USA women finish top ahead of 4x4 quarterfinals

Overview

USA trampled South Africa 3-0 to finish top of the standings; Croatia needed a penalty shootout to defeat Greece 3-2; Australia pummelled Turkiye 3-0 and Spain sent off Russia 3-0.

Match Reports

Match 13, RUSSIA 0 SPAIN 3 (1-3, 2-4, 4-5)

Spain wrapped up a third victory from four outings, stunning the unbeaten Russians and having to survive a tight third set with the winner coming in the dying seconds. Spain started through Ariadne Ruiz on extra and followed up on the next attack on penalty. Veronika Vakhitova scored off a five-metre shot into the bottom right for 2-1 and at 0:26. Ruiz struck again on extra with her wicked left arm, 11 seconds from the buzzer. Alba Munoz started the second set from point blank on extra. Ekaterina Prokofyeva collected a rebound to score the equaliser from the left wing. Carlota Penalver buried one from the top and Isabel Piralkova used a five-metre foul to good advantage for 3-1. Olga Lupinogina hit the left post on a bonus penalty shot and at 0:55 Munoz converted extra for 4-1. With 13 seconds remaining, Anastasiia Komarova swam up, passed, received and shot a slider for the 4-2 goal on the buzzer. Spain was two sets ahead. Prokofyeva scored from the top on extra and Paula Camus made sure of her centre-forward strike on lob. Mariona Terre stopped a certain goal, coming out to the player but next attack Mariia Makarova scored from the left wing for the go-ahead goal. Piralkova scored on extra for 2-2 at 1:47 and Russia blew an extra chance. Spain gained a penalty foul at 1:26 and Lucia Rodriguez converted. Russia gained a bonus penalty foul and Lupinogina fired into the top right for 3-3.  Terre stole the ball and sent it up to Queralt Bertran to score. Terre made another save and Spain called a timeout at 0:41. Makarova countered for the leveller at 0:10 and Spain earned an ejection, gifting it a bonus penalty shot, which Penalver converted for 5-4. The bonus means you retain the ball on the restart and Spain wasted the time to win the set and the match 3-0.

Match Heroes
Terre was the star of the match and gained the Player-of-the-Match award, quite deservedly. Ruiz netted three for Spain while Russia’s Prokofyeva and Makarova netted a pair each.

Stats Don’t Lie
Spain was magical on extra with five goals and stopped three pf six. Spain nailed both penalty attempts and shot 22 to 18.

Match 14, AUSTRALIA 3 TURKIYE 0 (5-1, 3-1, 4-2)

Australia bounced back from its loss to Spain the day before to eclipse Turkiye in three sets. Pippa Pedley and Elvira Yermakova exchanged early goals with Jolie Marsden scoring on extra and counter to give the Aussies a 3-1 advantage at 0:58. Aussie goalie Jasmine Higgs threw in a long shot for a double goal and hit the post on a last-gasp attempt, hitting the post. Australia had two up before Turkiye came to the party in the second set. Marsden converted extra at 0:51, which held until the break. In the third set, Australia was two up again before Yermakova responded. Marsden fired in two more either side of Turkish captain Dilara Burali’s centre-forward goal.

Match Heroes
Marsden with five goals. Goalkeeper Jasmine Higgs made eight saves for Australia. Yermakova scored twice for Turkiye.

Stats Don’t Lie
Australia made all three extra chances and stopped two of three. Australia slotted both penalty attempts and Turkiye missed its one chance. Australia only needed 15 shots for its 12 goals while Turkiye took 20 for four.

Match 15, SOUTH AFRICA 0 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 3 (0-7, 0-6, 1-5)

USA had a fourth 3-0 victory and was relatively untouched by the South Africans. The first set was exceptional and the second almost as good. In the third set, B Mzimela broke through for a South African action goal to level the period. However, Jenna Flynn scored another three to her tally, racing USA to 5-1 and in with the victory.

Match Heroes
Flynn fired in six goals and Ryann Neushul nabbed five while goalkeeper Lauren Steele made seven saves.

Stats Don’t Lie
USA converted five of six on extra and stopped five. USA missed one of two penalty chances. USA shot 29-19.

Match 16, CROATIA 3 GREECE 2 (3-2, 2-4, 3-4, 4-3. Pens 2-0)

Croatia came good in the fourth set to go to penalties for the decider, winning its third match. Neli Jankovic opened for the home team at 2:48 on counter and again at 1:51. Alka Lulic made it 3-1and Eleni Paterou on extra for 3-2 one second from the buzzer. Anastasia Bikou started the second period for Greece, scoring form the five-metre line, on counter for each of her second and third goals. Nika Alamat replied but Greece was in charge at 4-1. Ria Glas narrowed it to one. Georgia Karagianni scored her second at the start of the third set. Goals were traded and Karla Popovic levelled on counter ay 1:37. Bikou and Alamat traded in the last 12 seconds, meaning the match had to go to golden goal. Bikou scored the winner to take a 2-1 lead in the sets. Captain Kasiana Margariti opened the fourth for Greece with Glas responding twice, the second after a Paterou counter. Paterou countered again for the go-ahead goal with Popovic replying at 1:03. Croatia took a timeout at 0:14 and set up Alamat for the goal that made it 2-2 in sets and a visit to the penalty range. Croatia went first and scored both its goals while Greece’s two hit the post and was saved, giving Croatia a squeaky victory.

Match Heroes
Glas and Alamat scored a hat-trick each and Lana Korac made 13 saves in the Croatian goal. Bikou hammered home six goals and Paterou three. Goalie Eftychia Konstantopoulou took in 14 saves.

Stats Don’t Lie
Croatia scored one from two and Greece one from four on extra. Greece missed all three penalty attempts and Croatia shot and incredible 46 times to 26.

Final Points

USA 12, Spain 9, Russia 9, Australia 9, Croatia 8, Greece 1, Turkiye 0, South Africa 0.

Day 5 Schedule

Match 13. 14:40. United States of America v South Africa
Match 14. 15:30, Spain v Turkiye
Match 15. 16:20. Russia v Greece
Match 16. 18:50. Australia v Croatia