Australia made a huge statement ahead of the quarterfinals with a thundering victory over Croatia while China, Netherlands and Canada will join it in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Overview
In the crossovers where the winners go through to the quarterfinals, Australia hammered Croatia 28-4; Netherlands dumped New Zealand 13-2; China edged Serbia 14-12 and Canada defeated Italy 10-6. This means that this victorious quartet gets to meet the group winners. Australia will play Greece; China will tackle Hungary; Netherlands faces United States of America and Canada plays defending champion Spain.
The lower-ranked teams continued their round-robin matches in the battle for 13-20 classifications.
In Group G, Turkiye defeated South Africa 17-13 in a match where the Africans won the final period 4-2, and Brazil downed Malta 15-3
In Group H, Colombia shunted Zimbabwe 17-8 and Germany nudged out Serbia 9-7.
Match Reports
Crossovers
Match 37. Crossover, NEW ZEALAND 2 NETHERLANDS 13 (0-1, 0-4, 1-4, 1-4)
Netherlands was near flawless with total control over the Southern Hemisphere team. The Kiwis only slipped through the all-encompassing net early in the third and 42 seconds from full time. Isa Verschoor scored from deep right for the opener at 2:46 and New Zealand’s Ruby Bech sent her penalty wide right on the next attack. The Dutch controlled the second quarter as well, scoring four more goals with Verschoor enjoying the visit with another to Marjolein de Gier, scoring her 12th goal of the week at centre forward on extra. Lin Godefrooij nailed the fourth from deep right. Isabella Lambie opened the third period on extra from deep left for 5-1. De Gier scored from two metres again and a triple in the last four minutes had the score at 9-1 by the final break. Godefrooij opened the fourth on extra; Melike Ozkan scored her first championship goal from centre forward and Loeki Ouwerkerk sent in a slider from the top and another on extra for 13-1 at 3:24. India-Rose Scholes made her 14th goal from deep left at 0:42 to close a disappointing match for the Kiwis.
Match Heroes
Dutch captain Verschoor claimed three goals for her first strikes of the week. Goalkeeper Hannah Trijsburg pulled in 10 saves in her time in the water. Jemma McKinley was the Kiwis’ best with 11 of the team’s 13 saves in goal.
Turning Point
With a score of 13-1 in the dying minute, Netherlands was never troubled.
Stats Don’t Lie
Netherlands converted four from five on extra and blocked five from six. New Zealand missed both penalty attempts. The steals were level at five at the shooting favoured the Dutch 40.6 to 7.1 per cent.
Match 38. Crossover, ISRAEL 12 CHINA 14 (4-4, 3-4, 2-3, 3-3)
China may have had trouble with some of the statistics but six action goals made the difference. The shooting percentage was only slightly different and the closeness of this match was palpable. China started with the first two goals and strolled to 3-1 with the Dutch levelling at three and four by the first break. Teva Dorfman, who converted a penalty for Netherlands’ first goal, began the second quarter on extra from deep left. Men Yuxin and Yu Anran countered within 25 seconds for the 6-5 advantage. China missed a penalty attempt and Shiri Wissmann equalised at centre forward. Zhang Jingwen converted extra from the top after a rebound was passed to her. Dorfman equalised with a six-metre, free-throw lob. Yi Xiyao, who had two of the first three Chinese goals, closed the half on extra from top right. Yu turned at centre forward to start the second half. Wissmann drove into goal, took a pass and completely unguarded, teased the goalkeeper to score while the Chinese defence just watched in awe, it seemed. Gili Borenstein equalised at 9-9 on extra from deep right. Zhang Jingwen, from the top on extra, and Yu at centre forward took the 11-9 lead at the last break. Men Yuxin nabbed her second with a bouncer from the top and it was a three-goal differential. Dorfman sandwiched Cheng Yanke’s rifle shot and it was 13-11 at 2:40. Zhang Jingwen drilled from the top left at 2:16 with a late Israeli strike narrowing it to 14-12, but too late to force a shootout.
