The excellently fighting women’s polo team started with a defeat

Olympics, women’s water polo tournament, group stage, 1st round, Group A:
Netherlands-Hungary 10-8 (4-2, 0-1, 2-3, 4-2)
scorers: Rogge 3, van de Kraats 2, van der Sloot, Joustra, Keuning, Sevenich, Moolhuijzen 1-1, and Vályi 3, Szilágyi 2, Leimeter, Faragó, Gurisatti 1-1

The match started with missed chances, and then the Dutch took the lead from a penalty. They increased their advantage to three goals with a quick attack and a well-played man advantage, and the Hungarian timeout came. There were three minutes left in the first quarter, when Dóra Leimeter scored the first Hungarian goal of the Paris Games. The first half was not about goalkeeper performance, the Dutch quickly restored the three-goal difference, Dorottya Szilágyi took advantage of another man advantage to change the score to 2-4.

In the second quarter, both teams made a lot of mistakes in attack, although they performed excellently in defense. We had to wait almost six minutes for the first goal of the half, so Olympic rookie Kamilla Faragó beautifully flicked it under the crossbar. The young player immediately appeared with a nice possession, but his shot from the counterattack was saved by the goalkeeper of the Dutch. The rival could have increased their advantage before the break, but Maarthe Keuning did not even hit the goal in a completely clear position.

The equalizer came quickly

The third act started with a missed Hungarian goal, but it didn’t take long for the equalizer, Vanda Vályi swam and then passed the ball into the net with a man on her neck (4-4). Simone van de Kraats broke the scoreless silence of the Dutch for more than a quarter. The Hungarians successfully defended themselves from two disadvantages, and then Gréta Gurisatti sold the lead, equalizing the score again. After a counter ruling, the Dutch gained the advantage again, but the goal scored by Rebecca Parkes was sold by Vályi after a great ball movement.

For the final eight minutes, the teams were tied, the first Hungarian man-advantage was missed, but the Dutch scored their own in a single second. At the end of the second Hungarian attack, the ball hit the crossbar, on the other side, before the end of the attacking time, the Dutch gave the ball to the center in a see-and-see manner, and Vivian Sevenich twisted it into the net with three men around his neck.

Vályi quickly brought the Hungarians back into the game with her third hit, then Szilágyi bombed Laura Aarts “in the eye” (8-8). Before the Hungarian man advantage, Attila Mihók asked for time, but Keszthelyi’s shot was blocked by the combined strength of the three Dutchmen standing in the goal. On the other side, the Dutch also got a chance, their captain immediately asked for time, but the defense led by Alda Magyari was perfect here as well.

Farago was sent off while swimming back one minute before the end, the Dutch captain asked for a second time-out, but this time his students successfully carried out the instructions, Lola Moolhuijzen scored. The Hungarians had only one attack left to equalize: Keszthely’s shot bounced off the post, and the Dutch scored another empty-net goal at the moment of the whistle.