World Cup champion Greece, World Champion United States of America, World Championship and World Cup silver medallist Hungary and Olympic champion Spain have qualified for the medal semifinals following the quarterfinals of the women’s water polo competition at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on Saturday. Greece upset Olympic silver medallist and group winner Australia 8-7 with a decider two seconds from time; USA trounced top-eight newcomer Japan 26-7 Hungary dispensed with Italy 12-9 and Spain downed 2023 World Champion and World Cup bronze medallist Netherlands 15-13 in penalty shootout after being locked at 11-11. The semifinal lineups are: Greece v USA and Hungary v Spain.
Classifications
In the classification 9-12 semifinals, China crushed France 18-6 and New Zealand thumped Great Britain 20-12.
In the classification matches, debutante Croatia needed a penalty shootout to secure 13th place, beating Argentina 16-14 after the match was tied at 12-12. South Africa leaves Singapore with 15th position after defeating Singapore 8-4 in their classification finale.
Day 11 Schedule
Classification 11-12
Match 39. 09:00. France v Great Britain
Classification 9-10
Match 40. 10:35. China v New Zealand
Classification 5-8 Semifinal
Match 41. 16:00. Australia v Japan
Classification 1-4 Semifinal
Match 43. 17:35. Greece v United States of America
Classification 5-8 Semifinal
Match 42 .20:00. Italy v Netherlands
Classification 1-4 Semifinal
Match 44 .21:35. Hungary v Spain
Match Reports
Classification 1-8 Quarterfinals
Match 38, SPAIN 15 NETHERLANDS 13 in penalty shootout FT: 11-11. Pens: 4-2 (3-1, 4-2, 3-5, 1-3)
This was the third time this year these two teams have met in World Aquatics matches. In the World Cup Division I matches in January, Spain won 16-8 while in the bronze-medal encounter in April, Netherlands won 10-8. There can only be on victor and Spain made it two for the year but needed a penalty shootout after leading by three goals. The Dutch won the second half 8-4 but missed twice at the penalty line.
Paula Crespi began the scoring in the second minute and less than a minute later, captain Anni Espar converted a penalty foul. Bea Ortiz lobbed from the left side cross cage for 3-0 at 1:18. On the next attack, Kittylynn Joustra pulled down a cross pass to the left post on extra for 3-1, the quarter-time score. (This was the same score as in January but in April it was 3-3.)
Paula Camus and Lieke Rogge traded goals; Ortiz drove across the cage, rolled on her back, accepted the pass and scored for 5-2. Ariadna Ruiz scored from deep right before Ortiz stole the ball, swam the length of the pool and lobbed for 7-2 at 1:58. Lieke Rogge replied from the top right for 7-3 at halftime. (In January, it was 6-5 to Spain, and in April, 6-4 to Netherlands).
Joustra and Lieke Rogge were enjoying the outing, scoring the first two goals of the third period, the former with a turn at centre and the latter from deep right. At 3:56, Marit van der Weijden drilled from the right-hand-catch position for 7-6. It was short-lived as Elena Ruiz converted a penalty foul for 8-6. Bente Rogge just managed to get the ball across the line from the top at 3:01 for 8-7. Crespi rocketed in a shot from deep left and several attacks later Ariadna Ruiz converted a penalty for a 10-7 separation. Lieke Rogge gained her fourth on penalty at 0:44 for 10-8 heading into the final quarter. (In January, Spain led 10-6 and in April, Netherlands was 8-4 up.)
In the fourth quarter, Joustra narrowed it to one from centre forward and four minutes later, Nona Perez made it 11-9 from the right side. Lieke Rogge does what she does best with a shot from the right for 11-10 at 2:44. Netherlands went to a timeout on extra at 0:58 and at 0:45, Lieke Rogge scored from the left side of the pool for 11-11. Spain called a timeout at 0:45 and had the ball stolen. Netherlands sent up seven field players after the break and the shot was stopped in front of goal. Instead of the goalie shooting upfield into an empty goal the ball was caught in a melee as the buzzer sounded, sending the match to a shootout. (In January, Spain won 16-8 and in April, the Dutch won 10-8.)
In the shootout, the Dutch started and the first two shots were successful. Bente Rogge had her attempt stopped; the next three went in and then Maartje Keuning had hers rejected, as well. Ariadne Ruiz sealed the match with the winner.
Match Heroes
Lieke Rogge was the real star of the match with six goals and Joustra added three for the Dutch. However, Spain won and Ortiz scored three goals with Ariadna Ruiz and Crespi netting two each. Martina Terre made nine saves in goal.
Turning Point
Spain going 7-2 in the second quarter hurt the Dutch. The Dutch winning the second half hurt the Spanish.
Stats Don’t Lie
Spain scored none from one on extra but stopped six from 12. Spain scored three penalties to one, stole the ball eight to five and had less shots — 27-31.
