OGQT Women's Water Polo Day 5: NED and HUN off to Tokyo
Trieste, Italy (January 23).— 2008 champion Netherlands is back into the Olympic Games after a 13-year hiatus and Hungary beat 2004 champion Italy to secure the final tickets for Tokyo 2020 following semifinal action on the fifth day of the women’s water polo Olympic Games Qualification Tournament in the Bruno Bianchi Aquatic Centre today.
Netherlands put paid to Greece’s quest to return to the Olympics after missing Rio in 2016 with a 7-4 victory and Hungary tumbled Italy from the Games with a 13-10 showing.
Greece will be ruing the lost opportunities, leading 2-1 and 4-3 at the first two breaks, only to be held sccoreless in the second half.
For Hungary, it was the goal-scoring queen, Rita Keszthelyi, who once again reigned supreme with six goals, lifting her Triete tally to an incredible 26. The Olympics needs her and sher needs the Olympics with the possibility of elevating Hungary from three fourth-placed finishes to the podium. Dominant throughout, Hungary still only had a 9-7, final-break advantage, however, stretching that to four-goal margins twice in the final eight minutes.
The fact that both matches were three-goal margins was an emphatic realisation by the victors that nothing but the best was required in the semifinals.
Greece and Italy were unbeaten heading into the semifinals, as was Netherlands with its draw against Italy earlier in the week. So only Arno Havenga’s Netherlands made it through to the final day unscathed.
The finals mean nothing, other than pride.
In the round 5-8 semifinals, Kazakhstan needed a last-gasp goal to beat Slovakia 11-10 and France downed Israel 11-4.
Some historical data here will be of huge interest to many of you.
I witnessed Palermo 2000 when United States of America and Russia prevailed over Italy and Hungary for the final two positions to the six-team inaugural women’s competition in Sydney, Australia. A huge crowd spurred Italy on to no avail in the semifinals and the play-off for bronze the following day attracted almost no-one and players on the referee rostrum cried during the presentations.
FINA Media Committee member Gergely Csurka provides some pre-match insight:
“The Greece-Netherlands match-up cannot be any more gruelling. These are the two among the elite teams which missed the Olympics in 2012 and 2016. And both lost in extremely tight quarterfinals at the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments on both occasions, so it was extremely painful for them not to make the cut (Greece bowed out as reigning 2011 world champion in 2012 in Trieste; the Netherlands lost to Italy, well, among the 'usual' circumstances when Italy plays at home – then the Netherlands lost at home in 2016 after world silver in 2015 and European silver earlier in January 2016).
“Greece, in fact, was in full control against Russia in 2016 — led by two late in the game — but the Russians miraculously came back, then Greece scored what seemed to be a sure winner with a couple of seconds remaining, but the Russians scored an unreal goal, won the shootout and went to Rio (where they similarly came back at the very end against Hungary, beat the buzzer for the tie, won the shootout and the bronze...).
“So today the pain will continue for one of the two. It's going to a third missed Olympics in a row for the loser of that semi.
“Ever since Italy and Hungary missed in 2000, both made the cut on every occasion, so here the loser will miss the Games for the first time since 2000.”
Saturday Semifinal Programme
Round 5-8
Match 17, 14:00, KAZAKHSTAN 11 SLOVAKIA 10
Match 18, 16:00, FRANCE 11 ISRAEL 4
Round 1-4
Match 19, 18:00, NETHERLANDS 7 GREECE 4
Match 20, 20:00, HUNGARY 13 ITALY 10
Sunday Finals Programme
Match 21, 14:00, SVK v ISR
Classification 7-8
Match 22, 16:00, KAZ v FRA
Classification 5-6
Match 23, 18:00, GRE v ITA
Classification 3-4
Match 24, 20:00, NED v HUN
Classification 1-2
Match reports
Match 17, 14:00, KAZAKHSTAN 11 SLOVAKIA 10
Classification 5-8 Semifinal
Quarters: 2-3, 4-2, 1-2, 4-3
Referees: Gabrielle Varkonyi (HUN), Georgios Stavridis (GRE).
Shots: KAZ: 11/28. SVK: 10/24.
Extra Man: KAZ: SVK:
Pens: KAZ: 3/9. SVK: 3/4.
