Australia will play United States of America and defending champion Spain will take on Hungary in Saturday’s medal semifinals following exciting quarterfinals on Friday.
Overview
In the classification quarterfinals, Australia shocked Greece 9-5, Hungary powered past China 17-9, United States of America had the stick over Netherlands 11-8 and Spain stirred up the home crowd with a scintillating 24-8 victory over Canada.
It all comes down to the semifinals on Saturday where lower-ranked teams will also do battle in the classification hunt.
In Group G, South Africa headed off Malta 13-11 and Turkiye downed Brazil 14-10.
In Group H, Serbia had the better of Colombia 15-9 and Germany squashed Zimbabwe 18-4.
Match Reports
Classification 1-8 Quarterfinals
Match 45. GREECE 5 AUSTRALIA 9 (1-1, 2-4, 0-3, 2-1)
Australia promised so much and delivered against one of the giant nations of women’s water polo. So much was expected of the Greek women to emulate their sister teams who have done so well in recent times. However, Australia has the most potent weapon of this tournament in Bless Daly and a team around her willing and able to equal her feats. Her six-goal haul today added to her burgeoning tally of 34, which will never be matched here. She had three as Australia broke the first-quarter deadlock and the 2-2 scoreline to swim away to a 5-3 halftime lead. Sienna Walker was equal to the task and her two goals were brilliant in themselves. Greece was in the picture with Eirini Stavridou opening two minutes in and Nefeli Krassa converting extra at the top of the second period for the 2-1 lead. Eleni Elmisian drove one in from the top left for only her second goal this week, and the most important. Daly and Walker closed the half. Daly stole the ball and swum away on counter for her fifth goal on the first Aussie attack in the third period. Both teams took a timeout and Ali McCarthy finished a sloppy extra play for 7-3 with Daly receiving a cross pass on counter for an improbable 8-3 advantage at the final break. Greece was not done and Krassa scored on penalty and then surged down the middle on counter to take the pass from her right and score at 2:42. Mathematically, Greece was still in the picture at 8-5 behind. However, Australia earned a penalty and Daly presided over the execution for a well-deserved 9-5 win and a shot at the medal finals. Australia was last in the play-offs, losing the bronze-medal match to Greece in 2018.
Match Heroes
Aussie Daly was again the star with a superb six goals for 34 from five matches. Goalkeeper Caroline Healy made a magnificent 10 saves. For Greece, captain Krassa led the way with three goals.
Turning Point
Australia going two up in the second period and five ahead a the last break, stopping Greece from scoring for more than 14 minutes.
Stats Don’t Lie
Australia scored two from five on extra and blocked five of seven. Australia scored both penalty attempts and Greece one. The steals were 12-10 in Australia’s favour and the shooting 33.3 per cent to 19.2.
Match 47. HUNGARY 17 CHINA 9 (4-3, 5-1, 4-2, 4-3)
Hungary maintained its unbeaten run with a comfortable victory over China. Hungary made it look easy but the team had to work to keep out the sharp-shooting Chinese. China opened and the Hungarian response was two goals. China equalised through Li Siyao but two more Hungarian goals looked good. Li responded on extra and it was 4-3 to Hungary at the first break. Four different players scored the next goals for Hungary with Mandula Mihok gaining her second from centre forward with a long series of baulks. China missed a chance on penalty with Nora Peter replying with her penalty conversion. Zhang Jingwen drilled from the top for 9-3. A Chinese timeout yielded nothing. Yu Anran, who scored the opening goal, started the third period off a cross pass to centre forward on extra. Hanga Szalkai baulked and unleashed a rocket form the top for 10-5. Kincso Kenez with a reflex shot and Kinga Alaksza on penalty made it 12-5. There was a trade with Zhang Jingwen and two more Hungarian goals, along with a saved penalty attempt pushed it out to 15-7. Wu Wenxi scored at centre and Anna Svec, who scored her first goal of the week at 13-5, sent in a slider from top right, cross cage for 16-8 at 2:07. AS late trade moved the score to 17-9.
Match Heroes
Szalkai scored a triple for Hungary. Yu, Zhang Jingwen and Li scored twice each for China.