Match Heroes
Zhang Jingwen (CHN) and Dorfman (ISR) both made five goals each, reaching their 16th goals for the tournament.
Turning Point
China making a three-goal break over the last break. Otherwise, there was paper-thickness between the teams.
Stats Don’t Lie
China converted three from eight on extra and Israel a commendable six from 10. Israel made both penalty chances and China missed one of two. Israel won the steal six to five but the shooting narrowly went to China 41.2 to 40 per cent. There was nothing in these stats other than they favoured Israel.
Match 39. Crossover, CANADA 10 ITALY 6 (2-0, 1-2, 5-2, 2-2)
Canada ripped into the quarterfinals with a 10-6 victory over Italy, moving up from 12th two years ago while dual medallist Italy slips from sixth. Now Canada can dare to dream of equalling or bettering the 2014 result when it lost to USA in the final. It was a Canadian shut-out in the first quarter with captain McKenna Pineda-McLean scoring her 12th goal, on extra-counter. Margherita Minuto put away a penalty goal to start the second period with Lujayn Abdelfattah converting extra. Minuto drilled a penalty goal for 3-2, two minutes from the halftime break. Adelyn Kyfiuk, one of twin sisters on the team, sent in a skimming shot to start the second half and Dasha Khramtsova fired in a pair to go with her first-quarter arrow. It was 6-2 and Canada was on a roll. Italy’s Lara Bianco converted extra from the top and had a penalty attempt saved. Abdelfattah sent in a screamer from eight metres for 7-3. Goals were traded at the bottom of the third, Abdelfattah gaining her third after Italy missed another penalty chance. Bianco and Minuto restored Italian pride at the top of the fourth period but Adelyn Kyfiuk buried a pair either side of a Carlotta Breda red card.
Match Heroes
Adelyn Kyfiuk, Khramtsova and Abdelfattah scored a hat-trick each with the latter scoring her first goals here. Alexandra Stoddard made nine saves in goal. Minuto also scored three, for Italy.
Turning Point
The control in the first quarter and being able to clip out to 6-2 gave Canada the confidence it needed to beat a top-flite European nation.
Stats Don’t Lie
Canada nailed five of 12 on extra and blocked five of six. Italy missed two of three penalty attempts. The steals were equal at four and the shooting went to Canada 34.5 to 19.4 per cent.
Match 40. Crossover, AUSTRALIA 28 CROATIA 4 (5-0, 7-1, 9-1, 7-2)
Australia proved it was worthy of a quarterfinal berth with yet another big victory as Bless Daly impressed her credentials further, scoring the first three goals and four of the first five. By the time it reached 10-0, she had six of those goals, showing her recent senior international form. It was not all about Daly as she has a strong team around here and the goals were spread around. The first chink in the Aussie armour came when Lara Srhoj, herself a senior international, slipped one in late in the first half. She took the penalty shot, had it rejected, regained he ball and lobbed for 12-1. Claudia Booth and Kiera Mironova scored their first goals early in the third period with Srhoj gaining her second off a six-metre, free-throw shot at 6:41. Evelyn O’Neill, netted her third to start an avalanche that became 21-2 at the last break and 27-2 with Zara Cooke grabbing two counters before Neli Jankovic on penalty and Mare Jankovic from the right-hand-catch position doubled Croatia’s scoring. Cooke scored the last from in front with three seconds remaining for a triumphant result.
Match Heroes
World Cup bronze medallist Daly was the star with eight goals to give her 28 from four matches — quite an average. Cooke and O’Neill scored five each while Booth and captain Mironova netted a hat-trick apiece. Srhoj scored twice for Croatia.
Turning Point
At 4:35 when Daly scored her first goal.
Stats Don’t Lie
Australia crashed home 10 goals on 14 extra-player attempts and blocked all five of Croatia’s. Both teams missed one of two on penalty; the Aussies won the steals 11-threee and the shooting with a tournament-high 71.8-14.8 per cent.