Bottom Line
Spain is the third group winner to go through undefeated, but it was oh, so close.
What She Said
Martina TERRE (ESP) — Goalkeeper
On the match:
“I’m a little tired now, it was a tough game. We were dominating all game and in the first half of the game, we were at our highest level. But then, the Netherlands have a lot of talent in their team and they were shooting until the final second and the game went to penalties. I feel good with my team, but we need to get better for the semifinals. We have a tough game against Hungary and we will try to get to our best and get to the final. Congratulations also to the Netherlands; they played so well. In the second half, they tried to rein in all the forces to beat us but today it was on our side.
“My team was playing well and they tried their best. It was a difficult defence for us because the Netherlands played seven against six, but it’s a new challenge and we need to get better when facing such challenges. I was a little bit nervous whenever that happened because they played that strategy so well and we stopped the ball a couple of times but we didn’t know they were so good.”
On how to improve before the semifinals:
“We need to stay calm and we know that the game can be 7-3 like it was in the second half to us or it can be 7-3 against us. We need to be calm and be focused. We need to be like a team, be a group and try to get every block, every steal and then put every ball into the goal.”
Match 37, HUNGARY 12 ITALY 9 (3-3, 3-2, 4-2, 2-2)
Hungary took control at halftime and went home with the victory. It was an exciting match but Hungary held the cards, especially with a high-scoring captain leading the way. Hungary has the credentials and showed them firmly to Italy.
This was a numbers match where all the numbers were levelled until halftime with Italy starting, Hungary recovering to lead 2-1, Hungary going to 4-3 and Italy turning the tables for 5-4. Hungary scored the last two goals to head into the second half at 6-5. Italy had two penalty goals and three on extra. Hungary had four action goals and two on extra. For Hungary, captain Rita Keszthelyi and Nora Sumegi were the double scorers. Sofia Giustini scored consecutive extra-player goals for Italy in the first quarter.
The rhythm was interrupted in the third period as Hungary scored first for 7-5, Dorottya Szilagyi finishing a series of fast passing on extra, finding her at the left post. Dafne Bettini lobbed from the top right for 7-6 and Szilagyi made it two up for the second time, screaming in a shot from right hand catch. Italy called a timeout and the ploy was “give to Ranalli” and she provided the seventh goal from the left side of the pool. Dora Leimeter used her left arm to excellent use from deep right on extra, moving the score to 9-7. Hungary was refused goal entry twice from the same move on the same attack. On the next Hungarian attack, Keszthelyi took a six-metre foul and then lobbed for 10-7.
Defence was paramount in the final quarter as the shutters went up and goals were scarce. Italy called a timeout at 5:14 and it meant nothing to the scoreboard. Come 2:54, Italy was awarded a penalty and Ranalli had her shot saved by Boglarka Neszmely. However, it was deemed that Sumegi jumped toward the shooter and she was red-carded. Ranalli shot again and scored for 10-8. At the other end, Garda slipped in a shot from top right for 11-8 at 2:29. Giustini buried the ball from deep left on extra at 1:17 for 11-9. Leimeter made sure of a Hungarian victory with a 12-9 winner from deep right on extra at 0:37. The fireworks celebrating the Singapore 60th Independence celebrations outside seemingly were fired just for this quarterfinal victory.
Match Heroes
Keszthelyi with four goals was the player of the match. Leimeter and Garda scored two each and goalkeeper Neszmely made nine saves. For Italy, Ranalli scored four and Giustini three. Giuseppina Condorelli dragged down 11 saves in goal.
Turning Point
The two goals at the end of the third period that gave Hungary a three-goal buffer.
Stats Don’t Lie
Italy went four from eight on extra and defended eight from 14. Italy scored three from four on penalty. Hungary won the steals 8-5 and the shooting at 37-29. It was Hungary’s field goals that made the difference.
Bottom Line
Hungary is still unbeaten and Italy has a second loss. Hungary joins USA as a group winner to advance to the medals.
What They Said
Rita KESZTHELYI (HUN) — Captain and Player of the Match
On the match:
“We were just in the flow today. We were not thinking about the result or what’s happening in the water. We were just doing our thing and concentrating on our defence. If it was a goal, then OK. If not, no problem, we just keep going. In crucial moments, we could find players that could help us go over the line when we were stuck, so I’m very proud of each one of us. We have a lot of young players who are in their first World Championships and this is their first world quarterfinal. We learnt a lot from this and I hope we can still improve and show that we earned our spot in the top four.
“I did not really know the scores or whether it was man up or man down. Probably our six-on-six defence was better than theirs. We could score a couple of action shots, which they couldn’t and this was probably the biggest difference between the two teams.”
On the future team’s approach:
“We’re just focusing on ourselves. We just want to show for ourselves that we are capable of everything, we can improve and we have a lot of young players, so step by step. During this game, we were not concentrating on the result and I think this will be important in the next games; we just have to keep going. Anything can happen.
