New Zealand and Israel were the big achievers in day-five crossover action at the Olympic Swimming Pool Centre in Coimbra on Tuesday. New Zealand beat Brazil 13-10 and Israel trumped Australia by the same score to make the quarterfinals alongside Netherlands, who defeated Canada 17-9, and Italy, who downed Croatia 24 -6.
The new system that separates the top nations from the lower countries, allows for those lower teams to emerge to the top echelon as shown by New Zealand and Israel. The Dutch and Italians had sat on the sidelines with the Dutch gaining a second win from four matches and the Italians a third win from four matches.
New Zealand now has four wins in Coimbra and Israel, strangely, just its first win to reach the quarterfinals, such are the vagaries of the system.
The top two teams from each of the leading two groups have already qualified for the quarterfinals and they will clash with today’s winners. Spain will play Israel. Hungary faces New Zealand, Greece fronts Italy and United States of America take on Netherlands.
In the group stages to determine classifications 13-19, Japan gained its third win in beating Portugal 19-17, Chile downed India 14-2 for a historic first victory at this level and France gained its third victory, in triumphing over Kazakhstan 14-6.
The new system allows for meaningful results and after day five only one team remains without a win — India. Likewise, New Zealand is the only team with four victories.
Match Reports
Classification 1-12 Crossovers
CANADA 9 NETHERLANDS 17
Netherlands made sure of making the quarterfinals with some powerful play and the skill and shooting prowess of senior international Lola Moolhuijzen. She has been fairly quiet in the scoring department with just the one goal in Coimbra before today. She stepped up big time, had two of the first three goals, another in the second, two in the third period and a pair in the last.
The 3-1 advantage became 4-3 at the first break and 9-4 at the turnaround. Canada was an equal match in the third as the score progressed to 13-8, but even though Alia Burlock pulled it back to four goals at the top of the fourth, Netherlands controlled the rest of the period with four goals.
Match Heroes:
Moolhuijzen finished with seven goals for the award and Burlock fired in five to lift her Coimbra total to 14.
Turning Point:
Netherlands moving from 5-4 three minutes into the second quarter to 10-4 early in the third.
Bottom Line:
Netherlands has the team to go far and Canada had its star players pressured with Ella Cowan, Emma Lawson and Serena Browne all limited to one goal.
CROATIA 6 ITALY 24
Italy built on its two victories from the group stages, although it only managed third place in its group. It is a class team with quick players, even quicker passing and the smarts to go far in the competition. Italy kept Croatia out of the match for the first nine minutes and then for another 15 minutes as it went from 5-0 at the quarter to 11-1 at half and 18-1 at the final break. Croatia scored its second at the start of the fourth period and added a further four, meaning the last period was 6-5 to Italy.
Croatia had trouble adjusting its defence and gave up four counter-attack goals in the first three quarters.
Match Heroes:
Morena Leone and Paola di Maria were on form with five goals each and Leone took out the match award. Leone pumps her tally to 13 and di Maria was impressive with three straight goals — from deep right on action, at centre forward and on counter as Italy closed the third period.
Turning Point:
Keeping Croatia at bay in the first quarter was all that was needed.
Bottom Line:
Italy earned a clash with Greece in the quarterfinals and Croatia has a day off to contemplate the classification 9-12 semifinals on Friday.
NEW ZEALAND 13 BRAZIL 10
New Zealand became the first team to score four victories in Coimbra and deservedly made the quarterfinals where its opponent is Hungary. Brazil was no easy opponent, so the Kiwis jumped on to the front foot with Aggie Weston blasting in the first two goals to set up frontal advantage. The quarter leads favoured New Zealand 5-4, 8-6, 10-8 and 13-10.
Seven of New Zealand’s goals came from the right side of the pool and while Rebecca Moreira fired in a 10m shot to level at 5-5 early in the second quarter, Sammie Bentley bested that with a 12m grenade toss to close all scoring just inside the final minute. It was the full stop on New Zealand’s excellent campaign that earned a top-eight position and become the best team in the Commonwealth.
The match was tied at two, three and five and Brazil came back to 8-7 and 10-9, giving some hope. However, salvation was not there as two goals nearly four minutes apart had New Zealand at 12-9 with two minutes remaining.
Match Heroes:
Aggie Weston, with her four goals, was named player of the match and brought her tally to 13. Bentley and Holly Dunn grabbed three each. Stefany Azevedo, Moreira and Leticia Lorieto scored two each for Brazil.
Turning Point:
The first two Kiwi goals and then two in the final quarter that sealed the clash.
Stats Don’t Lie:
Brazil missed penalty shots either side of the halftime break — two goals, if converted, that could have made a difference.
Bottom Line:
New Zealand deserved to win against a team that was in the top-tier groups, losing three times with large margins. The Kiwis proved it was possible to rise out of the bottom four groups and gain a berth at the big dance.
AUSTRALIA 10 ISRAEL 13
Israeli experience shone through in this encounter with Alma Yaacobi and her Fukuoka veterans showing that the world championships meant something. With a handful of players having competed at the elite worlds, the time was ripe to reverse the Fukuoka experience by knocking Australia out of the top eight. Australia went into the match with three straight victories and Israel had three heavy losses in the top-tier grouping. Today, Israel gained the one win it valued most and exacted some sort of revenge for the senior loss in July.
