The goalie of Spain Gonzalo Echinique scored three goals for the opening of the first quarter and eventually helped his team to a 4-2 match. Tuesday the two teams met again as the USA began their quest to be the first women’s team in Olympic history to win back-to-back gold medals. They will take on their European nemesis Spain in the first round. Johnson was a flawless 6-6 on shots from beyond five meters and had two saves in Spain’s three extra player shot attempts.
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Most people’s knowledge of the Olympic sport amounts to this: the players wear swimming caps, they try to throw a ball into a goal at the end of the pool and they’re all remarkably good at treading water. The match against Spain was the second time that the U.S. men’s water polo team has taken to the pool in these Rio Games, after falling to Croatia on Saturday 7 – 5.
Azevedo, a native of Rio de Janeiro, had one goal as did Cal’s Luca Cupido.
Spain’s Macia Garcia scored at the end of the third quarter to close the margin to 9-4, but a stifling USA defense frustrated its rivals throughout.
With just 26 seconds of the match, the Australians equalised to make the score 9-9… and what had already been a tense affair immediately spilled over. During the second period Team USA rallied and both teams sat at 5 – 5 when intermission was called. Krikorian, who has coached the women’s team since 2009, returned to Rio on Monday.
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The Americans came into Tuesday’s game as not only the defending Gold Medalists, but defending World Champions, World Cup, World League and Pan Am Games Champions. He has been on the Olympic team since Sydney in 2000. The USA (0-2) will face France on 8/10 at 7:40 a.m. Since women’s water polo joined the Games in 2000, the US has won one gold, two silver and a bronze. Spain (1-1) will take on Croatia at 7:50 p.m. ET.