Group Rounds
Match 33. Group G, SOUTH AFRICA 13 TURKIYE 17 (3-6, 2-3, 3-6, 4-2)
Turkiye suffered plenty of resistance from South Africa, which is improving with every match, even winning the final quarter. However, Turkiye’s power shooting and ability to draw penalty fouls proved to be South Africa’s undoing. Turkiye opened with the first two goals and trades went to 3-3 before Defne Keremoglu on counter; Eda Moroglu on penalty and Naz Ozdemir from well out on a bounce shot gave Turkiye a 6-3 advantage at the first break. Goals were exchanged in the second period with Turkiye firing in three and South Africa two. Moroglu grabbed two of those and started the third period on extra from the deep right. Amy Aaron, who scored the second and fifth goals for the Africans, netted her third at centre forward, followed by Rylee Rogers’ penalty strike for 10-7 down. Keremoglu traded with Anna Springer and from then on Turkiye put up the shutters and sent home four goals for 15-8 at the final break. Turkiye opened on extra but South Africa dealt a triple blow with Aaron from centre forward; Esme du Plessis from eight metres and Isabella Duffy at centre forward lifting the score to 16-11. Neda Yildiz leapt on to a rebound on extra and sent the ball in while June Stander lobbed off a six-metre throw for 17-12 at 2:31. With the last half-minute looming, South African Motloduwa Makwane went on counter, was fouled and had her shot blocked. She had earned a penalty and the coach asked her to shoot, which she did, for her first goal of the week for 17-13 behind.
Match Heroes
Moroglu and Keremoglu netted five apiece and lift their tallies to 13 and 19 respectively. For South Africa, Aaron was the highest scorer with four. Duffy collected her 10th goal.
Turning Point
Turkiye’s three-goal advantage in the first quarter and the four-goal burst in the third.
Stats Don’t Lie
Turkiye managed only six from 13 on extra and South Africa two from six. Turkiye scored all six penalty attempts to two; won the steals 12-10 and the shooting 53.1 to 43.3 per cent.
Match 34. Group G, BRAZIL 15 MALTA 3 (4-0, 3-1, 4-0, 4-2)
Brazil took a big step toward 13th position with a comfortable victory over Malta. Brazil stamped its authority on the match from the start with a power start that included three goals to star shooter Maiah Nascimento. She came into the match with 15 goals and amassed another six for 21 goals this week. As the match quickly sped to 4-0, Brazil then had one attack where it hit the wood three times. The last time it hit the wood was by goalkeeper Ingrid Goncalves who swam up and bounced the ball into the crossbar just before the buzzer. Nicolly dos Santos grabbed her seventh of the week from right-hand catch to start the second period and 5-0. Marierose Tully broke the Maltese drought from top left for 5-1 at 4:18. Brazil progressed the score to 7-1 at the long break. Dos Santos started the second half with a pair of penalty goals and Nascimento scored from deep right for her fifth strike. At 0:20, Malta sent seven players up and the shot was saved by Goncalves with threw it the length of the pool for a goal and 11-1 at the last break. Dos Santos scored from the top on extra before Martina Grech netted Malta’s second goal with a lob from wide right. Brazil scored twice more. Ella Miceli scored her fifth goal of the week with a 10m skip shot for 14-3 and Nascimento sealed the deal on penalty at 0:16 for the 15-3 margin.
Match Heroes
Brazil’s Nascimento finished with six goals and dos Santos four. The goalkeepers made nine saves with Goncalves six plus her goal. For Malta, Miia Clarke Spiteri made seven of the eight goalkeeper saves.
Turning Point
Brazil keeping Malta scoreless for the first 12 minutes, proved most helpful.
Stats Don’t Lie
Brazil converted three from eight on extra and stopped two; scored all six penalty attempts and saved one; lost the steal nine to five but shot better at 46.9 per cent to 11.1.