It was Yaacobi who dominated proceedings with the first three goals as Israel went 4-1 and 5-3 by the first break. The margin shot out to four by halftime and this is what the Aussies had trouble redressing. Australia won the third period 4-1, but still trailled 9-8. Yaacobi scored one of the goals of the tournament when she accepted a cross pass with two defenders breathing down her neck and fired the ball with no vision into the net for 10-8 to start the fourth quarter. Dar Menakerman went on counter on the next Israeli attack and 11-8 proved a worthy difference.
Nioka Thomas, who has made a huge impact in Coimbra, scored twice on extra-man attack from the left, but it was only good enough for 12-10 down inside the final two minutes. Menakerman converted extra and Israel had the all-important victory. Both teams converted two penalty goals.
Match Heroes:
Yaacobi with her five goals proved invaluable and she deservedly was named best in pool. Menakerman followed up with three. Like Yaacobi, Thomas, with four goals, lifted her tally to 13.
Turning Point:
That 4-1 start for Israel and the two early goals in the final quarter. Australia nearly came good with the third-period surge.
Bottom Line:
Israel has a first win and Australia a first loss. Israel will play the quarterfinals against champion Spain and Australia goes to the classification 9-12 bracket, having a day off to ponder what could have been.
Classification 13-19 Groups
Group G
JAPAN 19 PORTUGAL 17
This match had hardy fans on the edge of their seats and the support of the crowd made a difference for Portugal. The see-saw match meant that Japan started quickly at 3-0, Portugal came back to 3-2 and Japan went to the first break at 6-3. Portugal struck back and bridged the gap, gave Japan the lead, levelled at six, gave up the lead and then led 8-7. Japan levelled at eight before Portugal went 11-8 up. Japan grabbed one back for 11-9 at halftime.
Breathless this was. Japan scored the first two goals of the third for 11-11 and Portugal missed a penalty chance, gained a penalty goal and lobbed the goalkeeper for 13-11. Goals were traded yet Portugal had the 14-13 lead after three periods.
Bring on the fourth. Susune Kobayashi shot two and Momo Inoue one as Japan turned the tables for 16-14. Goals were traded to 18-16 by 1:47 and Japan seized the occasion to fire in the last two goals for the 19-17 victory.
It was scintillating stuff with three players scoring five goals and not one player giving up. Kudos to both teams on a wonderful encounter.
Match Heroes:
Momoka Nishiyama was named best with her five goals, three coming by 4-2. Inoue and Maho Kobayashi scored three each. For Portugal, seeking a third win here, Madalena Lousa and Maria Machado were the other five-goal heroes.
Turning Points:
So many, as the twists and turns showed with Portugal leading for nearly nine minutes and Japan the rest.
Bottom Line:
Japan will be hoping for more glory and will gain another win against Chile tomorrow. Portugal can be proud of its 63 goals in front of a home crowd, along with those two victories.
INDIA 2 CHILE 14
Chile gained a historic victory and now has to face Japan to decide which ranking match it will play. Chile began wonderfully with five goals before India replied. The second quarter was scoreless for India as Chile went to 9-1. It was a 3-1 third period for Chile and 3-0 in the final eight minutes. Barbara Gutierrez netted six goals as she improved her standing to eight. Chile enjoyed the moment and celebrated every goal with wild enthusiasm.
Match Heroes:
Gutierrez, was named player of the match, with her first a lob, two counter-attack goals, two from centre forward and her 11-2 strike accepting a long cross pass to the left-post position to score.
Turning Point:
The 5-0 opening stretch that sent Chile to the victory line.
Bottom Line:
Both teams have one match left in their Group G as they near the end of their tournament.
Group H
KAZAKHSTAN 6 FRANCE 14
France, with its big list of senior internationals, finds itself in the bottom tier of teams and will be working hard to make it known it should not have been there. Kazakhstan started the scoring and then France went into top gear, shooting to 3-1 and 4-2 by the quarter break and 7-2 before Kazakhstan sent in a pair to France’s one for 8-4 at the long break. This became 12-5 at the final break and a quiet 2-1 final period found the final buzzer.
Senior experience means everything and three players who are eying the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as firmly fledged members of the senior team — Ema Vernoux, Juliette Dhalluin and Camelia Bouloukbachi —showed today why they are elite players. Vernoux rammed home eight goals and Dhalluin three as they both reached 16 goals for the tournament. Bouloukbachi scored a penalty goal to bring her tally to 14. Collectively, they have scored 46 of the team’s 77 goals.
Kazakhstan tried to make a match of it, but could not compete, even though Viktoriya Kaplun managed four goals before being fouled out of the match early in the fourth.
Match Heroes:
Ema Vernoux for her eight goals and amazingly, all scored on extra-man attack and all from the left side of the pool — one off a six-metre free throw and one steering in a ball on the left-post position. France only scored eight goals on extra. Kaplun made her mark for Kazakhstan.
Turning Point:
Coming back from 1-0 down to go 7-2, five minutes into the second quarter.
Bottom Line:
France is too good for this grouping and will finish 13th. Kazakhstan has had up days and down days. Today was a down day.
Progress points
Group G: Japan 6, Portugal 3, Chile 3. India 0.
Group H: France 6, Kazakhstan 0, South Africa 0.
Wednesday Schedule
Group G
Match 40, 10:30, Japan v Chile
Group H
Match 41, 12:00, South Africa v Kazakhstan
Group G
Match 39, 13:30, Portugal v India
Classification 1-8 Quarterfinals
Match 43, 15:30, Spain v Israel
Match 44, 17:00, Hungary v New Zealand
Match 45, 18:30, Greece v Italy
Match 46, 20:00, United States of America v Netherlands