The Hungarian women’s water polo players can be proud of their world championship silver medal

Budapest – The defending champions, the Americans, managed to make a big fight, but they did not let the gold out of their hands.

The Hungarian women’s water polo team won the silver medal at the domestically organized World Aquatics Championship, in a huge battle, losing 9-7 to the fourth-time winner in the series and the first team in the last three Olympics, the United States, in Saturday’s final on Margitsziget.

Photo: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák

After the bronze medal in Barcelona in 2013, the Hungarian national team was on the podium again at the World Championships, the last World Cup final was played in Montreal in 2005, when the current champion American team under the guidance of Tamás Faragó defeated the American team in extra time, thereby winning the second World Cup gold.

The Hungarians thus ended the World Water Championships with five medals:

the swimmer Kristóf Milák triumphed in the 100 and 200 meter butterfly at the Duna Arena, the relay team was second in the open water swimmers, and Péter Gálicz was third in the 25 kilometers, and this was the current silver medal for women’s polo players.

Women’s water polo tournament, final:
United States – Hungary 9-7 (2-1, 2-2, 3-1, 2-3)
Hungary: Alda Magyari – Dorottya Szilágyi, Vanda Vályi, Rita Keszthelyi-Nagy, Zsuzsanna Máté, Rebecca Parkes, Gréta Gurisatti, substitutions: Edina Gangl (goalkeeper), Krisztina Garda, Mahieu Geraldine, Dóra Leimeter, Natasa Rybanska, Kamilla Faragó

Scorers: Musselman 5, Neushul 3, Steffens 1, and Gurisatti 3, Keszthelyi-Nagy 2, Máté, Szilágyi 1-1

The Americans were the favorites for the meeting, as they last lost to the Italians at the World Cup 2531 days ago, in the group stage of the 2015 tournament in Kazan, and in the current tournament, in the semifinals on Thursday, they beat the Italian team 14-6, which defeated them in the group stage the host Hungarian band.

Only recently, Attila Bíró’s team was the only one that defeated the United States, in the group stage of the Tokyo Olympics, they triumphed 10-9 over the best in the world, before that, the last time the Americans did was on August 21, 2008, in the final of the Beijing Games, in the Netherlands they got out (8-9) at the Olympics.

The President of the Republic Katalin Novák also watched the World Cup final at the venue.

Vanda Vályi brought the first ball, and Rebecca Parkes delivered the advantage, which was missed. The first two attacks of the Americans ended without a shot, but on the other side, the first goal was scored, Gréta Gurisatti took in Dorottya Szilágyi’s excellent pass from close range. The Americans hit the goal for the first time halfway through the quarter, when Madeline Musselman equalized from the first square. Not long after, their second lead arrived, also sold by Musselman. Both teams made mistakes in attack, before the first break they still defended a man deficit after the Hungarian Keszthelyi-Rita blocked.

Vályi won the swim for the second time, and again the pole, this was also missed, but on the other side, the Americans could not take advantage of the superior numbers of a great domestic block either. The equalizer came from another Hungarian attack through Keszthelyi-Nagy, but after a counter, the Americans escaped, and Musselman already scored the third goal. From the home team, Parkes fought for another advantage, and Gurisatti calmly chipped under the crossbar, breaking the confidence of the sparkling goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson. While swimming back, Natasa Rybanska was sent off, but again the defense was at a disadvantage. One minute before halftime, the Americans got the ball again, they played it through with good action and Maggie Steffens scored from the center, even though Magyar managed to do so as well.

At the beginning of the third inning, the Americans increased their lead with a nice drop, but there was no three difference, because Hungary made a huge defense against the deficit. While swimming back, Musselman was suspended, Attila Bíró asked for time, and Gurisatti finished the figure. A debatable American five-meter shot arrived, and Rybanska scored, Musselman’s fourth goal restores the two-goal difference. Not later, the Hungarian team was “out of shooting range”, as Ryann Neushul’s shot bounced off Magyari’s hand.

At the beginning of the final eight minutes, the home team looked tired, Johnson paraded in the goal with the same number of players and a disadvantage, and Neushul was able to score an easy goal in front. Five minutes before the end, the Hungarians closed with a goal from Zsuzsanna Máté, then Magyari was in a defensive disadvantage, Szilágyi scored, and the audience cheered the team on, as hope shone again. As it turns out, during the attack of the Hungarians, the clock did not run, but after a long video, they awarded the goal.
With less than three minutes left when Gurisatti was sent off, he called for the American captain, but his students spoiled the figure. On the other hand, the home team could not capitalize on the opportunity, as Krisztina Garda’s shot was blocked 1:50 minutes before the end. Magyari also swam up for the next attack, and Keszthelyi-Nagy brought the Hungarian team up to a single goal with a spectacular goal.

After a defensive error, the Americans reached five meters with 49 seconds to go, and Musselman decided the fate of the gold medal.

The final result of the women’s tournament, world champion:
United States
2. HUNGARY (ALDA MAGYARI, DOROTTYA SZILÁGYI, VANDA VÁLYI, RITA KESZTHELYI-NAGY, ZZZSANNA MÁTÉ, REBECCA PARKES, GRÉTA GURISATTI, EDINA GANGL, GARDA KRISZKAKATAMIÁROB, DOROTTYA MAHI LEILAGYI, VANDA VÁLYI
3. The Netherlands
4. Italy
5. Spain
6. Australia
7. Greece
8. France
9. Canada
10. New Zealand
11. Kazakhstan
12. Argentina
13. Republic of South Africa
14. Brazil
15. Thailand
16. Colombia

The audience celebrated the Hungarian team by standing for many minutes after the whistle.