Teams:
KAZAKHSTAN: Alexandra Zharkimbayeva, Darya Pochinok, Aizhan Akilbayeva (1/2), Anna Turova (1/3), Anastassiya Yeremina (2/8), Darya Roga (2/4), Anna Novikova (4/6), Darya Muravyeva (0/3), Nadezhda Shapovalova, Viktoriya Khritankova (1/1), Madina Rakhmanova (0/1, Anastassiya Murataliyeva, Azhar Alibayeva. Head Coach: Marat Naurazbekov.
SLOVAKIA: Emma Dvoranova, Beata Kovacikova (0/1, Anastasija Halocka (2/4), Barbora Kvasnicova (0/1), Martina Kiernoszova, Monika Sedlakova (0/1), Natalia Peckova (1/2), Karin Kackova (2/4), Miroslava Stankovianska (4/7), Ivana Majlathova, Daniela Katlovska (0/2), Katarina Kissova (1/2), Kristina Horvathova. Head Coach: Milan Henkrich.
photo credit Andrea Staccioli / DBM
Both teams were reticent to shoot on target in the opening minutes with just one being saved. Then the match opened up and both teams found scoring to be a wondrous thing. The fact that Slovakia had the quarter-time lead spoke volumes for its progress in Trieste and on the international stage. Kazakhstan has the runs on the board, having been at the first Olympics for women’s water polo and been at major tournaments ever since. Its experience was to shine through, especially in the second period when Anna Novikova fired in consecutive goals to go with her first in the match’s opening score. The progress was maintained into the start of the third period with Anastassiya Yeremina scoring off extra-player advantage. At 7-5, it was going well for Kazakhstan. However, Slovakia’s Anastasija Halocka converted extra and Miroslava Stankovianska scored her third with an excellent left-handed scoop from centre forward to level the match at 1:09. It was game on for the final quarter. Kazakhstan went ahead early through Darya Roga and it was up to Slovakia to level the match three times with the 10-10 score coming at 1:31. This was brought about much easier when Viktoriya Khritankova committed the cardinal error of not taking the penalty shot when the referee signalled, meaning Kazakhstan could have been 11-9 up with three minutes remaining. Natalia Peckova converted her penalty chance for the 10-10 score. Kazakhstan could have won it at 1:03 with Roga hitting the post on her penalty shot. However, veteran Aizhan Akilbayeva made sure on an extra-player attack at 0:21 for what was the winning goal. Slovakia called a timeout at 0:20, but failed to take a shot before the final buzzer. Novikova was named the player of the match for her four goals, her fourth coming at 10-9. Kazakhstan had won through to the fifth-place play-off.
Match 18, 16:00, FRANCE 11 ISRAEL 4
Classification 5-8 Semifinal
Quarters:2-1, 2-0, 5-2, 2-1
Referees: Asumi Tsuzaki (JN), Sander Gransjean (NED).
Shots: FRA: 11/37. ISR: 4/33.
Extra Man: FRA: 3/7. ISR: 2/6.
Pens: FRA: 2/2. ISR: Nil.
Teams:
FRANCE: Csenge Gaal, Estelle Millot (3/7), Gabrielle Fitaire, Camelia Bouloukbachi (1/3), Louise Guillet (3/9), Geraldine Mahieu (1/5), Juliette Dhalluin (1/2), Valentine Heurtaux, Ema Vernoux (2/6), Steffy Michaud (0/2), Yaelle Deschampt, Camille Radosavljevic (0/3), Lou Counil. Head Coach: Florian Bruzzo.
ISRAEL: Alma Yaacobi (0/5), Tahel Levi (0/1), Maria Bogachenko (1/5), Kerem Noy (1/2), Hila Futorian (1/2), Yahav Farkash (0/2), Dar Menakerman (0/2), Eden Tal (0/1), Noa Sasover, Nofar Hochberg (1/13), Ronny Gazit, Inbar Geva. Head Coach: Dimitrios Mavrotas.
photo credit Andrea Staccioli / DBM
France impressed with its second win (beat Slovakia 17-9 in the preliminary round) in downing Israel 11-4. The team is well balanced when it comes to scoring and the pressure on both goalkeepers was immense with Frenchwoman Lou Counil making a resounding 15 saves and Inbar Geva dragging down 11 for Israel. Goals were traded at the start before France nabbed a 10m goal from Estelle Millot off a free throw in the last second. Louise Guillet converted a penalty early in the second quarter and Camelia Bouloukbachi scored from the right at 1:56. Hila Futorian pulled it back to start the third period and then five French goals straddling a lone Israeli extra-player goal decided the encounter by the final break — 9-3. Ema Vernoux scored either side of the final break, followed by a Millot strike on extra at 1:43. Israel closed the scoring through Kerem Noy with a centre-forward backhand and 11-4. Israel did not seem to be as focused, so will need to lift in the classification with Slovakia for seventh on Sunday. France will tackle Kazakhstan for fifth place.
