A berth in the Sydney Finals is what is at stake and four teams have risen to the surface to punch their tickets — Netherlands, United States of America, Spain and Italy. Last year’s gold-medal finalists, champion Greece and Hungary, are the front-runners for the final available berth and they clash on Monday in the first of three days of the second round.
Overview
Three days of action and already four teams have qualified for the Sydney Finals.
In Group A, United States of America was the first to make the top four by defeating winless Japan 28-8. Then Olympic champion Spain had the better of Hungary 15-9 to win the group and finish a point ahead of USA and five clear of Hungary.
In Group B, things were much tighter. Unbeaten Netherlands was toppled by Italy, fresh from a sudden-death, penalty-shootout victory over Olympic silver medallist Australia. Italy won 12-10 and had to await the result between reigning champion Greece and Australia in the final match of the night to see whether it qualified. The Aussie Stingers did what Italy prayed for and downed World and World Cup champion Greece 13-10. This meant Netherlands won the group with six points, Italy had five, Australia four and Greece last with three. Greece was just three goals shy of getting the Sydney nod.
The real action in the last three days therefore, centres on the round 5-8 and the crunch match comes on Monday when Greece and Hungary face off. Australia is an automatic qualifier as the host nation, meaning there is only one place available for the other three nations — Greece, Hungary and Japan. Whomever gains the berth, and realistically it can only be between Greece and Hungary, they still have to go through three days with an unblemished record to be assured of getting the ticket.
The top four, meantime, gain valuable international experience and get their rankings set before the World Cup Finals draw.
Match Reports
Match 9. Group A.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 28 JAPAN 8 (6-2, 9-1, 7-1, 6-4)
USA won easily, controlled the pool, scored all its extra-player attempts and penalty shots, plus 19 field goals. Japan scored six action goals in its tally and had no luck on extra. It battled all the way with counters, fast passing and taking chances when they eventuated but USA was just too strong. USA players managed to get space from their opponents, turned at will and took shots when the goalkeeper frequently came out of goal. USA had three goals up in the first three minutes with two from Ryann Neushul. Emily Ausmus and Jovana Sekulic provided two each as well as USA hit the first break 6-2 up. Fuka Nishiyama scored a penalty goal for Japan. Ausmus claimed her second with a brilliant turn-and-muscle drive into goal to close the first quarter. Neushul and Ausmus were in the four-goal spurt to start the second quarter and Rachel Fattal flicked on a goal-scoring pass to centre forward. After Eruna Ura scored on counter for Japan, five goals came in five minutes for USA with Sekulic scoring consecutive goals for 15-3 at the long break.
Tara Prentice turned to score for the first third-quarter goal and Kako Kawaguchi responded from the top right with her left arm. Five more USA goals came with two from Ella Woodhead. Kawaguchi had her penalty attempt rejected and Jewel Roemer countered for her third for 22-4 at the final break. Ausmus collected two more as the score stretched to 25-4; Akari Inaba scored from the top left and Woodhead claimed two more by 27-6. Ura went on counter for the sixth Japanese goal, collected another with a very fast penalty strike at 28-7 while Eri Kitamura hit the right post and bounced in off goalkeeper Isabel Williams’ head for the final goal inside the last second.
Match Heroes
Neushul, Ausmus and Sekulic hammered home five goals each with Woodhead getting four and Roemer three. The USA goalkeepers combined for nine saves. For Japan, Ura netted three goals.
Turning Point
The first three USA goals that became a tsunami.
Stats Don’t Lie
USA was perfect on extra with five goals and stopped all three Japanese attempts. USA put away all four penalty shots and Japan two from three. USA made five steals to two and shot 33-30.
Match 10. Group A.
HUNGARY 9 SPAIN 15 (3-2, 4-5, 0-3, 2-5)
Spain won a match of two halves. With the match levelled at all numbers to seven by halftime, Hungary was happy to lead five of those scores with Spain turning the tables at six and heading off to the win and the group victory, confirming a spot in Sydney. Dorottya Szilagyi, wanting desperately to return to the country she spent much of her younger years, scored the first wo Hungarian goals with Elena Ruiz netting twice, either side of the first break. Everyone seemed to be getting into the scoring. Irene Gonzalez opened the second half on counter for her second strike — the first a very concentrated shot in front of goal at 4-4. Captain Bea Ortiz made her second at 9-7 and the gap had appeared.
Even when goalkeeper Martina Terre was tipped form the pool on a major foul, Hungary could not penetrate the defence with Dora Leimeter’s shot being stopped by one of the centre forwards on the goal line. Ariadna Ruiz lobbed for her second goal in the last half-minute and Spain went to the final break 10-7 in front. Gonzalez (top left) and Ortiz (penalty) pushed that margin to a comfortable five. Two minutes later, Elena Ruiz and Paula Leiton doubled Hungary’s score at 2:41. Hungary scored two of the next three goals with Kata Hajdu’s 15-9 score coming at 1:03 — not enough and pushing the thoughts of a Sydney trip well in the sunset.