Turning Point
Hungary went from 4-3 to 8-3 and it was enough to deny China many chances to come back.
Stats Don’t Lie
Hungary converted a huge eight from 12 on extra and China five from nine. Hungary missed one of four penalty attempts and China missed one. Hungary took the steals 12 to four and the shooting percentage 50-40.9.
Match 46. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 11 NETHERLANDS 8 (3-2, 3-1, 4-1, 1-4)
USA moved one step closer to regaining the crown it last won in 2022 with a comprehensive victory over Netherlands. The score was close at three but the manner in which USA conducted itself and controlled the match to 11-5 up until the last three minutes, showed why it has won this title twice. It now takes on Australia in Saturday’s semifinals. Kirra Pantaleon opened for USA but the Dutch snared a pair for 2-1 at 4:38. Margaret Ryan and Charlotte Raisin, however, repaired the damage before the break. USA shot out to 6-2 with Jette Botermans gaining a second on extra for 6-3 ahead of the long break. Raisin started the third period with a centre-forward backhand and Marjolein de Gier, who entered the match with 13 goals, drilled from the top. Much to Netherlands’ dismay, Ryan from the top; Raisin from the top on extra and Pantaleon with a six-metre goal, had the final break at 10-4. Isa Verschoor scored the first goal for the Dutch in the first attack and then the funniest thing happened. Pantaleon noticed that the Dutch goalkeeper was out of her cage, so threw a goal from deep in her half. The goalkeeper was retrieving another ball at the time. VAR was used and somehow, the goal was awarded. Never seen that before! De Gier led a three-goal charge in the final three minutes to narrow the loss to three goals.
Match Heroes
Raisin with four and Pantaleon scoring three for USA. Gianna Adams stopped eight shots in goal. For the Dutch, Botermans, de Gier and Lin Godefrooij scored a brace each.
Turning Point
USA romping to 6-2 after being 2-1 down.
Stats Don’t Lie
USA converted three from six on extra and stopped five of seven. Netherlands missed the only penalty shot and won the steals 11-six. USA was better on shooting at 47.8 to 26.7 per cent.
Match 48. SPAIN 24 CANADA 8 (6-1, 5-2, 8-2, 5-3)
Spain will play Hungary in one of the semifinals after the host nation put Canada to the sword in the fourth quarterfinal. Spain jumped out of the box and made a huge splash for its home crowd. Senior international Queralt Anton who was in the winning U18 team two years ago and also has a world U16 title and an U20 silver, began the scoring with a double. Dasha Khramtsova replied on penalty but there the goals temporarily died for the Canadians. Lidia Lopez scored two beautiful centre-forward goals as Spain eased out to 6-1 by the quarter break. Sara Briceno scored off the left-post position off a near pass to start the second quarter. Canada had a penalty shot rejected and Briceno at centre forward and Lopez on the right post for a near pass, lifted the margin to seven. Captain McKenna Pineda-McLean made sure of her second attempt from the five-metre line and Tara Marunica smashed one in from the top on extra for her second goal of the week. Anton bristled with another and Maria Manso scored from deep right two minutes from halftime. Spain scored eight goals to one until the dying seconds in the third period with the avalanche. The only double scorer at this stage being Daniela Pajares. Sonia Paun interrupted the flow at 13-4 on extra and Clare Milleker Shyiak scored from deep left on action for 19-5, 14 seconds from the final break. She scored another to start the fourth period, this time on penalty. Pajares scored twice more in a four-goal streak with a Canadian pair covering Lopez’s last goal at centre forward.
Match Heroes
Lopez with five for Spain; Anton and Pajares four each and three to Briceno. The goalkeepers made four saves each. Milleker Shyiak was the only double scorer for Canada.
Turning Point
Spain going from 2-1 to 9-1 by early in the second quarter.
Stats Don’t Lie
Spain scored 13 action goals; nailed all three penalty goals — Canada missing one of four — winning the steals 14-eight and the shooting at 60 to 27.6 per cent.
