Spain took the American's by surprise this afternoon by taking an early lead in today's quarter final match. With her seemingly unstoppable shots and lobs, #2 Blanca Gil Sorli of Spain was truly a force to be reckoned with as she got two goals past the U.S.'s defense early in the first quarter. U.S. captain, Brenda Villa put her team on the board with a 59.4 km/h shot from outside, only to have Gil Sorli return with her third goal of the quarter, giving Spain a two goal advantage.
If the U.S. was shooken up by Spain's early lead, you wouldn't have known it from the stands. The U.S. was able to shut Spain out in the second and third quarters with their strong defense and communication in front of the cage. Converting on a 6 on 5, Alison Gregorka brought the U.S. within one of Spain halfway through the second quarter. At 1:34, Villa brought in the tie goal to even the score 3-3 going into halftime.
The U.S. continued to turn up the heat, delivering five unanswered goals in the third period. Villa started the quarter off with two consecutive goals, to give the U.S. their first lead in the game. Kami Craig delivered a beautiful 2M shot at 2.26, followed by a skip by Heather Petri. Lauren Wenger wrapped up the series with shot from 2M to end the quarter 8-3.
Spain was eager to close the gap and delivered the ball to Gil Sorli who racked up two more goals, bringing Spain within three of the U.S. early in the fourth quarter. Lauren Wenger and Natalie Golda quickly responded with two more goals for the U.S., securing their place in the semi-finals. Gil Sorli continued to fight, bringing in a last minute goal for Spain, and her sixth in the game.
"I'm not sure anyone has ever done that before," remarked USA Coach Guy Baker. "Gil Sorli had an great game, we couldn't stop her."
With their win tonight, the U.S. secured their spot in the medal round games. The U.S. will play Hungary on Thursday night in the semi-finals. The winner of that game will advance to the gold medal match, with the loser competing for the bronze medal.
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.
