Olympic Women’s Water Polo: Spain Tops Netherlands in Shootout in Classic Semifinal
Spain saw a five-goal lead evaporate, watched the Netherlands tie the game with seven seconds left then produced the only save of the shootout to make its way back to the gold-medal game with a 19-18 win Thursday in the semifinals of the women’s water polo tournament at the Olympics.
Elena Ruiz led Spain with six goals, Judith Forca had five and Martine Terre came up with the only save of the shootout to help Spain reach the Olympic final for the third time in the last four Olympics. Spain won silver in Tokyo and London, losing in the final both times to the United States. The U.S. plays Australia in the later semifinal Thursday.
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Spain’s offense was rampant early, causing the Netherlands to swap out goalie Laura Aarts after eight minutes. It led 3-0 after four minutes and 6-1 at the end of the quarter on Forca’s second goal of the frame. Five Spanish players scored in the opening stanza.
The Netherlands got within three goals in the second quarter, but back-to-back goals by Ruiz made it 9-4 with 1:27 left. The five-goal lead stood at half thanks to Paula Leiton, who scored from three meters after a Dutch exclusion.
The Dutch were far from done though, and they matched Spain’s 6-1 margin in the first quarter with a 6-1 reversal in the third. A well-worked goal by Simone van de Kraats, set up by Sabrina van der Sloot, made it 10-6 early in the third, then consecutive goals by Vivian Sevenich got the Dutch within two. Five of the first six goals for the Netherlands came on the power play, and it was 8-for-11 on the man-advantage on the day.
A superb goal on the power play by Nina Ten Broek got the Dutch within one, and while a goal by Forca briefly stemmed the tide, van der Kraats on the power play and a Ten Broek lob tied the game at 11.
The game remained that way for more than half of the fourth before things got crazy. Lieke Rogge scored just after an exclusion ended on a touch shot assisted by Brigitte Sleeking to give the Dutch its first lead at 12-11. That was Anni Espar’s third exclusion foul, and Paula Camus would soon join her on the bench.
Forca came right back for Spain to tie the game at 12 on the man-up, but the Dutch surged ahead when Kitty-Lynn Joustra scored off a Maartje Keuning feed to make it 13-12.
Out of a long overdue Spanish timeout, Forca had a shot saved, but Ruiz collected the rebound and buried a quick release shot to tie it at 13.
The teams traded strikes of the woodwork to get into the final minute, when Maica Garcia scored at two meters off a Paula Crespi feed with 30 seconds left. Sleeking answered in kind with seven seconds to play, Iris Wolves slipping a pass to her.
The first eight shooters of penalties converted, through several goaltending changes. Eventually, 21-year-old Terre stepped in and guessed right on Sleeking to deny the Dutch veteran. Garcia made no mistake on her chance to win it.
Leiton scored twice in regulation for Spain. Bea Ortiz and Garcia each had a goal in regulation and one in the shootout. Crespi and Pili Pena dished three assists each, and Forca and Ruiz each added an assist. Laura Ester made seven saves in regulation.
Van de Kraats led the Dutch with five goals. Rogge scored three times. Sevenich, Joustra and Ten Broek had two goals each, and Aarts bounced back from her struggles to make nine saves.