Overview

In Group A, Greece had the better of Netherlands 11-7 and Hungary had to break away from Italy twice in the last period to win 12-11.

In Group B, Spain pleased the home crowd with a stunning 22-6 win over Croatia, thanks to a 9-0 opening quarter.

In Group C, New Zealand had plenty of trouble in shaking off Turkiye 17-16 after being five goals up at one stage.

In Group D, Germany nudged Malta 12-10 after being five goals ahead with five minutes remaining.

In Group E, South Africa was the dominant team in its continent, sweeping aside neighbour Zimbabwe 13-6.

In Group F, Australia had the largest margin of the day with a huge 35-7 success over Brazil.

Match Reports

Match 1. Group C. NEW ZEALAND 17 TURKIYE 16 (4-4, 5-2, 4-5, 4-5)

New Zealand faced a strong Turkish team that had no fewer than  five players from the recent world U16 championships in Croatia. They shone through and the match was a potent start to the tournament. New Zealand started strongly for the first two goals; Turkiye levelled and goals were traded to 4-4 just  before the first break. The Kiwis opened the margin by halftime with India-Rose Scholes adding two to her first-quarter strike, drilling on counter and the 9-6 goal just three seconds from the long break. Turkiye’s Melis Basimer was again deadly in front of goal, especially with her second goal, which came on counter. Ruby Bech and Isabella Lambie made it 6-4 to give both of them their second goal for New Zealand. Liv Patterson and Gemma O’Brien gave New Zealand a healthy 11-6 margin early in the third quarter with the second on a turnover but Defne Keremoglu, who made the 2-2 score for Turkiye, snared a double and Mina Bozkurt made good with her left arm on extra for 11-9. Scholes responded with her fourth from top left and Patterson nabbed another from the same position for 13-9, sending Turkiye to a timeout. It worked as  youngsters Basimer and Bozkurt — team-mates in Zagreb — narrowed the margin to two by the last break. Goals were exchanged in the fourth with Turkiye leading the way thanks to Keremoglu with her fourth; Scholes with her fifth; Ozdemir scoring her second  and Lambie netting her third. Turkiye was not out of it with Ozdemir driving sharply down the right on extra to score for 15-14 at 4:01. Gemma O’Brien scored the goal of the match with a centre-forward backhand at 3:33 for 16-14. Bozkurt picked up a loose ball deep right for 16-15 with Lambie taking the ball outside six metres to shoot, needing VAR to check, before being awarded the 17-15 margin at 0:37. Keremoglu rifled one in from the top at 0:17 but the kiwis held on to the ball until the final buzzer for the thrilling 17-16 victory.

Match Heroes
Scholes for the Kiwis with six goals and Lambie netting four. Keremoglu was Turkiye’s best, scoring five and triples from Ozdemir, Bozkurt and Basimer, meaning 11 of the goals came from players in the U16 team.

Turning Point
New Zealand driving a wedge in the score in the second quarter made it difficult for Turkiye to dictate.

Stats Don’t Lie
New Zealand converted four from seven on extra and Turkiye a splendid seven from 10. New Zealand scored both penalty attempts and Turkiye one. The Turks led the steals 12-9 and the shots were even at 32 but the percentages were 53.1 to 50.

Match 2. Group D, MALTA 10 GERMANY 12 (2-3, 2-2, 2-4, 4-3)

Germany finished the better as Malta won the final quarter. Germany started the scoring but Malta had a 2-1 after goals on counter and deep left. However, Germany converted extra and a Lotte Lightner bouncer from top right for 3-2 ahead of the quarter break. Lucy Schussler opened the second quarter with a drive down the right. A trade happened before Lightner had her penalty attempt stopped by Miia Clarke. A late cross-cage shot pulled Malta closer at 5-4 down by halftime.

Lightner opened the third and Emma Fehmel was denied her second goal by Clarke at the penalty line. Chloe Amato was strong at centre forward for her second. Mia Frisch on extra from deep left and Leni Harms on counter made it 8-5 at 2:41. Marierose Tully drilled from the top and after a timeout, Germany made it 9-6 on extra from the right-post position off a near pass. Bianca Mitterbauer drove home a goal at the top of the fourth period and Schussler buried one from centre forward. Mitterbauer felt the concrete wall of Clarke on penalty. Tully and Fehel both lobbed in a trade and Tully converted her penalty attempt for 12-8 at 4:50. Amato scored from deep right and Nevise Agius hit the wood and regained the rebound to score off her penalty attempt to close all scoring at 12-10 by 1:22.

Match Heroes
Amato and Tully with three each for Malta but the real hero was goalkeeper Clarke with an amazing three penalty saves among her nine for the match. For winner Germany, Harms, Fehmel, Schussler and Lightner scored twice each.

Turning Point
Moving from 8-6 to 11-6, Germany had enough of an advantage to get to the final buzzer.

Stats Don’t Lie
Germany fired in five from 12 on extra and Malta one from sour. Germany struggled badly on penalty, garnering one from four and Malta one from two. Malta took the steals six to four and Germany the shots — 35-25.

