Final Placings
1. United States of America
2. Spain
3. Greece
4. Italy
5. Hungary
6. Netherlands
7. Croatia
8. Brazil
9. Australia
10. China
11. New Zealand
12. Israel
13. Canada
14. Argentina
15. South Africa
16. Mexico
Awards
Image Source: Awardees — Iva Rozic (CRO), Anahi Bacigalupo (ARG), Olimpia Sesina (ITA), Lucy Haaland-Ford (USA), Emily Ausmus (USA)/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Most Valuable Player
Emily Ausmus (USA)
Best Goalkeeper
Olimpia Sesena (ITA)
Highest Goal-Scorers
Anahi Bacigalupo (ARG) — 23
Iva Rozic (CRO) — 23
Player of the Final
Lucy Haaland-Ford (USA)
Image Source: World champion USA/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Media All Star Team
Goalkeeper:
Olimpia Sesena (ITA)
Field Players:
Emily Ausmus (USA)
Julia Bonaguidi (USA)
Anahi Bacigalupo (ARG)
Dionysia Koureta (GRE)
Isabel Piralkova (ESP)
Iva Rozic (CRO)
Image Source: World champion USA/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Overview
In the gold-medal final, United States of America shrugged off Spain in the final quarter by going three ahead and holding on for the fifth crown. USA is the queen of the finals, winning five of six and now has a 5-1-3 record as the best nation at this level. BY taking silver, Spain proved itself as the second best nation with 2-4-1.
In the bronze-medal final, Greece was 3-1 down to Italy midway through the second quarter but a 6-1 third period set it up for the 10-7 success. Greece now has a 1-2-2 record and Italy has to rue losing its third successive bronze-medal final since winning bronze over Greece in 2019.
In the classification 5-6 encounter, outgoing champion Hungary had the better of Netherlands 19-11 and Croatia secured seventh position, downing Brazil 17-11.
Match Reports
Classification 1-2
Match 50, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 16 SPAIN 15 (3-3, 3-3, 6-5, 4-4)
Image Source: Lucy Haaland-Ford (USA) and Queralt Anton (ESP)/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
In a match where the scores were locked at two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and 10, USA held its resolve and moved out to 14-11 and held on for victory. There were standout performances from Lucy Haaland-Ford (USA) and Irene Casado (ESP) who scored eight of the last 11 goals in the sharpest end of the tournament.
Image Source: Silver medallist Spain/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
USA went two up thanks to a save of Isabel Piralkova’s penalty attempt after Kamryn Barone had opened the scoring. USA captain and the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, Emily Ausmus, converted her penalty attempt. Carlota Penalver made it two straight goals on extra before Julia Bonaguidi also scored on extra. Penalver sent in a penalty goal a second from the buzzer for her third. Piralkova converted a penalty to open the second quarter. Charlotte Raisin scored either side of an Casado action goal and Allison Cohen took USA ahead on a one-pass extra play. Julia Cereijo scored off a cross pass on extra for 6-6 at halftime.
In the third quarter, goals were exchanged to 8-8 with Bonaguidi scoring twice for USA. Goals were swapped again to 10-10 with Penalver and Piralkova in the mix for Spain. Haaland-Ford then fired up her campaign with a pair, including a skip shot into the bottom left. Piralkova replied for 12-11, leaning to her left to send the ball down the line. It was brilliant play and came just two seconds from the final break.
Image Source: Most Valuable Player Emily Ausmus (USA)/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
The final quarter was teasing us as Haaland-Ford scored her third and Ausmus converted penalty to open a three-goal lead at 5:48. Casado scored from the top left and Haaland-Ford responded as she muscled into centre forward for the 15-12 margin. Casado scored twice more either side of a Barone cross-cage bomber. Casado’s 16-14 goal was from a “lookaway” shot and the last from the top. This left USA with 28 seconds of possession time with Ausmus given the responsibility to maintain for the whole time to secure the gold medal.
Match Heroes
Haaland-Ford scoring four; Bonaguidi three and pairs to Raisin, Barone and Ausmus. Christine Carpenter made eight saves. For Spain, Casado fired in five, Penalver four and Piralkova three.
Turning Point
Image Source: Carlota Penalver (ESP)/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
USA had the lead three times and Spain twice, USA maintaining the lead after levelling at eight, holding off ties at nine and 10 to swim away with the victory.
Stats Don’t Lie
USA went seven from 12 on extra and Spain five from seven. USA scored two penalty goals and Spain two from three. Spain won the steals 7-4 and the shots 32-31.
Bottom Line
USA went through undefeated, won two matches by one goal and two in penalty shootouts, so it was no easy title. Only the 24-6 blowout against Croatia carried little pressure. Spain beat Hungary in a shootout and Greece by two in the semifinals, so this was the second hardest match.
Classification 3-4
Match 49, ITALY 7 GREECE 10 (2-1, 2-2, 1-6, 2-1)
Image Source: Bronze medallist Greece/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Greece beat Italy for the second time in Salvador, following the first day’s 13-11 score. In the first match, Italy had the lead on several occasions and today Italy commanded the match at 3-1 a minute into the second period. Nefeli Krassa opened the scoring for Greece from the top on extra three minutes into the encounter. Beatrice Cassara with a clean-up shot at centre, Federica Morrone from the top right and Margherita Minuto from deep left in the second-quarter had Italy 3-1 ahead. At 4:31 in the second quarter, Rafaela Saltamanika converted extra and 30 seconds later Foteini Tricha went on counter for 3-3. Paola di Maria backhanded her centre-forward goal for 4-3 at 3:46 with no further goals in the half.