“We can be two down or leading by two, our opponents can come up and lead by one. This will be important in the next two games and we just have to keep going. This is women’s water polo and everyone knows that anything can happen in women’s water polo. It’s full of ups and downs. Tonight, we just have to be happy, make a closure and then let’s see who we will face in the semifinals.”
Chiara RANALLI (ITA) — Four Goals
On the result:
“It’s hard to speak but this match is important to understand that this team is very important. We have a little bit of errors and we have to play better than this, but we are a good team and we believe in it all the time. It’s very important we take all the good from this match. Now it’s hard but it’s very important to take the best and work on the worst.
“We played hard and swam hard in the first two quarters, but we need to improve on all these things, be faster and do better in defence.”
Match 36, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 26 JAPAN 7 (11-2, 5-1, 5-2, 6-2)
Japan was shell-shocked by the United States in the opening quarter. It’s not often a team goes that hard and fast in a quarterfinal. This was amazing, especially after we had watched such a spectacle with Greece winning by one over Australia. However, this is Japan’s first time at this level and once the first quarter was done and dusted, the Asians started to knuckle down and get meaningful shots on target and putting up more defences. Coring twice in the third was also a bonus for Japan and sets it up for the rest of the tournament. Playing this class of match is just what this team needs.
On the other side of the spectrum, champion coach Adam Krikorian manages to turn up with world beaters, no matter how experienced they are. While tonight was a romp, it was still a match worthy of preparation for the semifinals and beyond. It seems the extra day off worked for USA as the first group winner to go through to the medal round. He manages to blend the youngsters into his style of play, with assistance from the veterans.
Match Heroes
USA’s Anna Pearson was the player of the match with five goals. Jenna Flynn and Emily Ausmus scored four while Tara Prentice and Ryann Neushul netted three apiece. Amanda Longan made nine saves in goal and Isabel Williams six. For Japan, Eruna Ura and Ai Sunabe scored twice each.
Turning Point
The starting whistle was a dead giveaway.
Stats Don’t Lie
USA shot seven from seven on extra and four from four on penalties. Japan went one from seven and one from two. USA made 11 steals to eight and both teams shot 34 times.
Bottom Line
USA is out to retain its title while Japan will relish the experience.
What They Said
Anna PEARSON (USA) — Player of the Match
On the match:
“I’m super excited and I’m super proud of our team. We’ve worked so hard for this, so I’m just really happy for everyone who’s a part of this. We had really good awareness today. We knew what Japan were going to do when they came in, so we just focused on stopping their attacks, stopping their counter-attacks and we played a really good defence. I know we scored a lot of goals but we take a lot of pride in our defence and we held them to just eight goals, so that was good for us.”
On staying focused throughout:
“A lot of our experienced team-mates just kept reminding us that each quarter break, it’s 0-0. It was just about going in with the same mentality every quarter and that helped us be successful.”
On being defending champion:
“There’s always a little pressure just representing Team USA, but this is a different group than before and we’re really excited. We want to create our own story but obviously, it’s amazing following the past World Championships. In the semifinals, we just have to stick to our game plan, execute what we talked about before and make it happen in the pool.”
Eruna URA (JPN) — Goal Scorer
On the match:
“It was a very hard game because they are too strong. We are a young team and they are also a young team, but they are more high quality. We have to fix many things and I don’t think we will fix everything, but we will try to fix something so that we can be better in our next two games.”
Match 35, AUSTRALIA 7 GREECE 8 (1-1, 2-4, 2-1, 2-2)
World Cup champion Greece needed a last-gasp goal to secure a semifinal berth and it was done in style with a breakaway effort from Maria Myriokefalitaki. In doing so, the third-ranked team in its group beat the winner of another group, a team that had an extra day off. Australia may have started the scoring through Abby Andrews at 4:53, but the lead was short as Eirini Ninou converted extra at 3:51 and the rest of the period was a series of poor passing, blocked shots and a lot of hitting the post or going astray. In the second quarter, Abby Andrews scored on extra with Stefania Santa drilling from the top. Alice Williams scored on extra at 5:57 for 3-2. That’s where the Aussie Stingers stopped scoring as the Greek defence worked hard to deny entry. Athina Giannopoulou scored from deep right on extra; captain Eleftheria Plevritou lobbed for 4-3 and Santa was free on extra from the top right for 5-3 at 0:15. Australia was hesitant at times against the Greekes who were playing with more fluidity.
The third period swung the way of Australia, but not quite enough to level the match. Tilly Kearns snared a goal off the left-post position while Foteini Tricha converted a penalty. Charlize Andrews scored from the right-hand-catch at 0:52, the final-break score. Santa went on counter at the top of the fourth period only for Gabriel Palm to stop the shot in spectacular fashion. A Greek timeout reaped nothing. Charlize Andrews popped in the equaliser at 3:52 with Eleftheria Plevritou replying on extra, 26 seconds later for 7-6. At 2:42, Australia took a timeout and the shot bounced over the bar. On the next attack the ball was stolen by Greece and the Greek coach received a yellow card. Inside the final minute, Australia went on attack and it seemed to break down with a hard defensive strike.