Groups G and H (13th to 20th classifications)
Match 39. Group G, TURKIYE 14 BRAZIL 10 (5-0, 3-3, 5-5, 1-2)
Turkiye made it two wins in a row with another determined effort while Brazil was coming off a big win over Malta. The first quarter was where the match was won with Brazil starting late and winning the next three quarters. Four different Turkish players had the score at 4-0 by 3:52 with Brazil calling a timeout to halt the procession. It worked until the last second when Naz Ozdemir finished extra from top left for 5-0. Maiah Nascimento hit the wood on her penalty but regained and scored Brazil’s first goal and her 22nd of the tournament. Eda Moroglu converted a penalty and Ozdemir lobbed for her third. Nascimento backhanded a goal from the left-post position on extra for 7-2 at 4:46 in the second quarter. Neda Yildiz converted extra from centre forward for 8-2 at 3:18. At 0:46, Nascimento countered for the 8-3 halftime closure. Lyvia Vaz started the second half on counter for Brazil and began a trading war with goals swapped three times, Nicolly do Santos scoring twice for Brazil. Moroglu put in a consecutive Turkish goal to break the mould and a Mina Bozkurt penalty goal for 13-6 further exacerbated the woes of Brazil. However, Vaz on extra and dos Santos on counter made it 13-8, the score at the last break. Moroglu and Ozdemir had their penalty attempts saved by Ingrid Goncalves early in the fourth period causing Vaz and Nascimento to score. It was five minutes later after three timeouts that Keremoglu had the last say on extra for 14-10.
Match Heroes
Ozdemir was Turkiye’s best with four goals and triples were scored by Bozkurt and Keremoglu, who now has 22 goals. Ceren Hergul made 10 saves in goal. Brazil’s Nascimento tallied four goals to lift her weekly total to 25. Dos Santos (13) and Vaz netted three each. Goalkeeper Goncalves stopped 12 shots.
Turning Point
Turkiye surging to 5-0 and maintaining the flow of goals 8-2 was enough to dictate terms.
Stats Don’t Lie
Turkiye was perfect on extra with five goals and stopped three of five. Turkiye missed two of four penalty shots and Brazil missed one. Turkiye won the steals seven to three and the shooting at 43.8 to 33.3 per cent.
Match 40. Group G, SOUTH AFRICA 13 MALTA 11 (4-3, 4-3, 3-2, 2-3)
South Africa gained its second victory here while Malta collected its second two-goal defeat. The Africans started strongly with the first three goals before Chloe Amato began Malta’s charge with a missile from 10m. Esme du Plessis countered on extra for 4-1 and two more Maltese goals, with one from Amato, finished the period at 4-3. Amato drew level at the start of the second period in the first trade with Isabella Duffy and a second trade took it to 6-5. Janey Wood and Keira Holland stretched the difference to three. However, Amato trimmed that on counter for 8-6 at halftime. Malta’s Marierose Tully sent in a howitzer from near 10m and Amy Aaron responded with the first of two shots on counter, then on penalty. Ellen Miceli replied in a stand-off with June Stander, who also countered for 11-8 at the last break. There were two trades in quick succession with Malta leading the way. A late Maltese goal narrowed it to two when South Africa had the match in the bag.
Match Heroes
South Africa’s Aaron, Holland, Wood and Duffy scored a brace each and the goalkeepers made seven saves. For Malta, Amato netted five to double her weekly tally.
Turning Point
The 3-0 and 4-1 South African buffers proved to be just enough to keep Malta at bay.
Stats Don’t Lie
South Africa went three from four on extra and stopped five of eight. South Africa converted three of four penalty shots; lost the steals 14-8 and won the shots 61.9 to 33.3 per cent.