Image Source: Asimini Klapsianou (GRE)/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
The third period was hard to take for Italy as Greece went on the rampage. Saltamanika scored from the top left; Dionysia Koureta turned at centre forward; Ariadni Karampetsou slotted a penalty goal and Krassa converted extra from top left for 7-4. Di Maria backhanded another goal but Karampetsou from deep right on extra and Koureta at centre forward, had the score at 9-5 before the final break. Aspasia Fouraki opened the fourth on extra and nearly three minutes later, Italian captain Emma de March shot from the top for 10-6. Greece went to a timeout, wasted the time; Italy took a timeout and Lavinia Papi eased out of centre to four metres to take the pass and score for 10-7 for the final goal.
Match Heroes
Krassa, Koureta, Karampetsou and Saltamanika all scored twice for Greece. Di Maria scored twice for Italy.
Image Source: Italy v Greece/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Turning Point
The third period where Greece snatched the lead and hammered home the advantage.
Stats Don’t Lie
Greece scored five from 10 on extra and shut down four from five. Greece scored the only penalty goal, lost the steals 4-3 and the shots 34-26, but still won easily.
Bottom Line
Greece continues the fine showing by Greece’s national women’s teams to be the best women’s nation on the planet currently.
Classification 5-6
Match 48, NETHERLANDS 11 HUNGARY 19 (2-5, 2-4, 4-5, 3-5)
Image Source: Eszter Varro (HUN)/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Hungary played its most free-flowing water polo of the week, probably because there was really nothing on the line in the way of medals. Zoe Lendvay scored a hat-trick in the first quarter against two Pien Gorter goals for Netherlands. Amy Kleinlugtebeld opened the second quarter for the Dutch and goals were traded to 7-4. Dominika Kardos scored twice for Hungary to go 9-4 ahead at the halftime.
Kleinlugtebeld started the third quarter as well, sending in a penalty goal while senior international Kata Hajdu lobbed for her second goal. Natasa Lendvai — she with the different spelling —converted a penalty. Goals were traded again before Lendvai scored a second from the top right. Amalia Christodoulou-Out shot from the top right for 14-8 to finish the third period. Dutch captain Robin Jutte converted extra before a triple from Hungary shunted the score to 17-7. Tess van der Meer replied; Hajdu and Kleinlugtebeld exchanged extra-player goals and Dominika Kardos went on counter in the last half minute for the handsome 19-11 victory.
Image Source: Kata Hajdu (HUN)/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Match Heroes
Hajdu was best for Hungary with four goals, Lendvai, Lendvay and Dominika Kardos scoring three each. For Netherlands, Kleinlugtebeld scored four and Gorter and van der Meer two apiece.
Turning Point
Hungary turning 2-0 to 4-1 and 5-2 by the first break.
Image Source: Netherlands captain Robin Jutte/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Stats Don’t Lie
Hungary nailed all three extra attempts and defended five from 10. Both scored a penalty goal, Hungary made six steals to four and the Dutch shot 35-30.
Bottom Line
Hungary relinquishes its world crown after three losses in the rounds, but bounced back in the crossovers against Australia, downed Brazil and now Netherlands. Netherlands goes home with four wins from six matches, losing out to Spain and Italy.
Classification 7-8
Match 47, CROATIA 17 BRAZIL 11 (5-5, 5-3, 2-3, 5-0)
Image Source: Leticia Lorieto (BRA)/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Croatia beat Brazil for the second time in Salvador with a similar result from day one’s 18-9. Croatia collected a fifth win, with losses to eventual champion USA and Netherlands. It was a whirlwind of goals with both teams wanting to play open water polo and take chances whenever they eventuated. Brazil held sway for much of the first half before Croatia took over and went for the victory. The match was tied twice at five and 10. Leticia Lorieto opened with the first two goals for Brazil and goals were traded to 5-3. Two more Croatian goals levelled the match by the first quarter. Lorieto started the second quarter as well for 6-5 but Nika Alamat and Iva Rozic snatched away the advantage, the first on lob and the second from a rare six-metre, free-throw shot. Dandara Sampaio equalised but Ria Glas and Nina Medic — penalty and lob — had Croatia in charge. Brazil challenged for a penalty and won, giving captain Maiah Nascimento her second goal. Rozic closed the scoring with a lob.
Image Source: Leticia Lorieto (BRA) and Iva Rozic (CRO)/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Karen da Silva, one of the many players returning to this event, converted extra for her second goal and 10-9 at the top of the third period. Nascimento also threw a six-metre throw, from at least eight metres, for 10-10 after Glas had her penalty attempt saved. Alamat and Jelena Butic on penalty had the score at 12-10 before Ana Neves converted extra from deep left for 12-11 by the final break. Alamat and Rozic, both on lob, eased the margin to three. Croatia won a challenge and Glas sent in a penalty shot. Rozic on penalty and Butic on extra, closed the match at 17-11.
Match Heroes
Rozic with five goals and Alamat with four. Latica Medvesek made eight saves in goal. For Brazil, Nascimento and Lorieto shot three each. Both goalkeepers took in 10 saves.
Image Source: Nika Alamat (CRO) defends/Satiro Sodre/CBDA/World Aquatics
Turning Point
Croatia turning 6-5 down to 10-8 ahead in the second quarter.
Stats Don’t Lie
Croatia scored its sole extra-player chance and defended eight from 12. Croatia made four from five on penalty and Brazil scored its one chance. Croatia won the steals 5-3 and the shots 36-20.
Bottom Line
Croatia finishes with its best effort at this level after 11th last time and 16th on debut in 2017. Brazil was 10th last time and equalled its eight position in 2015.