United States of America outswum Spain 13-9 for its seventh World Cup crown and fifth in the last six years, in the process wresting the title from Greece who failed to make the finals this year. In the bronze medal final, Australia collected a 12th medal at this level and sixth bronze in defeating Russia 12-9.
Final Placings
1. United States of America
2. Spain
3. Australia
4. Russia
5. Netherlands
6. Italy
7. Hungary
8. China
Awards
Most Valuable Player
Tilly Kearns (AUS)
Best Defender
Paula Crespi (ESP)
Best Goalkeeper
Amanda Longan (USA)
Highest Goal-Scorer
Emily Ausmus (USA) — 11
Media All Star Team
Goalkeeper
Amanda Longan (USA)
Field Players
Emily Ausmus (USA) — 11
Paula Crespi (ESP)
Sienna Hearn (AUS)
Tilly Kearns (AUS)
Mariia Makarova (RUS)
Lola Moolhuijzen (NED)
Match Reports
Classification 1-2
Match 12. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 13 SPAIN 9 (4-3, 3-2, 4-4, 2-0)
USA failed to qualify for this competition last year after being the reigning world champion at the time. However, roster changes have finally settled the team and the results are starting to come. Gold here today means that USA has won five of the last six editions and seven overall since the first crown in 1979. USA has been in the final 11 times and has also collected a bronze medal. For Spain, silver is the best at this level after previously winning two bronzes, the last in 2023. For USA head coach Adam Krikorian it was his 25th global crown from Olympics, Worlds, World Cups and World Leagues, let alone continental crowns.
USA was 3-1 up late in the first quarter with Rachel Gazzaniga on extra at two metres; Rachel Fattal on extra and Emily Ausmus on counter. Ariadna Ruiz lobbed from wide right for the 1-1 score. Carlota Penalver and Paula Camus scored either side of Ausmus for 4-3 at the first break. Elena Ruiz nailed her penalty attempt for 4-4 to start the second quarter. USA went to 6-4 thanks to a Ryann Neushul penalty success and Ausmus with her third, on counter. Camus latched on to a rebound to score for 6-5. Ausmus landed one from the top at 1:34 before halftime, giving her team a 7-5 advantage.
Alba Munoz, Jenna Flynn and Ariadna Ruiz traded goals and nearly two minutes later Elena Ruiz on extra had the match at 8-8 by 4:29. USA stamped its authority with Fattal and two Ausmus goals shrugging off Spain for a three-goal margin. Then, with eight seconds remaining in the period, Camus rifled one in from the top for 11-9 at the last break. It was Jordan Raney’s final quarter, lobbing twice from the top, the first in 6:22 and the last at 0:37. Spain was scoreless in the last period — and 12 and a half minutes with just the one goal —with USA proving it is at the start of another dynasty.
Match Heroes
Ausmus was a superstar today and will be for some time to come, dropping an incredible six goals thanks to excellent teamwork. Amanda Longan was again at her finest in the big dance, making 13 saves, many in the early part of the action. For Spain, Ariadna Ruiz, Elena Ruiz and Camus scored twice.
Turning Point
USA breaking from 8-8 to 11-8 was what hurt Spain.
Stats Don’t Lie
USA rattled in seven from 13 on extra and stopped 11 from 14, a most telling statistic. Each team converted a penalty foul; Spain won the steals five to four and the shots were 31 each.
What They Said
Adam Krikorian (USA) — Head Coach
On winning the World Cup:
“I'm tired, haha! I can't imagine what the athletes feel, but I’m just really proud. You know, this group has grown a lot in a short period of time and they’ve just been a joy to work with; they are all pretty selfless and just want to get better. We all want to win, but they've been very process oriented, and I think that's a big reason why we've been able to have some success as this event ,for sure.”
On self-belief and confidence:
“It just comes from the work that we put in physically and mentally. It comes from the connection this group has with one another. To be honest, I felt a little lucky to be up at the start. They missed a couple really easy opportunities. Amanda (Longan) saved our butt a couple times there. So, yeah, we'll take it.”
On any celebrations:
“I'm going to have a beer… maybe two ,haha... then I’m going to get some rest. I miss my family a ton. So, looking forward to getting home and seeing my wife and my two kids.”
Rachel Fattal (USA) — Captain
On winning:
“I think our goal coming into this tournament was to get better every game and I think we did a good job of doing that. Obviously, we're really happy to win, but I think our goal is always just to get better and to play better as a team and just to get tighter. The ultimate goal is years down the road but this is a great step along the way. Spain are just an amazing team. Being able to play against all the teams this tournament it is such an honour for us and it just keeps pushing us and it keeps the game so fun.”
On starting strongly:
“Our goal in every game is just to keep pushing as hard as we can for the whole game. We want us to turn together four quarters and just to push the whole way. I think we did a good job of pushing the whole time today and not letting up.”
Paula Camus (ESP) — Scorer
On the match:
“I think we played really good at first, and I think they really beat us at defence. They were really close and we couldn’t find a spot to put the ball. I think we could play a little bit more with the centre. They had many exclusions; we had to play better with a woman down. Anyway, I think it was a really good game, I think we really jumped in and we’re looking forward to getting better.”