However, the ball made it to Danijela Jackovich at the left post on extra and she made sure of the equaliser. Greece was called for a ball under at 22 seconds and it looked like an Aussie victory or a shootout was on the cards. However, the Stingers inexplicably turned the ball over at eight seconds and Maria Myriokefalitaki swam toward the Aussie goal, taking the ball and shooting from outside to beat the buzzer, scoring past the ever-present Palm for the 8-7 winner with two seconds left on the clock. The Aussie long shot was blocked and Greece was through to the semifinals, possibly as the better team, considering it is the World Cup champion.
Match Heroes
Palm was probably the pick of all the players in the water and her heroics did not go unnoticed by the spectators. She made 11 fantastic saves but she would have given them all away if she could have stopped the last shot. Abby Andrews and Charlize Andrews scored twice each for the Stingers. However, the champion Greeks were working hugely as a team and captain Eleftheria Plevritou and Santa scored twice.
Turning Point
Greece coming from 2-1 down to 6-5 and 7-6 up, but, more importantly, 8-7.
Stats Don’t Lie
Greece went four from eight on extra to Australia’s three from five. Greece scored the only penalty goal, lost the steals 7-5 and outshot the Stingers 34-29.
Bottom Line
Greece is the World Cup champion from this year, an event in which Australia lost the bronze-medal final.
What They Said
Maria MYRIOKEFALITAKI (GRE) — Player of the Match
On the match:
“It was a big roller-coaster, the scores were so tight. The game was really good, and both sides played very well in offence and defence. My team was more passionate with more focus on defence, and we managed to handle the situation.”
On her emotions after scoring the winning goal:
“I was so emotional. This goal, I think somebody from heaven helped to make it go in. This is where I want to dedicate this goal. Before the World Championships, I lost a very special person for me. That’s why I got so emotional after that goal.
“It was my aunt (whom I lost), and I was really sad. But this is how life works. We have to keep pushing and continue. I dedicate this goal to her. It was a little bit of help from heaven.”
On the team’s confidence now:
“It’s going to be very tough. We have to be very focused, we have to rest, to see our mistakes from today’s game and see how our opponents will play to us, and be very focused for the semifinal.
“We’re feeling very confident, we just beat the Olympic silver medallist; that’s a very good result for us, but we must stay focused.”
Danijela JACKOVICH (AUS) — Goal Scorer
On the tight match:
“It’s probably a great game for spectators; it’s what you ask for, right? Two teams fighting till the end, back and forth, good defence on both sides. Obviously, it’s heart-breaking to be part of the losing squad, but hats off to the Greeks; they played a great game, had some great shooters and got us in the end.
“It’s the first year after the Olympics, so it’s a fresh cycle. We’re getting the group back together and we’ve had some strong competition; we’ve had some good games. We’re just focusing on us, getting our group and playing our tactics, our style. At the end of the day, we did that today and that’s what we’re looking for.”
On what was key in the match:
“The first thing that comes to mind is defence. We pride ourselves on our defence and working hard, pushing, keeping them to a few goals. But the Greeks run an unorthodox defence. They run a bit different and their coach is very into tactics. We haven’t played that style previously in this tournament and it’s been a long time since we’ve played the Greeks.
“So, we were just trying to figure out through each quarter what was working, what wasn’t and constantly changing, constantly looking for more options. In the end, obviously it’s a devastating loss, but it’s something to learn from and we’ll continue moving forward.”
On what Australia hopes to bring to the next match:
“One thing we have in our group is energy. We’re all here, we love the game, we love playing for and with each other, we love playing for our coaches. Every opportunity is a chance to play our style, a chance for us to come together in the water and work on our connections. So, each game we play, it’s just another opportunity to play and represent our country. That’s what we want to do at the end of the day – make our country proud.”
Bronte HALLIGAN (AUS) — Captain
On the tough match:
“It's (a) really tough loss, it stings a bit. I think all the girls are a bit disappointed after that but you know that's water polo quarterfinals. The Greeks had a really good game and credit to them, they stuck through it all the way to the end in the last two seconds of that game. We were definitely in it and I'm really proud of the effort that we put in there today, but it’s tough and that’s just water polo.
“I'm not sure what the key turning moment was right now — it's really fresh straight after the game — so, I’m unsure of what moment it was, but I’m really proud of the girls and everything they put into the water today. It was exactly how we want to play water polo. The result didn’t go our way but we couldn’t be prouder of what we were able to put out there today.”
On the Stingers’ fight:
“I think we showed our heart and soul out there, the Stingers, and that’s all we can ask and we’ll group back together and keep going moving forward.”
