathered ourselves and made space for each other, and took the opportunity to shoot.”
On scoring three goals:
“Usually, I’m not the main shooter of the game. But as coach says, when the opportunity comes to you, you just take it. I didn’t think too much, I saw the hole and I just shot. I guess today is my lucky day.”