After a week of competition, it came down to the last second to decide the victor of the tournament. Daria Savchenko scored an outside shot with a second left on the clock to defeat China 18-17 in the pulsating final. The nations qualified for the Sydney Finals the day before by being the top two in Malta. Canada ripped Croatia 19-12 for third placing.
Awards
Best Player
Bella Markoch (RUS)
Best Goalkeeper
Shen Yineng (CHN)
Highest Goal-Scorer
Ria Glas (CRO) — 26 goals
Best Young Player
Ria Glas (CRO)
Final Placings
1. Russia
2.China
3. Canada
4. Croatia
5. Brazil
6. Turkiye
7. Great Britain
8. Portugal
9. Germany
10. Malta
11. South Africa
12. Slovakia
13. South Africa
14. Slovakia
15. Singapore
Overview
Russia survived its clash with China, leading for much of the match, although China led 15-13 in the final quarter before Russia shot back and won the period 6-4 and take out top spot with Daria Savchenko’s heroic last-second missile.
In the battle for third, Canada rose to the occasion against Croatia, winning 19-12 after leading 10-6 at halftime.
In the 5-9 bracket, Brazil topped Turkiye 12-11, scoring the decider at 1:14. Great Britain took out seventh place, gaining the 13-12 winner at 1:07 over Portugal.
In the 9-12 bracket, Germany defeated Malta 19-9 for ninth position and Argentina needed a 5-3 penalty shootout to down Kazakhstan 16-14 for 11th, after the match was tied at 11-11.
In the 13-15 bracket, South Africa edged a fast-finishing Slovakia 10-9 after being 7-2 up at halftime, while Singapore finished 15th, having finished its campaign on Saturday.
Match Reports
Classification 1-2
Match 48. RUSSIA 18 CHINA 17 (4-3, 4-4, 4-6, 6-4)
Russia came through when needed, or more specifically Daria Savchenko. With four seconds left on the clock and the match tied at 17-17, it just needed one goal to win the tournament. Russia had the timeout and head coach Sergey Markoch asked Savchenko to play the ball at halftime, swim a few strokes and shoot from 10m. This she did and the ball flew past the outstretched arms of Chinese captain Shen Yineng on the buzzer for an unbelievable finish to a wonderful encounter. The result meant nothing in essence as their target had been achieved the day before with both teams qualifying for the Finals in Sydney this July, but honour was on the line. The match was tied 12 times — Russia held a 6-3 advantage in the second quarter; China went 10-9, 11-10, 12-11, 13-12 and even 15-13 up at 6:08 in the fourth period. Margarita Pystina scored a pair and mercurial captain Ekaterina Prokofyeva, extending her long international career after the suspension period, converted a penalty for her fourth goal, gaining the player-of-the-match award. Xie Liyi scored her second with an extra strike with Olga Lupinogina countering at 1:51 for 17-16. Yan Siya slotted her 22nd goal and a minute or so later China called a timeout but the ball was wasted. Then Russia called the timeout that reshaped the match.
Match Heroes
Prokofyeva was like the player of old with four goals while Pystina, Markoch and Vladislava Nechaeva scored three apiece for Russia. Shao netted four and Chinese captain Shen Yineng grabbed 11 saves and goalkeeper-of-the-tournament accolades.
Turning Point
So many, but probably the goal was the final turning point.
Stats Don’t Lie
Russia scored five from nine and China six from eight on extra. The penalties were shared at one each; the steals went to Russia 9-6 and the shots 38-27.
Classification 3-4
Match 47. CANADA 19 CROATIA 12 (6-2, 4-4, 4-2, 5-4)
Canada finished just outside the qualification process with a thumping victory over Croatia which is trending up the ladder internationally. Canada’s left-handers scored 10 goals between them as Canada used the right side of the pool heavily. At 3-2 in the first, Ava Kyfiuk had two goals and at 2-2 Ria Glas had two for Croatia. Kyra Christmas and Floranne Carroll on extra, plus captain Emma Wright’s backhand at centre forward, gave Canada a blistering 6-2 opening quarter. Iva Rozic and Neli Jankovic scored twice each for Croatia in the second period while Emma Lawson scored two of the four Canadian goals. The margin was still four at halftime. Wright turned at centre forward to start the second-half scoring with goals traded to 12-8. Canada went to a timeout and subsequently scored through Wright on extra with Lawson nailing her third from deep left to finish the period at 14-8. Canada buried the first four goals of the final period with Croatia scoring four of the last five goals, including a pair to Rozic, giving her 25 goals for the tournament.
Match Heroes
Wright and Christmas put away four goals each for Canada and Lawson three. Glas, Rozic and Jankovic netted three each for Croatia.