“(Fighting) is part of our soul, part of our inner workings. We fight, every single battle and we showed that today and I’m proud of them.”
Classification 9-12 Semifinals
Match 34, NEW ZEALAND 20 GREAT BRITAIN 12 (5-3, 7-3, 4-1, 3-5)
New Zealand fought hard to become the second-placed team in the Commonwealth (behind neighbour Australia), with a 5-3 start that blew out to 12-6 at halftime. Penalties started the match with Britain leading the way. It was tied at two with New Zealand moving to 4-2, brought back to 4-4 and Millie Quin converted a second penalty for 5-3, two seconds from the first break. Emmerson Houghton gained her second and Quin struck twice more, either side of a Kathy Rogers extra-player goal on the right post. Lily Turner made her third and second on penalty for 8-5 to keep in the mix. Libby Gault off a rebound and Kaitlin Howarth by penalty, lifted the Kiwis to 10-5. Izzy Howe pulled one back for Britain while Howarth from the top and Darcy Spark on the short drive and lob, gave New Zealand a 12-6 advantage at the turn.
The third quarter went 5-1 to the Kiwis with Houghton on penalty, Morgan McDowall on counter, Gabrielle Milicich from the top right, Holly Dunn with the catch-and-turn shot at centre for 16-7 and Quin on penalty. Katie Brown scored down the left side at 14-7 for Britain. In the fourth, Great Britain came good and won the period 5-3 with two penalty goals — Toula Falvey and Turner — either side of Emily Nicholson’s catch and shoot on the left side of the goal. Dunn fired cross cage with her left arm into the top left and Britain’s Rogers flipped in a rebound for 19-10. Falvey made it 11 soon after, steering in a cross pass to the right post. Great Britain went to a timeout on extra and the resulting play had Falvey tapping in a cross pass to the left post for 19-12. McDowall finished for the Kiwis when she received a near pass at the left post and backhanded with six seconds left of the clock. New Zealand was off to the ninth-placed play-off.
Match Heroes
Quin topped all scorers with five and Houghton chimed in with four for the Kiwis. The goalkeepers shared in 11 saves. For Britain, Turner shot four and Falvey three in the last quarter. Sophie Jackson pulled in 11 saves from goal.
Turning Point
The second quarter where New Zealand pulled away.
Stats Don’t Lie
New Zealand converted four eight on extra and Britain three from six. On penalties, New Zealand converted all five and Great Britain all four. The Kiwis made 11 steals to six and shot 41 to 32.
Bottom Line
New Zealand was ninth last year and Great Britain 11th. The status quo might be maintained this year.
What She Said
Millie QUIN (NZL), Player of the Match
On the match:
“I feel really good; it was a good team effort. A lot of people were able to get on the scoreboard, so it was a good team effort. We stuck with what we had planned to do from the start and we were able to finish strong.
“Angie (WINSTANLEY-SMITH, NZL — Head Coach) is always talking about the basics and doing those well, so we really stuck to that, helped each other out, communicated and put the ball in when it really counted. It was a good team effort and that’s what really won us the game today.
“Great Britain started to come back in the last quarter. We started off really strong as a team and sometimes, we kind of dipped a little. So, going into the next game, it would be really good to start and finish strong.”
Match 33, CHINA 18 FRANCE 6 (2-2, 4-0, 7-2, 5-2)
China, under the coaching of Olympic champion player and coach Miki Oca, was the better team for the first half against a French team working tirelessly to breach the defence. This trend continued throughout, finishing with a 12-goal advantage. China scored the first two goals but France was equal to the task with one at 3:5 to Erica Hardy and the second to Lily Vernoux on counter at 0:37. There were big gaps where the players were tiring and flying subs were key to rejuvenating attacks. In the second quarter, Wang Huan, who scored the second goal, grabbed another from the top right. France challenged for a penalty but did not succeed. Shao Yixin converted extra for 4-2 and after a few minutes, the Chinese challenge was reviewed and a penalty awarded, the clock wound back and Yan Siya converted for 5-2. Ma Li scored off extra from the bottom right at 2:45 and China was well in command. A French timeout well into action failed as the pass hit the back line and the ball turned over. China went into the second half with heads held high.
Shao lobbed from the bottom right to open the second half and go to a five-goal advantage. Yan followed soon after from the top left. Wang Shiyun did the same, but on extra for 9-2 at 5:23. The 12 minutes of agony for France ended when Ema Vernoux converted extra from the deep left. Zhang Jingwen converted extra from the bottom left and Ema Vernoux sent in a penalty goal at 3:28 for 10-4. Yan Jing with a lightning strike from centre forward; Yan Siya from the top with a lob on extra, and Zhang Jingwen off a cross pass, inflated China’s three-quarter-time score to 13-4.