Dimitrios Mavrotas (ISR) — Head Coach
“The truth was that I was expecting much more from the team, unfortunately France played much better than us, they had much more energy. We didn’t succeed to follow the rhythm of the game and we did some mistakes that were not in the plan. We are expecting some mistakes, but there were some mistakes that were more serious than usual. We lost our concentration in the game. We let France to lead the scoring from the beginning with two or three goals and we didn’t fill the gap at the end. We have one more game. We have one tie until now (7-7 with Kazakhstan) and I hope we finish with one win tomorrow with Slovakia.”
Match 19, 18:00, NETHERLANDS 7 GREECE 4
Classification 1-4 Semifinal (Winner qualifies for Tokyo 2020)
Quarters: 1-2, 2-2, 2-0, 2-0
Referees: Boris Margeta (SLO), Nenad Peris (CRO).
Shots: NED: 7/28 GRE: 4/32.
Extra Man: NED: 1/3. GRE: 4/32.
Pens: NED: 1/1. GRE: 0/10.
Teams:
NETHERLANDS: Joanne Koenders, Maud Megens (2), Dagmar Genee, Sabrina van der Sloot (1), Iris Wolves, Nomi Stomphorst, Bente Rogge, Vivian Sevenich, Maartje Keuning, Ilse Koolhaas, Simone van de Kraats (2), Brigitte Sleeking (1), Debby Willemsz. Head Coach: Arno Havenga.
GREECE: Chrsyoula Diamantopoulou, Christina Tsoukala (1), Foteini Tricha, Nikoleta Eleftheriadou (1), Margarita Plevritou (1), Eleni Xenaki, Eirini Ninou, Maria Patra, Christina Kotsia, Vasiliki Plevritou, Eleftheria Plevritou, Maria Myriokefalitaki (1), Ioanna Stamatopoulou. Head Coach: Theodoros Lorantos.
photo credit Andrea Staccioli / DBM
Greece will have to wait another three years to realise its dream of returning to the Olympic fold. After leading at both the first and second breaks, Greece was on target to maintain its unbeaten run in Trieste. However, Netherlands was also desperate to regain Olympic representation and nullified the one-goal deficit at the top of the third, claimed the first lead of the match late in the period and netted twice more in the last, denying Greece any goal for the entire half. Greece did nothing different in the second half and Netherlands just kept pestering and finding the chinks in Greece’s armour. Excellent goalkeeping was the measure of the Dutch defence with fingertip saves enough to keep Greece wondering just how it was to adjust the scoreboard. Christina Tsoukala, Greece’s scoring machine, was kept quiet. It wasn’t that she was missing or having shots blocked, it was more she could not see opportunities and elected to pass. She was pressured far from the goal, but that is not a consideration that normally bothers the 29-year-old veteran. Netherlands opened through Maud Megens from the penalty line and Tsoukala claimed her 19th goal of the week with a missile into the top left on the next attack. The hatless Margarita Plevritou pushed Greece ahead with a shot from the right at 4:51, the last score of the period. Maria Myriokefalitaki backhanded from centre forward to open the second quarter before Dutch goals from Brigitte Sleeking with a floater from the left and Simone van de Kraats on counter levelled the match. Six seconds from the half, Nikoleta Eleftheriadou carried the ball upfield and scored from about six metres for the long-break advantage. Megens charged to the four-metre line to level at 4-4 two minutes into the third quarter. More than four minutes later Sabrina van der Sloot gave Netherlands the edge on extra from the top. Megens opened the last quarter, receiving a cross pass on counter and van de Kraats smashed in her 17th goal from the deep right at 5:10 and 7-4. Greece’s best chance for a goal came at 5:02 when Margarita Plevritou turned at centre forward and with the goal at her mercy, hit the right upright. Neither side could break through and Greece saw the Olympic dream slip and fade away. While the Dutch celebrated long and hard and accepted a giant-sized airline boarding pass to Tokyo, Greece slipped out the back door.
Simone van de Kraats (NED) — Player of the Match
“We’re so happy that we are finally at the Olympics. I think we played very good. We had a plan in the game. We wanted to score more goals and make the difference; we did that in the third quarter. I’m very happy and I’m still exhausted from shouting and yelling… it’s amazing, this feeling. We had to stay calm and we did that, because a lot of times we played very good in the first two quarters and we had a lot of score difference and the opposite. They changed it from seven to seven or something and now we did the opposite, to do it for ourselves and we make the difference in the third and fourth quarters and they didn’t have time any more to make it tied.”
