LIMA, PERU. The U.S. men’s water polo team opened up the defense of their Pan American Games title with a decisive 21-6 thumping of Cuba on the first day of men’s and women’s water polo play at Villa Maria del Triunfo Aquatics Complex. The Americans, who are hoping to win gold at this event for the seventh straight time, got balanced scoring: Alex Bowen notched five scores; four goals apiece came from Johnny Hooper and Alex Obert; while Hannes Daube and Ben Hallock registered hat tricks.
Cuba’s goalie Gianny Lara Arias—who was pelted by 39 shots—may be hesistant to get back in the water for a Group A match today against Puerto Rico. But, the only way Cuban head coach Mario Andres Bermudez Ariosa could go to his back-up goalie is if he disqualified Lara Arias—a questionable feature of the reduced, 11-player rosters being enforced here at the Pan American Games.
After the match, U.S. captain Jesse Smith—a father of four who at 36 years old looking to win a fifth-straight Pan American title and thereby qualify for yet another trip to the Olympics—offered keen insights as to how his role with the national team has evolved.
USA captain Jesse Smith. Photo Courtesy: USA Water Polo
“I’m captain of the team, I’m trying to lead through example and do it right for the last time,” he said after the match—then quipped: “Four kids—four Olympics, it’s crazy!”
“Wolf [Wigo] was my roommate in the 2004 Olympics, he was the captain of the team.” Smith added. “I always looked up to him because… he was as an amazing leader and all-around good guy.”
Speaking about what is almost certainly his last Pan American tournament, Smith kept his message simple: “Our goal is to win these games—win today, win tomorrow, a game at a time—so that we put ourselves in the best position to take that Olympic berth.”
The win sets up Head Coach Dejan Udovicic’s team for an important Group A showdown Monday against Canada, a 20-7 winner Puerto Rico. The Canadians were led by Nicolas Constantin-Bicari’s five goals and eight saves from goalie Milan Radenovic.
Brazil’s Raphael Real. Photo Courtesy: Cristiane Mattos / Lima 2019
The American and the Canadians have met twice this year—both times won by Team USA—but the battle between the two North American neighbors could not be fiercer. Canada has not qualified for the Olympics since 2008, when—after a 10-6 loss to Brazil in a 2017 Pan American semifinal, they traveled to Europe and had success at the European Qualifying Tournament, beating out Romania for the final berth at the 2008 Beijing Games.
This is an option that remains available for select teams here in Lima; however, the quickest way to next year’s Olympics in Tokyo is to win gold on Saturday and qualify automatically for Tokyo. This has been the formula for American success; they have won 12 Pan American titles overall, including that last six.
[USA Men’s Water Polo At 2019 Pan American Games: Look Out for Brazil]
In action in Group B, Brazil, the other prime contender for gold, had little trouble besting host Peru by the score of 14-2. The Brazilians, led by hat tricks from Gustavo Coutinho, Gustavo Guimaraes and Luis Silva, also got a big game from goalie Slobodan Soro, who made 10 saves, including twice stopping penalty shots from Diego Villar Osterling. The Peruvian goals were tallied by Julio Alzamora Garcia and Villar Osterling—the program’s first ever in Pan American play.
Later today, Brazil will face Mexico in Group B action at the Triunfo Aquatics Complex. In the day’s most competitive match for either the men or women, the Mexicans dropped a tough 13-11 decision to Argentina. Head Coach Daniel Alberto Poggi’s Argentine squad—which recently enjoyed success at the 2019 Final World Aquatics Championship, finishing second in the inaugural men’s beach water polo competition—was led by five goals from Carlos Exequiel Camnasio and a hat trick from Ivan Martin Carabantes.
In his first-ever Pan Am match, Peru’s Sebastian Pastor Valenzuela takes one on the chin. Photo Courtesy: Cristiane Mattos / Lima 2019
Next up for Argentina is a contest against Peru, who will be looking for their first win in the sparkling new aquatics center—and this match against their closest regional rival may be the Peruvians’ best opportunity for victory.