Match 3. Group E, SOUTH AFRICA 13 ZIMBABWE 6 (3-2, 3-0, 3-2, 4-2)

South Africa won the battle of the continent but only after a slow start. Zimbabwe went two up in the middle of the period and South Africa needed a late triple to get the quarter-time advantage with goals coming from the top, on a drive and penalty. Janey Wood failed on her penalty attempt, bouncing into the crossbar while Keira Holland turned and scored at centre while heavily defended for 5-2. Anna Springer claimed a deep-right bouncer goal at 1:12 for 6-2, the halftime score. Wood made up for her earlier blue with a centre-forward drive to score at the top of the third period. Tiffany Small responded for Zimbabwe from well out of the normal centre-forward position. A South Africa pair on extra and penalty lifted the score to 9-3. Katie Gripper, who scored the opening goal for Zimbabwe, sent her penalty chance wide left but with three minutes remaining, she made it 9-4 with a bouncer from deep right. Come the final quarter, June Stander finished a counter-attack and Gripper replied from deep right on lob for 10-5. Gabriella Morrell with her second and Wood both scored on counter for 12-5. A late trade took it to 13-6.

Match Heroes
Stander, Wood and Morell scored twice each for South Africa and Gripper was best with three goals for Zimbabwe.

Turning Point
South Africa coming from two down to 7-2 ahead early in the third period.

Stats Don’t Lie
South Africa converted three from seven on extra and stopped all six Zimbabwe chances. Penalties went two from three for the victor and none from one for the loser. Zimbabwe took the steals at 14-12 but lost the shots 37-23.

Match 4. Group F. AUSTRALIA 35 BRAZIL 7 (8-1, 11-3, 8-3, 8-0)

This was all about Australia proving it should be in the top groupings and the secretary was kept busy with a very full scoresheet. As the quarters suggest, Australia was dominant throughout and Bless Daly, fresh from the World Aquatics World Cup finals in Sydney, Australia as a member of the Aussie Stingers senior team which won bronze, was in fine fettle with a staggering 11 goals. Sara Connors, Evelyn O’Neill and Daly all had doubles in the opening quarter. Connors scored a triple in the second period as the numbers started stacking up. After the first break, Brazil was fully in the picture with three goals in exchanges for 10-4. Captain Maiah Nascimento, no stranger to world championships, scored a double in the third period as the score marched to 27-7. Daly peeled off four more in the fourth period as Ali McCarthy and Amelie Hoefel added to their tallies.

Match Heroes
Australia’s best were Daly with and incredible 11 goals; Connors on six, four each to McCarthy and Hoefel and three to O’Neill. For Brazil, captain Nascimento made a triple.

Turning Point
Breaking the 1-1 shackles to hammer out an 8-1 first-quarter advantage.

Stats Don’t Lie
Both teams settled on four from five on extra. The Aussies scored six penalty goals, won the steals 11-three and the shots 46-20, which was at 76.1 per cent to 35.

Match 5. Group A, NETHERLANDS 7 GREECE 11 (2-1, 1-5, 1-2, 3-3)

Greece needed a six-goal burst in the second and third periods to get the better of Netherlands. Netherlands started the scoring and goals were exchanged until 3-3, three minutes into the second quarter. Captain Nefeli Krassa scored twice for the Greeks. She had her third on penalty at 5-3 and world champion U16 captain Afroditi Bitsakou scored on extra from the top for 6-3 before halftime. Bitsakou on extra from deep left and Krassa from the top left moved the score to a confidence-making 8-3. A late Dutch goal had the turn at 8-4. Androniki Karagianni, another world champion from Zagreb a week earlier, started the third period on extra from deep left. It became 10-4 before Myrthe Broekmate grabbed her second goal from centre forward. Karagianni had a penalty attempt saved but Rafaela Saltamanika netted her second from four metres off a cross pass for 11-5. Sara Onis drilled from deep right; Greece had a penalty attempt hit the crossbar and Kyara Leenders sent one in off the left post for 11-7 with just three seconds left on the clock. VAR was needed to decide if it had fully crossed the line.

Match Heroes
For Greece, captain Krassa netted four goals. Netherlands’ Broekmate doubled up for Netherlands and goalkeeper Hannah Trijsburg made seven saves.

Turning Point
Greece coming from 3-2 down early in the second quarter to 8-3 ahead a quarter later.

Stats Don’t Lie
Greece put away three from six on extra and stopped three shots. Greece scored one from three on penalty, won the steals seven-six and the shooting at 27-32 represented 40.7 per cent to 21.9.