Match 20, 20:00, HUNGARY 13 ITALY 10
Classification 1-4 Semifinal (Winner qualifies for Tokyo 2020)
Quarters: 3-1, 2-2, 4-4, 4-3
Referees: Svetlana Dreval (RUS), Matan Schwartz (ISR).
Shots: HUN: 13.27. ITA: 10/37.
Extra Man: HUN: 8/12. ITA: 4/12.
Pens: HUN: Nil. ITA: 0/2.
Teams:
HUNGARY: Edina Gangl, Dorottya Szilagyi (2/3), Vanda Valyi, Greta Gurisatti (0/2), Gabriella Szucs (1/1), Rebecca Parkes (1/3), Anna Illes (2/4), Rita Keszthelyi (6/9), Dora Leimeter (1/2), Aniko Gyongyossy, Natasa Rybanska, Krisztina Garda (0/3), Alda Magyari. Head Coach: Attila Biro.
ITALY: Giulia Gorlero, Chiara Tabani (2/6), Arianna Garibotti (0/5), Silvia Avegno (0/3), Elisa Queirolo (0/3), Rosaria Aiello (0/2), Claudia Marletta (4/7), Roberto Bianconi (2/4), Sofia Giustini (0/3), Valeria Palmieri (2/2), Izabella Chiappini (0/1), Giulia Viacava (0/1), Fabiano Sparano. Head Coach: Paolo Zizza.
photo credit Andrea Staccioli / DBM
These two teams played the last four Olympic Games, but today, one was going to miss the airline ticket. Sadly for Italy, memories of 2000 came flooding ack when in Palermo it also missed out in the semifinals. The writing was on the wall very early as Hungary raced to a 3-0 lead and it was never going to be denied. Finishing fourth at the previous three Olympics with several in penalty shootout, means there is unfinished business — an Olympic medal missing from the cabinet. Led by the fantastic Rita Keszthelyi, Hungary was unstoppable. She scored the second and third goals that set the scene for victory. She smashed in the sixth and ninth in the third period and then scored bookend goals in the fourth, highlighting her impeccable play and skills— six goals to lift her Trieste tally to 26. However, she needed a team around her and that balance came, not just from Dorottya Szilagyi and Anna Illes who scored twice each, but from everyone and especially goalkeeper Alda Magyari whose vital saves gave Hungary the edge. Italy scored at 3-1 late in the first and collected the last two in the second. Hungary went three up again at the start of the third and Italy responded smartly with two more to narrow the margin again. Italy came back through Roberto Bianconi for 7-6 and Valeria Palmieri tipped in a post shot on extra to close the third at 9-7. It was still a close match. The real damage came midway through the fourth when Hungary went from 10-8 to 12-8 with 3:10 remaining. This became the insurmountable target. Palmieri accepted a side pass and quickly and deftly hammered in the backhand at two metres for 12-9. Keszthelyi blasted from downtown at 1:56 and Italy’s consolation goal on extra to Claudia Marletta — for her fourth — at 0:49 was not enough. Hungary took some time to let the victory soak in and when the huge airline boarding pass was handed over, the tears flowed and the joy seemed unbounded. Only head coach Attila Biro seemed unmoved, although that was not the case.
Attila Biro (HUN) — Head Coach
“It was a really tough game and both teams. Our goalie was a little bit better than the Italian goalie and I think we had huge mental power. I knew that we cannot win four-five-six goals obviously so, that’s why we were winning one or two goals we tried to push in defence mostly. but hopefully on attack we were much, much better than two days ago (5-8 loss to Greece). To be calm until the end of the game and take a high rhythm and push hard in defence; that was the key and good defence is always good. I saw some mistakes, but less than Italy.”
Paolo Zizza (ITA) — Head Coach
“Hungary always starts the game very hard. We were a bit surprised we didn’t get to stay focused from the beginning. We were a bit nervous, also with some mistakes, but we knew that and we were not ready from the beginning. In this type of game the mental thing is very, very important. The first goal for Hungary was very important for them and a bit disappointed because of that we tried to chase Hungary all the time, but we were always a bit nervous not playing for the final result, but just trying to get back to Hungary all the time; we didn’t manage to get back at the end of the game.”
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