Match Heroes
Captain Ortiz collected four goals, Elena Ruiz and Gonzalez three each for Spain. Terre took in nine saves from goal. For Hungary, Szilagyi and Hajdu made two goals each and goalkeeper Boglarka Neszmely claimed nine saves.
Turning Point
The second half as Spain broke the 7-7 impasse to keep Hungary scoreless for 14 minutes, romping to 14-7.
Stats Don’t Lie
Spain struggled on extra with only one from six but did stop eight of Hungary’s 12 attempts. Spain scored the only four penalty goals; won the steals 1-0 while the shots were even at 29.
Match 11. Group B.
ITALY 12 NETHERLANDS 10 (3-3, 2-2, 1-3, 6-2)
A violence foul in the final period by Netherlands’ Marit van der Weijden changed the result of this match as Netherlands was expected to win and go through to the next stage undefeated. Luckily, it still made the top four in a cut-throat foursome as the group winner where winless Australia upset World and World Cup champion Greece, meaning neither Hungary nor Greece made the automatic qualification by finishing in the top two in their respective groups. The first two periods were level and the Dutch made their charge in the third period and went out to 9-6 at the start of the final quarter. Chiara Ranalli responded on extra for 9-7 and the match was set for a terrific finale.
Then, van der Weijden and Dafne Bettini (ITA) were ejected from the pool with red cards, Bettini with substitution and van der Weijden without, meaning a four-minute suspension period where Italy would be a player up. This it took as a blessing in disguise — losing its star shooter, but being a one up. Ranalli, Agnese Cocchiere, Roberta Bianconi and Sofia Giustini all scored on extras provided by the suspension. Soon after Netherlands equalised numbers in the pool, Ranalli grabbed another extra-player goal and suddenly it was 12-9 in Italy’s favour. The damage done in the suspension period was four goals, a brilliant conversion rate. Maxine Schaap fired in Netherlands’ first goal in nearly seven minutes for 12-10 and a first loss, although qualification was confirmed before Australia beat Greece in the final match.
Match Heroes
Ranalli with three goals and Italian goalkeeper Olimpia Sesena with 10 saves. Schaap collected three for Netherlands.
Turning Point
The violence foul which changed the face and the result of the match.
Stats Don’t Lie
Italy was near flawless with eight from nine on extra to Netherlands’ five from eight. Italy scored two from three on penalty; lost the steals 2-0 and the shots 29-26
Match 12. Group B.
GREECE 10 AUSTRALIA 13 (4-4, 2-3, 3-4, 1-2)
Australia did what it threatened to do in the previous two days and win after handy leads. The defence worked better, especially on extra, and the shots were on song. Two Greek goals came from defensive “errors” late in the match, which boosted Greece’s stocks, but it was too late as Australia had the win and third place while Greece, a first-day winner over qualifier Italy, slumped to a second loss. It has a huge mountain to climb in Monday’s clash with Hungary, which could possibly decide the final qualification berth for Sydney.
Australia trailled only once in the encounter after making the plays for the 4-4, first-quarter scoreline. Sienna Hearn scored twice for the Aussie Stingers and Stefania Santa twice for Greece. Sofia Tornarou scored from the top for 5-4, three minutes into the second period. It was short-lived as Abby Andrews, captain Bronte Halligan and Alice Williams shunted the score to 7-5 in just three minutes. Eleni Xenaki replied with a near-post shot from the top right, four seconds from time. Bless Daly scored her second with a confident shot from bottom left with Xenaki having her shot deflected off Williams over the outstretched arms of Gabriella Palm in goal. Less than two minutes later, Williams inadvertently steered the crossing ball back into her goal for 8-8. Never mind, the Aussies speared in two more and traded goals for 11-9 at the final break. Abby Andrews opened the final quarter and Xenaki hit the left post on penalty, rebounding past her head. Goals were swapped again and the last phase was when Santa had her penalty attempt rejected by Palm at 1:01, leaving Australia a 13-10 winner.
Greece was on the backfoot from the start with head coach Haris Pavlidis sidelined through suspension and Antonias Vlontakis in the lead role. Captain Eleftheria Plevritou injured herself in Saturday’s clash with Netherlands and did not make the roster. Maria Myriokefalitaki was excluded on three fouls midway through the third period, further weakening the team.
Match Heroes
Abby Andrews with three goals and Gabi Palm with 11 goalkeeper saves, were Australia’s best. Santa, Xenaki and Tornarou all scored a pair for Greece.
Turning Point
Australia was never headed, withstood six tied scores and took a three-goal edge over the last break.
Stats Don’t Lie
Australia scored just four from 10 on extra and defended eight of 11. Australia scored its sole penalty goal and stopped two of Greece’s three chances. Australia stole the ball four to none and had less shots at 32-29.
Final Points
Group A: Spain 8, USA 7, Hungary 3, Japan 0.
Group B: Netherlands 8, Italy 5, Australia 4, Greece 3.
Day 4 Schedule
Classification 5-8 Second Round
14:00, Hungary v Greece
15:45, Australia v Japan
Classification 1-4 Second Round
18:30, Netherlands v United States of America
20:15, Spain v Italy