Tiziana Raspo opened the fourth from the top left for France and team-mate Ema Vernoux put her shot into the top left for 13-6. Zhang Yumin had her penalty attempt rebound, which she scored. She netted the next two and China was suddenly 16-6. Yan Siya converted a penalty and Nong Sanfeng, who sent in China’s first goal, scored on extra for China’s last and 18-6.
Match Heroes
Yan Siya with four goals and Zhang Yumian with three were China’s best, although Shen Yineng’s 14 saves in goal was a world-class performance. Ema Vernoux made three for France.
Turning Point
China keeping France scoreless for 12 minutes in the middle of the match.
Stats Don’t Lie
China scored a tournament-high 10 from 15 on extra and stopped five from seven. China missed one from three on penalty and France converted its one chance. China made five steals to one and shot 35 to 29 times.
Bottom Line
China deserves to be in the play-off ninth while France played some of its best water polo in Singapore.
What They Said
Miguel OCA (CHN) — Head Coach
On what went well for the team:
“I think we had a very good game today. We had a good game in defence, and we found the goal of the French many times, so (it was a) very, very good game. Very satisfied.
“We did many good things. First of all, defence. We've been defending very well as a team, helping each other — very good counter-attack, very intense and strong counter-attack. And also, we've been shooting very well today.”
On what China hopes to achieve in the next match:
“Well, I don't know. Let's see how [it goes]. Now, we have two days to prepare for this last game of the World Championships, very important for us and we will do our best.”
On what China needs to do to improve its world ranking:
“To get into the first eight, we still have to grow a little bit. And then that is what we want to do in the future, to work hard. We have to improve many (aspects). I think we are going in a good way but we have to grow and improve. Everything, every part of the game.”
SHEN Yineng (CHN) — Captain and Player of the Match
On the result:
“I’m really pleased to have won and received the player-of-the-match award. I’m also grateful to the team and proud of how our team carried out our defence today because we defended really well. Each player did what they were supposed to and took charge of our own areas well, so the rest of us could be more relaxed and work together as a team well.”
On being very vocal to her team-mates during the match:
“I wanted to keep reminding them of what to focus on when defending because we discussed those things before the match and we had to be alert to not let our opponents attack easily and reduce their opportunities to score.”
On how she prepared herself:
“Mentally, I told myself to stay calm, not be nervous and just focus on my own actions and processes instead of thinking about other things.”
Classification 13-14
Match 32, ARGENTINA 14 CROATIA 16 in penalty shootout FT: 12-12. Pens: 2-4 (2-3, 2-2, 4-5, 4-2)
Croatia needed a penalty shootout to cement 13th position after being ahead by three goals on two occasions. Argentina dragged the match to even inside the final minute to force the shootout, but had two shots not make the net.
Croatia gained the edge in the first quarter thanks to a Neli Jankovic lob from the far right, nine seconds from time. Iva Rozic opened on counter for Croatia while Argentinian captain Maria Canda converted extra and team-mate Anahi Bacigalupo goaled from centre forward to 2-1. Nina Medic dropped one in from the top at 4:10 for 2-2, meaning a long spell without a goal before Jankovic broke the deadlock. Jankovic had her penalty attempt stopped by Nahir Stegmayer a minute into the second quarter. Nina Jazvin made it 4-2 from centre forward; Bacigalupo countered; Ria Glas fired a missile from downtown and Julieta Auliel found the long shot works, as well for a 5-4 Croatia advantage. A Croatian timeout yielded no goal and it had to be satisfied with the halftime score.
Considering the first half was 5-4, the third quarter was the same score with Croatia now two goals ahead at 10-8. Croatia started through Nina Eterovic with her first of the week, followed by a Canda strike on extra; Rozic on penalty; Canda on extra and Rozic again from the top. Jankovic grabbed a mid-air pass from the other end of the pool to turn and score on counter for 9-6 — the biggest margin of the match. Auliel converted a penalty; Croatian captain Magdalena Butic lobbed from deep left and Maylen Sampedro scored from deep left for 10-8. Stegmeyer again denied a Croatian penalty attempt, five seconds from the buzzer.
Jazvin cross-caged from the top right to open the final quarter and again go three ahead. Ana Agnesina (ARG) scored on her third attempt, dragging the ball in from the left-post position on extra and 11-9. Lara Srhoj also scored on her third attempt and Bacigalupo was ecstatic after firing in her third goal for 12-10 from left-hand-catch at 3:30. Croatia went to a timeout but the shot failed to find ecstacy. Argentina was joyful when a penalty was awarded at 1:57 and Auliel converted for 12-11. Both teams missed a shot and then the ball was sent into the Argentinian hole and a penalty awarded at 0:25. Bacigalupo converted for 12-12. Argentina lost the ball feeding into the hole and Argentina called a timeout. The referees strangely allowed the Argentinian players to set up before restarting at halfway. However, the shot was tipped over by the defence and the match went to a shootout.