Match 41. Group H, COLOMBIA 9 SERBIA 15 (2-3, 1-4, 3-3, 3-5)
Serbia collected its third victory in Puerto de la Cruz. And is setting itself up for the 13th-place play-off. Colombia was no easy beat as the quarters show and two missed penalty attempts in the first half could have made the score that much closer. Nika Ratkovic scored the first two Serbian goals as Ainhoa Velez with a centre-forward catch-and-turn score and Madelyne Ciro drilling from the top at 2-2. A Danica Balac lob at centre forward sealed the quarter score, especially after Ciro had her penalty attempt saved. Masa Cuk started the second quarter with a centre-forward backhand; Ciro hit the bar on penalty and Masa Cuk lobbed from deep right for 5-2. Irina Trbanos off a cross pass on extra and Elena Cuk at centre forward moved the score to 7-2 at 5:01. There was only one goal scored in that last five minutes — Salome Agudelo from top left at 2:25. At the start of the third period, Agudelo sandwiched Masa Cuk with goals — Agudelo scoring on extra from wide left and from a six-metre shot while Cuk backhanded at centre forward. Goals were traded with Trbanos gaining her second and Laura Vanegas also converting extra. Ratkovic closed all scoring from deep right at 0:57 for a 10-6 Serbian lead. In the fourth stanza, Masa Cuka scored twice from centre forward, the first pushing in the ball on rebound with her left hand. Trbanos gained her triple. Colombia scored three of the next four goals through Agudelo, Velez and Ciro for 14-9 down. Ratkovic settled the scoring on extra for the 15-9 victory.
Match Heroes
Serbia’s Masa Cuk with five goals for 16 this week; Ratkovic with four (14) and Trbanos with her first three of the tournament. The goalkeepers combined for nine saves. For Colombia, Agudelo netted four, lifting her tally to 18.
Turning Point
Serbia going from 2-2 to 7-2, three mhttps://www.tritonwaterpolo.org/inutes into the second quarter.
Stats Don’t Lie
Serbia buried four from six on extra to Colombia’s two from five. Colombia missed both penalty attempts but won the steals seven to five and lost the shots 55.6 to 30 per cent.
Match 42. Group H, ZIMBABWE 4 GERMANY 18 (1-5, 0-3, 0-3, 3-7)
Germany made it four from five in the wins department. Germany was in control by the first break, scoring twice before Amelie Mtongwiza scored from top left for Zimbabwe. Three more Germany goals transpired with five different German scorers in the quarter. Nele Politze needed VAR to get her shot off the hand in time for 5-0 and a penalty awarded in the dying seconds to Germany was challenged by Zimbabwe and disallowed. Goals were harder to come by the second quarter as Lotte Lightner started the quarter like she did the first; Leni Harms countered and Bianca Mitterbauer nailed the penalty attempt for 8-1 at the long break. It was another three-goal quarter for Germany with Mia Frisch grabbing her second; Lucy Schussler on counter and Clara Straach with her first of the week, also on counter. South Africa successfully challenged for a penalty when a defender in goal rose with two arms to stop a ball but the resulting shot from yesterday’s three-goal hero Natasha Chaniwa was saved. The teams opened up in the fourth with Mitterbauer and Schussler netting consecutive goals in a five-goal burst with Chaniwa and Imaan Afzal with her first of the tournament — on counter and the ball thrown from eight metres when the goalkeeper was scrambling back into goal. It was the best goal of the match. Viktoria Tomica, who netted the second goal, scored the last off the left-post position from a near pass.
Match Heroes
Mitterbauer (14) and Schussler (10) scored four each as German goalkeeper Muriel Tannenhauer was the star of the match with 16 saves. Chaniwa scored a brace for Zimbabwe and the goalkeepers collected eight saves.
Turning Point
Germany moving away from Zimbabwe at the 3-1 mark.
Stats Don’t Lie
Germany converted four from six on extra and Zimbabwe a perfect one from one. Germany nailed its one penalty chance and Zimbabwe missed its one. Steals were shared at five and on overall shooting percentage, Germany was 52.9 and Zimbabwe 12.5.
Final Points
Group G: Turkiye 9, Brazil 6, South Africa 3, Malta 0.
Group H: Germany 9, Serbia 6, Colombia 3, Zimbabwe 0.
Day 7 Schedule
Classification 19-20
09:00, Malta v Zimbabwe
Classification 17-18
10:30, South Africa v Colombia
Classification 9-12 Semifinals
12:00, New Zealand v Croatia
13:30, Israel v Italy
Classification 5-8 Semifinals
15:00, Greece v Netherlands
16:30, Canada v China
Classification 1-4 Semifinals
18:00, Australia v United States of America
19:30, Spain v Hungary