Team USA Defeats China and Prepares for Montenegro
This week, the World League Super Final begins in Nis, Serbia. The powerful American water polo team has started FINA’s 2010 Open with a victory over Spain 7-3. The result was soothing for the American team, which had to face China on the second day of the competition. They defeated the Chinese team 11-5.
At first, it seemed that the Americans would be facing quite an imposing team, which have skills that evenly matched theirs. Team USA began the match struggling for a 3-2 lead during the first quarter. In the second quarter, however, the wheel had turned for the Chinese, which were crushed by the Americans 6-2 lead. After half-time, the United States team had grown confident and they were using every opportunity to score. This enabled the Americans to reach an 8-3 lead after the third quarter, before ending the match 11-5.
Head coach, Terry Schroeder of the US men's water polo team commented in an interview on their match: "We did what we had to do to win, even though it was sloppy at times."
Those more difficult, or sloppy, moments did concern some supporters of Team USA, but fortunately they were not long enough for the Chinese to take over. Schroeder had established a strategy throughout the game, balancing the attack with nine different players, and thus creating an aggressive offensive against the Chinese. But the Americans were also holding up a strong defensive while attacking, as Merrill Moses saved 10 shots, and Andy Stevens 11.
Moses, indeed, is the experienced water polo player that finished second in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, bringing a silver medal back to his homeland and representing Team USA. He is also renowned for expressing his leadership with his team members in the pool. He finished fifth as a Team USA player during the 2007 FINA World League Super Final in Berlin, Germany. He also won the title of best goalkeeper in 2006 during the ASUA Cup. The Californian 6 foot 3 player has accumulated titles since 1999, and finished first place at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His experience is quite beneficial to the team, which is provided with a confident leader.
However, the United States' next opponent, Montenegro, will be more colossal than China. Already dominating Group A, Montenegro also had an impressive victory against China, crushing them with an embarrassing score of 16-4.
As gold medalists at last year’s World League Super Final, Montenegro will be a definitive challenge for Team USA, which had failed to reach the podium, bitterly finishing fourth. Montenegro finished ninth later that year at the FINA World Championships. They also are familiar with the Americans style in the water polo pool, as they had to face each other last summer during the Southern California series in Thousand Oaks. They both won and tied a match once, while completing three games in the series.
The two teams will have to face one another for a chance to pass into the next round, and ultimately reserve a spot on the highest step of the podium. The Americans, having missed their chance to access the podium last year, will be eager not to repeat their mistakes. This might lead to a rather powerful offensive similar to the one that was used against China.
Montenegro, which had a much easier time against China than the Americans, will be waiting for the challenge, as they are the defending champions of the event. Their confrontation will be a match not to be missed, as the American underdogs will try to eliminate Montenegro, the seemingly invincible obstacle on their path to victory.
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