Match 7. Group A, HUNGARY 12 ITALY 11 (4-2, 1-3, 3-3, 4-3)

Hungary and Italy are traditional rivals and the energy and determination in this match came from both sides. Hungary began with the first two goals and progressed to 4-2 at the first break. Italy struck back with the first two of the second period with Adrienn Hetzl on extra and Malika Bovo with a bouncer from deep left gaining their second goals and having the match level at halftime. Laura Ruani backhanded a goal from centre forward and Matilde Gallettini went on counter to boost Italy 7-5 into the lead. Hungary scored a triple with Sara Keszthelyi netting her second, bouncing from deep left; Hetzl scoring from deep right and Kinga Alaksza grabbing her second with a lob. Bovo came to Italy’s rescue from the top left for 8-8, nine seconds from the buzzer. Kincso Kenez made her presence felt in the final period with three goals — the first and second on penalty and the third on extra. Ruani netted her second backhand for 10-9 and Bovo equalised at 4:55 on extra. Kenez needed VAR to get her second attempt and Ruani was again on fire, accepting a cross pass to centre to score on extra at 3:11. Kenez settled the debt on extra from top left at 2:44 for 12-11. Italy took a timeout at 0:46 but had the shot blocked. Hungary gathered and called a timeout and played the ball in the back court for the last seconds.

Match Heroes
Kenez and Hetzl with a hat-trick each for Hungary. Bovo with four goals and Ruani three for Italy. Emma Serafini made eight saves in goal.

Turning Point
The three Hungarian goals in the third quarter that gave it the lead, which it never relinquished.

Stats Don’t Lie
Hungary made five from seven on extra and Italy two from five. Hungary squared away both penalty attempts and Italy one. Hungary took the steals at eight-two and the shots at 32-23, but with a poorer percentage — 37.5 to 47.8.

Match 8. Group B, CHINA 2 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 14 (1-2, 0-5, 0-4, 1-3)

USA was too strong for the Chinese who were led by Zhang Jingwen, a contestant at the recent World Cup finals in Sydney, Australia. She scored both goals, as well. USA missed a penalty shot to start and went 2-0 up thanks to Kirra Pantaleon and Charlotte Raisin. Zhang Jingwen, at 17 the youngest member of the Chinese national senior team, responded on extra from top left. USA then shut up shop for China to find anyway through until the last half seconds of the match. Meantime, USA scored three times on extra in the second period and Paige Segesman, a member of the USA team at the recent U16 worlds in Croatia, turned beautifully at centre to score the seventh USA goal. Makena Bygrave netted twice in the third period — the first with a backhand of a rebound and the second on counter. Eve Webb, stole the ball at the halfway mark and countered for the 10-1 score. For the fourth period in a row, USA took a penalty shot to start the quarter and missed for the third time. Raisin lobbed from a six-metre free throw; Natalie Whitfield countered to score and Gabriella Alexson grabbed her second with a centre-forward backhand. Zhang Jingwen closed with a penalty on the buzzer.

Match Heroes
Raisin made a hat-trick for USA. Zhang Jingwen scored the Chinese pair and goalkeeper Zhang Xiwen made seven saves in goal.

Turning Point
USA going to 3-1 and onwards to 14-1.

Stats Don’t Lie
USA converted four from six on extra and stopped three of four. USA was not happy with one from four on penalty to China’s one. USA won the steals 10-five and the shots 28-24, which was 50 percent to 8.3 per cent.

Match 6. Group B, CROATIA 6 SPAIN 22 (0-9, 2-4, 3-4, 1-5)

Spain was all over China, especially in the opening quarter. Spain is at home to defend its crown and has come well prepared. The opening two goals came from senior international Queralt Anton who missed the World Cup finals, probably to prepare for this event. Ona Jurado and two Marina Pineda strikes had the score swiftly to 5-0. Marina Munoz scored twice and the score ballooned to 9-0 at the first break. Anton countered to start the second period with Pineda at centre forward and Jurado on counter taking the score to 13-2 at the halftime break. Lara Srhoj, who has made her senior debut ,sent in a slider soon after a Spanish penalty attempt that ended in a dropped ball. Srhoj started the third period from top right and Neli Jankovic, who scored four goals for Croatia at last year’s World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, countered for 13-4. Munoz perforated the Croatian charge that saw Jankovic miss a penalty attempt and Petra Galic drilling from seven metres. A Spanish treble made it 17-5 by the last break. Galic began the fourth with a lob and from then on it was all Spain with Munoz and Jurado in the scoring mix.

Match Heroes
Jurado, Munoz and Pineda scored four each with Anton and Martina Fernandez striking three times each for Spain. Srhoj scored a pair for Croatia.

Turning Point
The opening period says it all.

Stats Don’t Lie
Spain went six from nine on extra and stopped all three Croatian attempts. Spain missed one of four on penalty; won the steals nine to six and the shots 33-30.

Progress Points

Group A: Greece 3, Hungary 3, Italy 0, Netherlands 0.
Group B: Spain, 3, USA 3, China 0, Croatia 0.
Group C: New Zealand 3, Turkiye 0.
Group D: Germany 3, Malta 0.
Group E: South Africa 3, Zimbabwe 0.
Group F: Australia 3, Brazil 0.

Day 2 Schedule

09:00, Group D Canada v Germany
10:30, Group E, Israel v Zimbabwe
12:00, Group F, Serbia v Brazil
13:30, Group C, Colombia v Turkiye
15:00, Group B, Croatia v China
16:30, Group A, Netherlands v Hungary
18:00, Group A, Greece v Italy
19:30, Group B, Spain v United States of America