Croatia shot first and missed the second attempt of the first four. Argentina missed its next two shots and Croatia scored both its last to win the shootout 4-2 and the match 16-14.
Match Heroes
Bacigalupo was the star for Argentina with four goals. Auliel and Canda scored three each and goalkeeper Stegmeyer made seven saves, two on penalty. For winner Croatia, Rozic scored a hat-trick with Jankovic and Jazvin netting twice in a team effort. Latica Medvesek grabbed eight shots in goal. For Croatia, Rozic was the team’s best shooter with 14, followed by Jankovic on 10 and captain Matea Skelin on seven. For Argentina, Canda had 12, Auliel and Bacigalupo on 11 were the best.
Turning Point
Argentina coming back from those three goals down twice to level in the last minute to force the shootout.
Stats Don’t Lie
Croatia scored two from five on extra and defended seven from 12. Croatia put away one from three on penalty and Argentina three from four. Steals were tied at four and Croatia shot 33 to 31.
Bottom Line
For Croatia to slot in at 13th place on debut is commendable, finishing with two victories as the youngest team in the competition. Argentina, who had one win, was 12th in 2022, 16th in 2023, missed Doha 2024 and now has 14th position.
What They Said
Mia SIMUNIC (CRO) — Head Coach
On the match:
“My girls played really hard. They showed they have a heart and they know how to play. Argentina is a much older team, a little bit more aggressive than we are and they play this contact water polo. We are not used to that, but we played for each other and we played like a team. We had each others’ backs, especially our goalkeeper (Latica MEDVESEK), she really closed the goal.
“I’m so proud of them all and it was really stressful as well because this was like a little final for us. They are used to this pressure; it’s not like they will give up when the score was 12-12. They knew that we could win this and the penalty shots can be on our side, so they had a big heart and this big, big win.”
On what the result means for women’s water polo in Croatia:
“It’s not just what the result means. We are 13th, but what these two victories against South Africa and Argentina show is that this team can be much better when they are older because they are the youngest team here. It’s a big experience for us and at the next World Championships, if we qualify, I hope we will show that we grew and we can play even better.
“They have grown in the matter of speed of swimming, the contact and just realising what’s happening around them, that they don’t play with one player, they play against all of each other’s players. This is the most important thing for us, because we learnt how to catch somebody who is faster than us.”
Nina MEDIC (CRO) — Scorer of Winning Penalty
On the match:
“I’m feeling very happy for my team that we won because we are a young team and finally, some happy news from the World Championships. We entered the game a little scared, but we also knew what we could do. That was really shown in the pool. But in the end, we managed to cool our heads and it was a win. Argentina got a little more aggressive throughout the game and we tried to adjust. We had a great defence, but they started shooting more and taking better shots and that got into the goal.”
On taking the last penalty:
“I was just telling myself to stay calm and score, just decide the side I’m going to shoot at and just go with that as strong as I can. I was nervous, it was a lot of pressure on me but I tried to calm myself down by just going underwater. I was just thinking ‘God please let it go in’.”
On finishing 13th on debut:
“We are very happy because this is writing history for women’s water polo in Croatia. Everybody knows that we are a young team, but we really tried to show ourselves in the best light. It was very hard to play against the huge countries such as Greece and Hungary, even Japan, because they are a lot older and more experienced. We could have played better, but we won these last two games, so it doesn’t matter now.”
Isabel RILEY (ARG) — Athlete
On the match:
“We really, really wanted to win this game. I think we started a little bit distracted and got carried away from the game plan. But in the end, we kept fighting. That's something about our team. We’re fighters. So really proud of our effort to make it back to tie the game, and then the penalty shootout is 50-50, so they had a little bit more luck than we did this time.”
On the team’s overall performance:
“I think we had one of the hardest groups that we got put into in this tournament, so we really had to try to keep our confidence up through the group stage, which was really difficult. We got the win over Singapore, which was a really good boost for our confidence. And then coming into this game, we just had to give our all.”
On playing teams ranked in the world’s top 10:
“For us, it's awesome to have the opportunity to get to play against them. It's not very often that we get to play firstly, as a team together and then secondly, to play against tough competition. So, it's awesome to get to play against them, to learn from our opponents, and to try and take away all the good that they do and try and put it into our own game.”
Classification 15-16
Match 31, SINGAPORE 4 SOUTH AFRICA 8 (0-3, 3-2, 1-2, 0-1)
South Africa controlled from the start and leaves Singapore with its first win with player-of-the-match Jo Williams effusive with her praise for the spectators, organisers and especially her team-mates.