Turning Point
The 6-2 first-quarter advantage proved fatal for Croatia.
Stats Don’t Lie
Canada punched in five from seven on extra to Croatia’s one from three. The penalties went two-one, Croatia won the steals six-five and Canada the shots at 34-33.
Classification 5-6
Match 46. BRAZIL 12 TURKIYE 11 (2-2, 3-5, 3-2, 4-2)
Brazil held out for victory in a match that was tied six times and where Turkiye held the lead heading in the final quarter. It was tied at the first period and then at three as Leticia Belorio scored her second for Brazil. Milana Molnar went on a three-goal spree, from the deep and the top, with a lob on one. Belorio grabbed one back and goals were traded giving Turkiye the 7-5 halftime ascendancy. Goals were swapped twice more with Belorio and Molnar twice in the mix. Brazil ‘s Samantha Ferreira rattled in the last goal of the third period from the deep left. Maiah Nascimento, who scored Brazil’s first goal, started the fourth on penalty for 9-9. For the second time, Belorio gave Brazil the edge — the first in the opening quarter. Elvira Yermakova, who scored the match’s first goal, scored a double as it went 11-11. Ferreira drilled from deep right at 1:14 for 12-11. Turkey went to a timeout and hit the post; Brazil wasted time; Turkiye had a pass intercepted in front of goal and Brazil went to a timeout at 0:07. It kept possession for fifth place.
Match Heroes
Belorio was best in pool with five goals and captain Thatiana Pregolini made eight saves for Brazil. Molnar also ripped in five and Yermakova four for Turkiye.
Turning Point
Brazil coming from 6-3 behind to 10-9 ahead, keeping its nose in front until the final buzzer.
Stats Don’t Lie
Brazil converted three from five on extra and Turkiye two from six. Brazil made sure of all four penalty attempts and Turkiye scored one. On steals, Brazil led 4-2 while Turkiye took the overall shots 27-25.
Classification 7-8
Match 45. GREAT BRITAIN 13 PORTUGAL 12 (3-4, 3-1, 6-3, 1-4)
Great Britain nearly went the same way as the day before when it led 8-2 against Brazil and lost 14-13. The wobbles came at 12-8 after three periods when Portugal brought the score level in just over three minutes, leaving Britain to claim the match through Izzy Howe at 1:07. Portugal ‘s Beatriz Fernandes scored the first two goals; Britain responded and goals were traded with Portugal’s Maria Machado gaining two for have her team 4-3 at the quarter break. Captain Kathy Rogers scored her second British goal with Howe and Wordley scoring extra-player goals for 6-4. Machado converted a penalty at 6-5 by halftime. Katy Cutler scored her third goal and Howe and Wordley were in the mix as the score shot to 9-6. Machado and Wordley swapped goals and Toula Falvey backhanded at centre forward for 11-7. Goals were traded before the final break. Portugal stepped up in the fourth with Alice Rodrigues gaining her second on counter; Jessia Goncalves on penalty; Joana Arromba on counter and Goncalves on extra from the deep left, bringing the scores level at 12-12 by 3:13. Howe came through with the eventual winner on lob from the top right at 1:07. Portugal went on attack and lost the ball. Britain had a point-blank shot stopped and Portugal went to a timeout. The resulting shot was saved by the keeper and no shot was offered in the last three seconds, leaving Britain a sigh of relief.
Match Heroes
Howe, Cutler and Wordley netted three apiece for Great Britain. Machado fired in four Portuguese goals.
Turning Point
Great Britain steady at 12-8 and then Portugal bringing it to 12-12.
Stats Don’t Lie
Great Britain screamed home seven out of 10 on extra and Portugal three from four. Great Britain lodged its sole penalty attempt as did Portugal with three. The steals went 9-5 and the shots 31-9 to Britain.
Classification 9-10
Match 44. GERMANY 19 MALTA 9 (5-3, 4-1, 5-4, 5-1)
Germany made sure of finishing inside the top 10 with a powerful showing against the host nation. It was a battle between the left-handers — Belen Vosseberg (GER) and Maltese captain Elena Borg — who scored nine goals between them. Gesa Deike opened for Germany and Borg scored consecutive penalty goals to give Malta the lead. It was short-lived as Germany shot to 5-2 thanks to another Gesa Deike strike and two Vosseberg goals from both sides of the pool. Emiliia Khmil scored twice as Germany moved to 7-4 midway through the second quarter and Marijke Kijlstra added two more to her first-quarter goal to have Germany comfortably 9-4 ahead at halftime. Goals were traded to 12-7 in the third with Ira Deike gaining her first goals of the tournament, adding a third at 13-7. Another trade had the score at 14-8 by the last break. Vosseberg and Gesa Deike with a last-minute pair straddled a Borg six-metre, free throw — her second of the match. Germany had the match 19-9.
