WATER POLO: The gallant Australian women’s water polo team will play for a bronze medal on Thursday afternoon after going down 11-9 to the USA in a dramatic extra time classic at the Water Polo Arena in London.

The overtime loss followed Australia’s stunning 20-18 penalty shootout victory over China two days ago and consigns Australia to the bronze medal match for the third Olympic Games in a row.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for the Australians who had poured every little bit of strength and emotion possible into the game against China and found themselves so near, yet so far from their dream of gold.

Australian head coach Greg McFadden said the loss was shattering but they had a chance for some consolation in the bronze medal game.

“It’s devastating, any loss in a semi-final but we’ve got to refocus. We’re here to win a medal and the bronze medal in two days time is our next target,” McFadden said.

“Getting beaten by America is no embarrassment; they’re probably the most consistent team over the last Olympic cycle. Very rarely do they get beaten and today they were too good for us.

“I’m proud of the girls. We had a very emotional game against China and it takes a lot out of you. To back up again and go into extra time again, against America is tough.” 

There were more twists and turns than a rollercoaster in this thriller including the Australians scoring from a penalty with one second left in regular time to force two extra periods. There were lead changes, crucial exclusions and some fierce defence. It was typical of Australia against the USA

The two countries have a fierce rivalry, with the Australians scoring that famous last second victory in Sydney, before the USA beat Australia for the bronze in Athens and defeated them 9-8 in the semi-finals four years ago in Beijing. Earlier this year Australia had taken out the inaugural Pan Pacs and the official London Test event before their great rivals got one back at the FINA World League.

The Australians had five players backing up from that semi-final loss in Beijing, while the USA had seven, including Brenda Villa who has played in all four Olympic tournaments since women’s water polo was admitted to the Games program.

The game began with coach McFadden playing a tactical masterstroke, starting with essentially the same group of girls who had gotten the job done in extra time and the penalty shootout in Sunday’s dramatic quarterfinal against China.

And they did the job again, handling the early offensive drives from the Americans until Sophie Smith forced a well earned exclusion and teenage Ashleigh Southern drilled home the shot in extra man. Less than a minute later it was Rowie Webster’s turn and the Aussie Stingers led 2-0.

But everyone knew this one was not going to be a walkover and the USA fired back with an extra man strike and then a lucky lob that bounced off the crossbar into the back of goalkeeper Alicia McCormack’s head and into the goal.

With 21 seconds left in the quarter Holly Lincoln-Smith earned a penalty that Southern duly converted, only to see the Americans flame one into the net at the other end with two seconds left. The scores were locked at 3-3 as the quarter time hooter sounded.

Villa ensured the USA got the second period off to a great start by instigating a clever passing exchange with 104 kilogram giant Melissa Seidemann, who slammed it past McCormack.

Southern got her third not long after to again tie the scores but then the USA went on the charge and Maggie Steffens scored in extra man and then with a speculative lob. The USA was up by two, 6-4, for the first time in the match.

Nicola Zagame then brought the Australians closer with a laser from seven metres as the shot clock reached one second.

Ninety seconds later Zagame had a penalty called on her but a desperate McCormack saved the ensuing free shot by Villa and seconds later a USA extra man chance to keep Australia in it, down 6-5 at the half.

Both sides wasted several chances in the first few minutes of the third stanza and when Zagame was excluded for the third time, prematurely ending her match, the US coach Adam Krikorian called a timeout, but again the Americans couldn’t capitalise. They did with just under three minutes left in the quarter though, on a counter attack goal to Steffens.

McFadden then called a timeout of his own after a USA player was excluded and Webster delivered on a clever extra man play to once again get the Stingers back within a goal and at the last break it was 7-6 to the Americans.

The fourth quarter began much like the third with no goals early but when Australian captain Kate Gynther was excluded Jessica Steffens nailed the extra man chance for the USA to again jump out to a two goal lead. Australia replied almost immediately though with a composed extra man lob by Glencora Ralph. It was the USA 8-7 and there were four minutes left.

The US couldn’t score at the other end and on Australia’s next possession Lincoln-Smith earned an exclusion and Gemma Beadsworth showed all her experience to lock the scores up at 8-all.

The Americans scored next in extra man via Seidemann, following Beadsworth’s exclusion, to again take the lead. Neither side could score on their next possession but after McFadden called his last timeout the Australians dream of playing for the gold hung on less than 30 seconds.

In the final possession the USA defence was stifling and the Australians could not get off a shot until Gynther fired one at the goals that cannoned off the posts and into a scrum of players. In the ensuing second – the very last of the match - Krikorian called a timeout, that by the rules he was not entitled to call because his team was not in possession of the ball. It was a major error in judgement.

Amidst the confusion the referees called a halt to proceedings, conferred with each other and the technical officials then awarded Australia a penalty.

Then Southern, just 19, and from the tiny North Queensland town of Cardwell, then stepped up for the most important second of her life to convert the penalty – her fourth goal of the game - and send the Australians to overtime for the second game in a row.

In the first overtime term the USA earned consecutive extra man opportunities and converted on the second to take the lead, 10-9 before their centre forward Kami Craig scored with three seconds left. It was a knife in the heart of the Australians and not for the first time this week, the Australians looked like they were gone.

And sadly they were as they showed the signs of two brutal elimination matches and the Americans played a negative, defensive minded style with and without the ball.

Australia had their last chance when McFadden called a timeout with less than 40 seconds remaining but the shot went wide and for the third Olympics in a row the Aussies were headed to the bronze medal game. 

Southern, who ended up with four goals and some experiences that will serve her well in the journey towards Rio in four years time, said the loss was devastating but the Stingers had given their all.

“Four years of hard work to finish like that is heartbreaking,” Southern said. “Credit to the US for having a good game but we never gave up. We got an extra life, we went into extra time but we couldn’t rise this time. We gave it our best shot.”

The Australian men’s team, the Aussie Sharks, will fight to keep their medal hopes alive Wednesday when they take on one of the pre-tournament favourites, Serbia, in a quarterfinal at 3.50pm.

Dave Lyall at the Water Polo Arena
olympics.com.au