Spain managed to tie up after the intermission to an ‘answering’ the United States to end up winning by 8-12 in an intense quarterfinal duel and qualify for the first time the two teams (male and female) for the semifinals of some Games.
USA
ESP
UNITED STATES, 8
(3 + 3 + 0 + 2): Alex Wolf (l.), Johnny Hooper, Luca Cupido (1), Ben Hallock (1), Dulan Woodhead, Alex Bowen (1), Max Irving -starting seven-, Marko Vavic , Alex Obert (2), Hannes Daube (3), Ben Stevenson and Jesse Smith.
SPAIN, 12
(3 + 3 + 1 + 5): Dani López Pinedo (p.), Alberto Munárriz (2, 2p.), Álvaro Granados (2), Miguel de Toro (1), Marc Larumbe, Martín Famera, Felipe Perrone (1 ) -starting seven-, Bernat Sanahuja (2), Francisco Fernández (2), Roger Tahull (1), Blai Mallarach (1) and Álex Bustos.
REFEREES
Michiel Zwart and Gyorgy Kun (Hungary). American Jesse Smith was sent off with a red card (11:25).
GOALS
0-1, Felipe Perrone (3:35); 1-1, Ben Allock (3:05); 1-2, Francisco Fernández (5:37), 3-1, Bernat Sanahuja (6:40); 3-2, Hannes Daube (7:08); 4-2, Hannes Daube (7:51); 4-3, Hannes Daube (9:37); 4-4, Álvaro Granados (9:52); 4-5, Miguel de Toro (11:25); 5-5, Alex Bowen (11:48); 6-6, Alex Obert (13:53); 6-6, Álvaro Granados (14:35); 6-7, Bernat Sanahuja (17:04); 6-8, Alberto Munárriz, from a penalty (26:07); 7-8, Luca Cupido (26:54); 7-9, Blai Mallarach (27:39); 7-10, Roger Tahull (28:42); 8-10, Alex Obert (31:00); 8-11, Alberto Munárriz, from a penalty (31:24), 8-12, Francisco Fernández (35:54).
INCIDENTS
First match of the quarterfinals of the women’s water polo competition of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games played behind closed doors at the Tatsumi Water Polo Center (Tokyo, Japan).
Thus, the team led by David Martín is already waiting for a rival in the semifinals and this will come from the winner of the third quarter-final match that will face Serbia and Italy this Wednesday.
The Spanish team faced the first duel to head or cross in Tokyo 2020 with the security of being the only team that counted for victory its five games of the group stage, while the North Americans had only been able to add two points to finish fourth in theirs.
But nevertheless, A quarter-final of a Games is always a tough date and the truth is that David Martín’s men had to work hard to overcome a rival who came out very responsive, especially in the first two quarters.
In the first, a series of good attacks allowed Bernat Sanahuja to establish a first income of two (1-3 at 6:40) to which he immediately responded with a Hannes Daube ‘double’ to seal the tie at the end of the first period (3-3).
Daube even overtook the United States (4-3) at the dawn of the third without the goalkeepers having yet appeared, although Álvaro Granados put down the ‘Yankee’ rebellion in a way with two goals that at least kept the equalizer in the middle of the clash (6-6).
The fact is that the victory was in the defense and, despite a couple of good interventions from Dani López-Pinedo, the team was not working in those two key aspects. Six goals conceded in the first two halves do not reflect the tournament that the Spanish are doing.
In the third, López Pinedo and the rearguard finally began to appear, although the attack did not work as usual and the only goal of the period was made by Bernat Sanahuja (6-7).
Wolf was also inspired and stopped Álvaro Granados up to four shots in a row, while Alberto Munárriz crashed off the crossbar in the last action. The party was still in full swing.
There a situation occurred that was more or less key, Luca Cupido returned early and the referees decreed an extra expulsion and a penalty that Alberto Munárriz converted at 6-8.
The United States had only one goal from the interval in the middle of the ‘Wall’ display and a sensational goal from Bernat Tahull’s back sentenced a a hard-fought victory that ended up finally arriving by 8-10.