Match Heroes
Vosseberg with five goals; captain Gesa Deike four, Khmil, Ira Deike and Kijlstra three each for Germany. Captain Borg scored four and Maltese goalkeeper Bennett Bugelli made nine saves in her three quarters in pool.
Turning Point
Germany coming from 2-1 down to 5-3 ahead in the first quarter and building that to 9-4 at halftime.
Classification 11-12
Match 43. KAZKHSTAN 14 ARGENTINA 16 in penalty shootout. FT: 11-11. (2-4, 2-2, 3-3, 4-2)
Argentina threw away a 9-5 advantage late in the third period, allowing Kazakhstan back into the match to force a penalty shootout. Argentina, luckily, won the match thanks to perfect shooting. Argentina was the class team earlier on, going 4-0 up thanks to two Anahi Bacigalupo goals, one from penalty. Kazakhstan arrived with a pair of extra-player goals, the second from Yuliya Druzhinina. Bacigalupo and Ana Agnesina, for her second, reclaimed the four-goal margin. Kazakh captain Anastassiya Mirshina converted a penalty and Druzhininia did the same five minutes later for 6-4 at halftime. The third period looked good for Argentina as it raced to 9-5 with a variety of goals. However, Druzhinina scored on penalty and extra to close the gap to two at the final break. Julieta Auliel, named player of the match, scored her second off a left-hand-catch bouncer for 10-7 two minutes into the final quarter. Mirshina and Anna Novikova scored from the top for 10-9 and Argentinian head coach Guillermo Setti was red-carded. Auliel provided a penalty goal for 11-9 at 2:50 with Mirshina and Druzhinina doing likewise to equalise by the 1:30 mark. Argentina took a timeout at 0:24 and two blistering shots led to a goal save and then a crossbar smasher, sending the match to penalties. Sadly for top-scorer Druzhinina, it was her shot that was saved and Argentina fired in five perfect shots to win the shootout 5-3 and the match 16-14.
Match Heroes
Auliel and Bacigalupo for Argentina with three goals each. Druzhinina top-scored with five and captain Mirshina netted three for Kazakhstan.
Turning Point
Kazakhstan winning the fourth quarter 4-2 to force the shootout.
Stats Don’t Lie
Kazakhstan had the better of the stats at five from 10 on extra to Argentina’s three from eight; five from five on penalty to three from three and the steals at 11-6. Argentina took more shots at 28-26.
Classification 13-14
Match 42. SLOVAKIA 9 SOUTH AFRICA 10 (1-4, 1-3, 5-1, 2-2)
South Africa made it two wins in a row and took out 13th position, thanks to an excellent start and maintenance of that lead despite a Slovakian resurrection that brought the match level at 8-8. South Africa put away the first four goals with Hannah Banks scoring twice while Monika Sedlakova, Slovakia’s skipper, converted a penalty before the quarter-time buzzer. The margin slipped to two before Banks inspired her team and South Africa went to the halftime break with a striking 7-2 advantage. Catherine Williamson, like her centre forward partner Esihle Zondo in the first quarter, scored a brilliant turn for 6-2. Sedlakova started the second half, receiving a high pass into the left-post position to turn and score at 6:50. Slovakia came good in the third period with Sedlakova scoring twice and Barbora Baranovicova gaining her second with a centre-forward flip. Zondo was magnificent with her centre-forward turn shot but Anita Vitaliano beat South African goalkeeper Oluchi McMurray to the counter-attack ball and shot into the empty net for 8-6 down. Sedlakova confirmed her intelligence and skills with her fourth goal from the top off a cross pass, making it a one-goal match. Baranovicova levelled with a six-metre, free-throw lob to start the final quarter. Banks responded on penalty and Williamson backhanded from the left-post position for 10-8. Baranovicova closed the gap to one with an extra-player conversion at 1:21 after a timeout. It took another timeout at 1:21, but South Africa pressured Slovakia into a nothing pass at 32 seconds left. South Africa maintained possession for all 28 seconds. In the dying seconds, the Slovakian player was too slow in passing and when it did fly it was intercepted a second before the buzzer, losing the opportunity for a possible shootout.
Match Heroes
Banks scored four goals to clinch player of the match for South Africa and Baranovicova and Sedlakova were best for Slovakia with four each. The goalkeepers stopped 10 shots between them.
Turning Point
The 4-0 first quarter set South Africa on track for victory but Slovakia’s valiant 5-1 third period almost upset the Africans’ hopes.
Stats Don’t Lie
Slovakia went two from five on extra and stopped all four South African advances. On penalties, both scored a goal; South Africa won the steals nine-three and the shots 31-26.