Match 35. Group H, ZIMBABWE 8 COLOMBIA 17 (2-2, 4-7, 1-2, 1-6)
Colombia fought out a close match despite the final score. Zimbabwe is learning quickly here and led 2-1 until Salome Agudelo netted the first of her six goals at 2:35 on extra from the top. Katie Gripper converted a penalty foul and Natasha Chaniwa lobbed from wide right for Zimbabwe’s first two goals. Agudelo netted a hat-trick to start the second quarter with the third a centre-forward flick. Chaniwa on penalty and Gripper on counter narrowed the score to 5-4 down. A Colombian pair; Chaniwa’s third, on lob with a traded pair made it 8-6. Laura Atehortua scored her second on extra for 9-6, 11 seconds from halftime. Atehortua and Agudelo straddled a Gripper shot that needed VAR to make sure it crossed the line for the only scores of the third period, such was the defence of both teams. Colombia earned a seven-goal margin with a triple to start the fourth period and that separation decided the result. Tatenda Muhomba was delighted with her first goal of the tournament at centre forward, joining her twin sister Tariro Muhomba as a goal-scorer here. There are three sets of twins playing in this event. Colombia settled the match with the last three goals including Agudelo’s sixth from a six-metre free throw.
Match Heroes
Agudelo with six goals and Atehortua chiming in with four. Goalkeeper Sofia Beltran was on fire with 11 saves for Colombia. Captain Gripper and Chaniwa scored a hat-trick each for Zimbabwe and the goalkeepers claimed four saves each.
Turning Point
Turning around the 2-1 deficit to 5-2 ahead, Colombia then kept its distance and romped home in the second half.
Stats Don’t Lie
Colombia made a magnificent seven from eight on extra to none from one; scored one penalty goal to two; won the steals at 10 to five and the shooting 50-36.4 per cent.
Match 36. Group H, SERBIA 7 GERMANY 9 (1-1, 3-2, 0-4, 3-2)
Germany collected a third win with just the one loss to Canada (11-10) blemishing its record. Germany had to come from 3-1 down in the second quarter and turn a 4-3 halftime deficit into a 7-4 advantage by the final break. Lucy Schussler with a lob and Nika Ratkovic with a bouncer from the top were the only scores of the first period. Jana Pejic and Nina Pekovic both shot from wide left for 3-1. Lotte Lightner on extra and Bianca Mitterbauer, from penalty, levelled the match. Ratkovic converted extra from deep left for the 4-3 advantage at 3:13. At 5:31 in the third period, Mitterbauer sent home a penalty goal and then Nele Politze scored a hat-trick from extra, with a lob and then from the top for 7-4 before the final break. Sisters Masa Cuk and Elena Cuk straddled a Leni Harms shot for 8-6. Masa Cuk had her penalty attempt hit the right post and rebound past her head; Harms delivered a carpark shot at 2:21 and with 14 seconds left on the clock, Masa Cuk lobbed off a six-metre foul shot for 9-7 down.
Match Heroes
Politze with a hat-trick for Germany and Maria Sekulic with 10 saves in goal. Masa Cuk and Ratkovic scored twice each for Serbia and the goalkeepers combined for 10 saves.
Turning Point
The third period where Germany came from one down to three ahead.
Stats Don’t Lie
Germany converted only two from seven on extra but stopped four from five. Germany nailed both penalty attempts as Serbia missed one. Serbia won the steals four to three and Germany was better at shooting — 32.1 to 21.2 per cent.
Progress Points
Group G: Turkiye 6, Brazil 6, South Africa 0, Malta 0.
Group H: Germany 6, Serbia 3, Colombia 3, Zimbabwe 0.
Day 6 Schedule
09:00, Group G, Turkiye v Brazil
10:30, Group G, South Africa v Malta
12:00, Group H, Colombia v Serbia
13:30, Group H, Zimbabwe v Germany
Classification 1-8 Quarterfinals
15:00, Greece v Australia
16:30, Hungary v China
18:00, United States of America v Netherlands
19:30, Spain v Canada