It was all South Africa in the first quarter with those three goals, including a pair from Williams, with the second near the halfway mark. Cheng Ong had her penalty attempt hit the right post. In the second quarter, Skye Murray lobbed from the top left for South Africa. Ranice Yap converted her penalty attempt and Singapore was on the board. Boati Motau claimed a fantastic and smart deep-right shot when unguarded to push South Africa to five at 6:00. A minute later, Tingting Koh scored from the grandstand, almost, lobbing from the far side of the pool, a distance of at least 10m. With pressure on both teams, no goal came until a South African counter was slapped down and Xiao Li Koh charged up and shot from the top for 5-3 at 0:37.
South Africa regained the edge in the third period with Tumi MacDonell from the top left and Tia Caswell from deep left. The next best goal of the match came from Celeste Wan who cleanly backhanded from about five metres, catching goalkeeper Lucy Davis unawares. At 7-4, Singapore needed to lift in the fourth to have any chance. Despite all its efforts, shots on target and a challenge won against a penalty awarding, Singapore could not improve its score. Its defence was supreme and the only challenge won against a penalty awarding, Singapore could not improve its score. Its defence was supreme and the only South African goal came from Esihle Zondo at centre, who cleaned up a rebound after three consecutive shots at the goal at 2:00. A Singapore timeout did not yield anything of value and South Africa went home with the spoils.
Match Heroes
Williams (RSA) as the only double scorer and Rochelle Ong (SGP) with 11 saves in goal.
Turning Point
South Africa’s 3-0 start, which it maintained into the final quarter.
Stats Don’t Lie
Neither team converted on extra, missing both chances; Singapore missed one from two on penalty; South Africa stole the ball six to three and shot 33 to 21.
Bottom Line
South Africa, with the one win in Singapore, slips one position from 2024 and Singapore fills the same position, without a win here. Meecham finished with five goals, Williams and Hannah Banks with four, leaving as the top scorers for South Africa. For Singapore, Yap tallied five while Charlene Tio and Heather Lee scored four goals each.
What They Said
Shakira JANUARY (RSA) — Captain
On finishing the tournament with a win:
“We've been hit hard. We had lots of games where we thought it would be a lot better scores. This game was a nice reminder that all our hard work does pay off, and we just trust in the process now. Every tournament, we’re just going to improve better and better, so at least we can see a good foundation. The only way is up from here.”
On their challenge at the world championships:
“We were struggling to find our feet and just getting to know each other. We didn't have lots of time as a team together, so this whole tournament, we've been struggling to know where your team-mates will be before she even knows. We don't have that connection yet, that telepathy. It’s just that we’re a brand new team; we’re just trying to learn to trust each other. So, I just think this game was a nice way for us to remember that we’re getting there slowly.”
On having some support in the stands:
“It is so nice to have parents coming to support us. Today was super hard, because Singapore had the whole stands in the crowd. But you know, our parents really did push through and screamed as loud as they could. Well done to Singapore in their stands, their crowd really did shake us, and they were playing so well.”
YU Lei (SGP) — Head Coach
On the result:
“Compared to how they performed in Doha, South Africa is actually not too different. At that time, we lost 6-20 to them, but today we lost 4-8, which goes to show that we have improved, but just not enough and we need to work harder to improve.”
On what the team was lacking:
“The key problem was that we did not take enough advantage of our opportunities to score in the first half. And in the second half, our shot efficiency decreased and was not good. In terms of defence, today it was not as good. There were quite a few gaps, maybe because the players were nervous."
On the team’s overall performance:
“Overall, in this World Championships, the team has improved. There's been a huge improvement since the last World Championships in Doha. However, as we've seen, there's still a gap in performance to the best teams in the world. But we are working hard.”
On next plans:
“We will strive for more opportunities to compete and train overseas. And we hope to improve ourselves through that. We will be preparing for a championship in China in September, and also the Asian Aquatics Championships in October in India. In November, we will also train overseas in preparation for the South-east Asian Games.”
Abielle YEO (SGP) — Captain
On Singapore’s overall performance:
“Overall, even though the result is not what we hoped for, I'd say that the team actually did pretty well. For our performance today, our team definitely put up a very, very good fight. We managed to halve the number of goals that they scored against us. There's a lot of things that we can be happy about.
“Although the result is not what we wanted and we still have things to work on, we have come a long way since the last time we played against South Africa. Coming out of this World Championships, if we compare it directly to our previous World Championships, we have improved on all fronts, except the result, so I'm quite proud of my team. The team has a lot to be proud of, as well. We fought very hard, and every single step, whether it's attack or defence, we have improved by a lot since the last championships. So definitely, I hope the girls are proud of it.”
On challenges faced:
"One of the major challenges is definitely the physicality of the game. These teams, they are a lot bigger than us in physical size and they definitely have a lot more sparring opportunities where they come from. In Singapore, where there are fewer than 100 girls playing water polo, we have a long way to go in terms of the whole community and infrastructure for women's water polo. Hopefully in the years to come, we'll grow the sport here and that this competition has also exposed it to other people so that they can come join us and the level of play here will go up with the numbers with a bigger player base."