USA Water Polo Men’s Squad Lives to Fight Another Day

By M. Duncan Scott

ATHENS, Greece, August 27. AMERICA won its first classification round game earlier today over Australia 6-5. They will face off with the winner of tonight’s Italy-Croatia clash to decide seventh place in the Olympic tournament.

Interestingly, the game was a repeat of yesterday’s bronze medal match-up on the ladies side: same countries, same outcome, same score. USA 6, Australia 5. The team’s overall record for the tourney is now 3-3, and they have a chance to post a winning record if they win their final match.

US Coach Ratko Rudic spoke with optimism over his team’s progress. "The team showed great potential, it is our team of the future. I am satisfied with their overall performance, they showed potential, and I was also able to see the weaknesses that need to be corrected."

Probably as important for the squad’s future is the observation by player Jeff Powers recognizing that, though not for a medal, this was a game with importance to the USA Water Polo program. "To make the first eight places was very important, so we can have the financial support of the US Olympic Committee. Pride was also a big factor. This is the Olympic Games and every match is important. I think that we can be satisfied. We have a very young team. For ten members of our team, this is their first Olympic Games. We are gaining useful experience for the future from this major competition."

US star scorer Tony Azevedo expressed confidence about their prospects for the remaining game and about the quality of competition they had to face to this point. "We will definitely win the seventh place. Our group was the most difficult; all the medals will come out of it."

Official Results

Olympic Aquatic Centre – FRI 27 AUG 2004 – Start Time: 10:45

USA – United States
Result
2 1st Quarter 0
1 2nd Quarter 1
2 3rd Quarter 2
1 4th Quarter 2
6 Full Time Score 5
AUS – Australia

Water Temperature: 27 ºC / 81 F

USA – United States (White)

Cap No. Name Estimated Time Goals/ Shots AS TF ST BL SP Personal Fouls
Total % A C X 7m PS CA 20C 20F 4m EX
*1 BROOKS Brandon
27:59 1 1
*2 WIGO Wolfgang
17:22 1/3 33.3 0/2 1/1 1 0/1 1
3 AMR Omar
6:19
4 POWERS Jeffrey
18:24 0/2 0.0 0/1 0/1 4 2
*5 WRIGHT Adam
22:24 0/2 0.0 0/2 0/1
6 SEGESMAN Christopher
18:30 1
7 BEAUBIEN Layne
9:43 0/1 0.0 0/1 1
*8 AZEVEDO Tony
25:03 3/4 75.0 1/1 1/1 1/2 3 2 1/2
*9 KLATT Daniel
14:00 0/1 0.0 0/1
10 ORMSBY Brett
11:29
*11 SMITH Jesse
14:04 2/5 40.0 1/3 1/2 1 1
12 KERR Genai
0:01
*13 BAILEY Ryan
10:42 0/1 0.0 0/1 1 1 2
Totals 6/19 31.6 2/7 0/1 1/4 3/7 1 12 4 1 1/4 4 3

Cap No. Goalkeepers Saves/ Shots
Total % A C X 7m PS CA
*1 BROOKS Brandon
12/17 70.6 6/7 1/1 0/2 5/6 0/1
12 KERR Genai

Totals 12/17 70.6 6/7 1/1 0/2 5/6 0/1
Time Out 2
Exclusions With Substitution
Exclusions Without Substitution
Extra Player Goals 1
Extra Player 4

Team Shots Goals Saves Missed Post Blocked Total %
Action 2 2 3 7 28.6
Centre 1 1 0.0
Extra Player 1 1 1 1 4 25.0
7m
Penalty
Counter Attack 3 2 2 7 42.9
Total 6 6 3 3 1 19 31.6

AUS – Australia (Blue)

Cap No. Name Estimated Time Goals/ Shots AS TF ST BL SP Personal Fouls
Total % A C X 7m PS CA 20C 20F 4m EX
*1 STANTON James Ivor
28:00
2 SEMMENS Dean
9:41
*3 FRANKLIN Trent
9:39 0/2 0.0 0/1 0/1
*4 FIGLIOLI Pietro
22:54 3/10 30.0 1/4 2/2 0/4 1 2/2 1
5 MILLER Craig
16:13 0/1 0.0 0/1 2 1
6 JENKINS Toby
11:28 2
7 NEESHAM Timothy
19:06 0/3 0.0 0/1 0/1 0/1 1 1
*8 McGREGOR Sam
12:48 1/2 50.0 0/1 1/1 1 2
*9 WHALAN Thomas
22:14 1/4 25.0 0/1 0/1 0/1 1/1 1/2 1
*10 WOODS Gavin
16:32 0/2 0.0 0/1 0/1 1 1
11 OSADCHUK Aleksandr
9:06 0/1 0.0 0/1
*12 THOMAS Nathan
18:19 0/1 0.0 0/1 1 1 1 1
13 STERK Rafael

Totals 5/26 19.2 1/9 0/4 2/4 1/8 1/1 1 9 3 1 3/4 4 2

Cap No. Goalkeepers Saves/ Shots
Total % A C X 7m PS CA
*1 STANTON James Ivor
6/12 50.0 2/4 1/1 1/2 2/5
13 STERK Rafael

Totals 6/12 50.0 2/4 1/1 1/2 2/5
Time Out 2
Exclusions With Substitution
Exclusions Without Substitution
Extra Player Goals 2
Extra Player 4

Team Shots Goals Saves Missed Post Blocked Total %
Action 1 6 1 1 9 11.1
Centre 1 2 1 4 0.0
Extra Player 2 2 4 50.0
7m 1 5 1 1 8 12.5
Penalty
Counter Attack 1 1 100.0
Total 5 12 3 5 1 26 19.2

Officials
Referee MATACHE Radu Sorin (ROM)

Referee LEGARE Daniel (CAN)

TWPC Delegate EL ALLAM Farid (MAR)

Legend
* – Starting line-up
A – Action shot
C – Centre shot
X – Extra player shot
7m – 7 metre shot
PS – Penalty Shot CA – Counter Attack
AS – Assist
TF – Turnover Foul
ST – Steals
BL – Blocked shot
SP – Sprint (won/sprints) 20C – 20 seconds exclusion in the centre forward position
20F – 20 seconds exclusion in the field
4m – Penalty
EX – Exclusion (S – with substitution, N – without substitution)
TWPC – Technical Water Polo Committee
FINA – Fédération internationale de Natation

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