Classification 3-4
Match 11. AUSTRALIA 12 RUSSIA 9 (3-1, 3-3, 3-3, 3-2)
Olympic silver medallist Australia, already an 11-time World Cup medallist before the match, now has six bronze medals to go with its three crowns and three silver medals and has a healthy bank balance with $US40,000 for its efforts. For Russia it was a missed chance to gain a third medal to go with two silvers, but it was a valiant return to the international stage.
The Aussie Stingers started confidentially and not like the semifinal against United States of America. Once Tilly Kearns scored from centre forward on possibly the Stingers second attempt, it was 4:44. Russia’s Margarita Pystina rocketed in a shot from top right soon after but then more damage was done close in as centre forward Danijela Jackovich at 3:09 and Alice Williams, walking in, smashed the ball into the net at 2:21 for 3-1. Russia nearly regained a rebound on the buzzer. Australia was getting the better of the Russian rebounded shots. Mariia Makarova went on counter after a sneaky steal, pushing the ball into goal at speed for 3-2, 6:24 into the second period. Williams screamed in a slider as a response. Daria Savchenko sat up at top left and speared the ball into the top right for 4-3. Bella Markoch repeated the shot on the next attack and it was 4-4. Kearns was successful at two metres after a near pass on the turn at 3:10 and just inside the minute mark she repeated the effort for her third strike, sending the host nation 6-4 up at the long break.
The Aussie surge continued in the third period as Charlize Andrews converted extra from deep left and Abby Andrews — no relation — sent in an unsighted, end-of-possession slider to the bottom left for 8-4 at 5:43. Makarova broke the nine-minute famine for Russia, scoring from the top right on extra with what looked like the easiest of shots. She lobbed from the top left on the next attack and suddenly Australia’s supremacy was challenged at 8-6. Williams, the top scorer at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and best player, sent in her third from the penalty line for 9-6 at 2:18. Australia went to a timeout at 1:53, but the shot was saved. Kearns was ejected and Makarova calmly slotted the ball from the top with a lookaway shot to narrow the margin to two, which held until the last break.
Abby Andrews scored at centre forward — unusual position for her — and Vladislava Nechaeva made her centre forward shot look easy as she was unguarded. Alexie Lambert had her penalty attempt saved by the brilliant keeper Diana Khamraeva for her 10th of the match. However, Williams lifted the ceiling on extra at 4:52. Markoch drilled from the top at 4:29 for 11-9, still time to come back. Russia took both timeouts in these dying minutes for no joy. In fact, Charlize Andrews bounced in from deep left. Australia went on counter soon after and the goal judge twice had problems throwing the ball into the pool… After the second timeout did not work for Russia, Australia gained the ball and controlled ahead of the wild celebrations.
Match Heroes
Williams with four goals and Kearns scoring a hat-trick for the Aussie Stingers, earning her player of the match. Makarova netted four as goalkeeper Khamraeva took in 10 saves.
Turning Point
Australia going 8-4 early in the third period set the stage for the victory.
Stats Don’t Lie
Australia converted only three from seven but stopped six from 10 on extra; scored one from two on penalty; won the steals nine-four and shot more at 29-28.
What They Said
Bec Rippon (AUS) — Head Coach
On the match:
“We really played like ourselves today — it was just so nice to come out here and finish with a really good result in front of an amazing home crowd.”
On the pressure:
“We don’t get many opportunities to play in these big moments, and for this team the semifinal the other day was only the second ever semifinal that we’ve played in. So, to have opportunities like this, under pressure, with a crowd, you can’t buy that kind of experience, so we’re really grateful for that experience and happy to step up in it ,as well.”
Bronte Halligan (AUS) — Captain
On the medal:
“Any game on home soil is unreal. But then to win a medal, at a world event, on home soil is just phenomenal. The crowd was epic, they got us through the game, we stayed in it, we got the result and I couldn’t be prouder of the girls.
“It’s never easy to come off a loss and play again, and the girls did a really, really good job of that. We stayed together the whole time and look what we did. “
Alice Williams (AUS) — Four Goals
On this historic occasion:
“This has been such an amazing experience for me to have. This has been my first international tournament at home in my career, which has been 10 years with the Stingers.
On the team’s potential:
“This team has so much potential and so much to give. I think this being the first bronze-medal game that we’ve played in (as a team), and only the second final, the other being Paris (2024 Olympics for silver)…it’s such an incredible experience for us to have.”
Sergey Markoch (RUS) — Head Coach
On the competition:
“I am very happy because we can participate in this competition. It shows that Russia knows how to play! I think we play good, but today, Australia played better and congratulations to Australia, they are a very strong team being the silver medallists of the last Olympics.”
On the lead-up to the 2028 Olympic Games:
“We need to analyse the tournament because today we made too many mistakes. We played very bad as a team. For us it's important to play physically better, then technically better, of course, mental training. We need to play better, and with this information, we have two years to prepare for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It's going to go very quickly, I'm sure.”