There is no room for error at this stage of the U20 World Championships in Coimbra, as both Greece and the United States discovered when they were eliminated in the quarter-final stage today.
In the quarter-finals, a clash between Greece and Italy promised a giant’s fall, and it was Setterosa who advanced to the semi-finals with a masterful 15-11 victory. The Greeks couldn’t halt the early Italian momentum in the game and struggled to defend against their excellent extra-player set-pieces, with the Italians converting 7 out of 12 (59%).
Meanwhile, the United States’ quest for U20 glory continues to elude them after a dramatic 17-16 penalty shoot-out defeat to the Netherlands, following a 13-13 tie in normal time. After a closely contested 32 minutes in normal time, during which the Dutch equalized with just ten seconds remaining, it was the Oranges who held their nerve in the 5-meter shootout. Senior Team USA player Emily Ausmus hitting the post with her shot was the deciding factor.
The journey to the semi-finals was less eventful for Hungary and Spain. The Magyars cruised past New Zealand with a score of 21-3, with multiple goals scored by seven Hungarian players. Spain, the only remaining undefeated team in the competition, put on a strong performance to overcome a resilient Israel side, winning 10-4.
Four teams, Spain, Netherlands, Hungary, and Italy, have all secured their spots in the semi-finals. Spain will reach their second successive U20 final if they can defeat the Dutch, while Hungary and Italy, in a rematch of the 2021 bronze-medal match, will face off in the other semi-final.
Day 7 Fixtures (14th September)
Semi-FInals
18:30 – Spain vs Netherlands
20:00 – Hungary vs Italy
5-8 Semi-Finals
15:30 – Israel vs United States
17:00 – New Zealand vs Greece
9-12 Semi-Finals
12:00 – Australia vs Canada
13:30 – Brazil vs Croatia
17th-18th Play-off
Chile vs South Africa
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Day 6, U20 World Championships Coimbra Portugal
Quarter-Finals
United States 16 – 17 Netherlands (6-3, 2-5, 3-2, 2-3, PSO: 3-4)
United States: C. Carpenter, E. Ausmus 2, M. Netherton, A. Stryker 2, A. Cohen, T. Smith J. Flynn 6, J. Bonaguidi 4, E. Lineback , E. Woodhead, L. Steele, R Gazzaniga 1, A. Pearson.
Netherlands: K. Sanne, N. De Vries 1, R. De Kleer 1, A. Roekevisch, N. Van de Gein, S. Slot, L. Den Ouden 3, F. Voodrouw 2, L. Moolhuijzen 5, R. Jutte, D. Logtens, A, Christdoulou-Out 2, P. Gorter
Greece 11 – 15 Italy (3-4, 3-7, 1-3, 4-1)
Greece: L. Mavrota, S. Santa 5, S. Kaifa, C. Siouti, T. Moustakaria 1, E. Tsimara, S. Tornarou 2, D. Koureta 1, N. Chaldaiou, F. Tricha 1, F. Angelidi, E. Konstantopoulou, A. Kalaitzi.
Italy: H. Santapaola, M. Leone 2, P. Di Maria 3, R. Bianchi 1, E. De March, S. Giustini 2, V. Sbruzzi, D. Bettini 3, V. Santoro, M. Giuffrida 3, O. Sesena, L. Papi, B. Cassara.
Spain 10 – 4 Israel (2-0, 1-2, 3-1, 4-1)
Spain: M. Teere, G. Gallinato, I. Piralkova, A. Marcos, C. Nogue 2, N. Perez, P. Prats, C. Moreno 1, D. Moreno 3, A. Munoz 1, E. Ruiz 1, Q. Bertran, B. Colominas
Israel: M. Katza, T. Levi, M. Katzir, N. Levinshtein 1, A. Yaacob 1, M. Vashdi, D. Menakerman, D. Namakshtanksy, N. Sasover 1, N. Markovsky 1, R. Gazit, N. Kurtsev, C. Rahum.
Hungary 21 – 3 New Zealand (4-1, 4-0, 10-1,3-1)
Hungary: B. Neszmely, T. Aubeli 2, F. Fekete, K. Hajdu 4, P. Tiba 3, N. Sumegi 2, E. Varro, L. Kardos, P. Szegedi 3, Z. Koka, E. Macsai 4, D. Domsodi 1, S. Golopencza.
New Zealand: T. Ahovelo, I. Jackson, E. Weston, L. Batcherlor, D. Spark 1, B. Fonoti, G. Daly, S. Bentley 1, S. Goldworthy, A. Weston 1, E. Goldsmith, S. Gardiner, G. Doyle.
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