At the end of the first half, Team USA had shut out the Aussies 4-0 with consecutive goals from around the field. The evening started out fast with a quick shot to the lower left corner from Tony Azevedo's in the first minute of play. Fellow veteran Jesse Smith followed with a wet shot at 3:07. Adam Wright and Kevin Witt kept the rhythm going and took advantage of their 6 on 5 to give the U.S. a four-goal margin with one minute remaining in the first quarter.
The U.S. held the Aussies at bay in the second quarter keeping a five goal lead going into the half. The Aussies tried to catch up, but U.S. goalkeeper Merrill Moses was determined to knock them down. With their excellent extra man defense and ferocious goal keeping, Team USA was unstoppable.
"I play with my heart," exclaimed Moses. "The team feeds off my adrenaline, and if I can keep my team in the game, I know we have the offensive power to win." And that is exactly what happened.
With every goal Team USA clearly became more confident. "I always emphasize to the players that they must have 'belief in the team'. The guys were confident tonight and it showed in their performance." remarked Head Coach Ricardo Azevedo.
Team USA continued to shine late in the game bringing in two more goals early in the fourth quarter. Azevedo scored his third goal of the night at 6:35 increasing the U.S.'s lead 8-2. Winding up his left-handed weapon, Kevin "Chickenwing" Witt, delivered his third goal of the night with just over four minutes remaining in the game. Trent Franklin of Australia snuck a goal past Moses with one minute left in regulation to bring the final score 9-3.
USA HEAD COACH RICARDO AZEVEDO: " Our team stayed focused and executed their game play. The Australians are a fast team and we were able to keep up with them. I was very pleased with our scoring and our ability to execute at every position."
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.
