The women’s water polo team finished fifth with penalties

Olympics, women’s water polo tournament, for 5th place:
Hungary-Italy 15-12 (3-3, 5-4, 0-2, 3-2, 4-1) – with five meters
scorers: Gurisatti 3, Garda, Keszthelyi 2-2, Rybanska, Faragó, Mahieu, Vályi 1-1, and Bianconi, Marletta 3-3, Palmireri, Cocchiere, Viacava, Galardi, Avegno 1-1

Hungary: Alda Magyari – Vanda Vályi, Krisztina Garda, Brigitta Horváth, Rita Keszthelyi, Kamilla Faragó, Rebecca Parkes – replacements: Dorottya Szilágyi, Gréta Gurisatti, Geraldine Mahieu, Dóra Leimeter, Natasa Rybanska, Boglárka Neszmély

The Italians took the lead from the penalty spot, Keszthelyi equalized from five meters, and then Garda responded to the rival’s center goal with a long-range shot. After a good block, the Hungarian team could attack for the lead, and Rybanska scored from the front. The rival scored another goal from the center, on the other side, the Hungarians could have answered from five, but Keszthlyi’s shot went off the top bar (3-3).

In the second quarter, Faragó, returning from his suspension, started scoring, and Gurisatti’s not-so-good shot also found its way into the net under the hands of the Italian goalkeeper. Magyari could only pull Bianconi’s attempt from beyond the imaginary goal line, but Mahieu quickly restored the difference.

Both teams quickly took advantage of their next man advantage, the Hungarian opportunity was sold by Gurisatti. At the end of a well-played action, the Italians checked Magyari from close range, and practically played the same figure from the other side. In the end, the Hungarians were still able to go into the break with an advantage, because Vályi scored the winner six seconds before the final whistle (8-7).

We had to climb back from the grave

After the turn, Neszmély had the opportunity for an Italian five-meter shot in the Hungarian goal, but missed Siliva Avegno’s shot by inches. In attack, the teams were stuck for long minutes, the shots on both sides were weak, the figures with the man advantage were inaccurate. There was only a minute and a half left in the quarter when the Italians broke the deadlock and took the lead, the Hungarians could not sell the advantage even after a timeout (8-9).

Almost half of the women’s national team’s last Olympic quarter went scoreless when the Italians scored a goal, thanks to which they trailed by two. The Hungarians made another situation worse when they were outnumbered, at which point the scoreless game lasted for 12 minutes, which Keszthelyi ended with a beautiful free throw. On the other side, the eight of the Italians also flashed, Roberta Bianconi scored from action.

Attila Mihók asked for time before the next round, and Gurisatti quickly finished the action with just a minute and a half before the end. The referees ruled a counterattack, and the Hungarians even had a man advantage, and Garda equalized from a set piece. The Italians also got the opportunity from the referees 25 seconds before the end, they passed the ball around nicely after the timeout, but Magyari’s save closed the regular time (11-11).

In the five-meter duel, Magyari defended the first two Italian shots, Keszthelyi, Garda, Szilágyi and finally Gurisatti did not make any mistakes, and this decided the fate of the fifth place.