The US team rebounded from a slow start to lead Cuba 5-2 at half time. Adam Wright (Seal Beach, Calif.) scored the first goal of the game almost five minutes into the first quarter. Strong defense helped the team get through the first half as did stand-out play from goalkeeper Merill Moses (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.). Moses finished the night with eight saves and two steals and currently leads all goalkeepers in the competition with an 80 percent save percentage.
“The team is stressing defense,” Moses said. “That’s the way we are going to win big games. No one can take away good defense. My job is to make big saves and keep the team in it.”
Eight U.S players scored at least one goal in the game, while both Ryan Bailey (Long Beach, Calif.) and Peter Varellas (Moraga, Calif.) led the team with three goals each.
“We had a lot of missed shots at the beginning of the game,” Varellas said. “We need to create opportunities on offense early on. We knew the shots were going to go down. We just had to play good defense.”
The third quarter proved to be a breaking point for the U.S. team as they finished the period with a 12-3 lead. Stifling six on five defense, a balanced scoring attack and constant pressure were key elements in the team’s win against Cuba. The U.S. Team is undefeated in Rio with wins over Brazil (12-6), Mexico (18-3), Puerto Rico (21-3), and now Cuba.
“Our first game against Brazil was a bit of a wake-up call,” said head coach Terry Schroeder. The Brazil team has improved a great deal. The crowd will be rocking and we have to be ready to play.”
The U.S. team will play Brazil for the 2007 Pan American Games gold medal at 7:30 p.m. local time at the Julio Delamare Aquatic Park.
About USA Water Polo: USA Water Polo, Inc. is a non-profit corporation organized for the purpose to serve as the national governing body for the sport of water polo in the United States under the auspices of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). For more information please visit www.usawaterpolo.com.
