Spain has a tailspin: lost against the Netherlands in the European final (7-8)

A coup between equals. The two best teams in the tournament faced each other on the water and faced off against their teammates in the Spanish league. Actually, 26 Players called by both teams for the final, 19 They play in the Spanish national league. With undeniable talent in the pool, the final was delivered like a star-studded match. Spain I arrived at my appointment at the most convenient time.. Water polo practiced by Miki Oca’s players in this championship, I touched perfectionThe team worked like clockwork, especially in the semi-final match against Greece.

Spain maintained its claim white hat Which he wore in all matches of the continental event. let’s call superstition or coincidenceHowever, this was Miki Oca’s team’s first win outside the pool. It remained to be seen what would happen in the water. From the first minutes, the Spanish players were clear about what role they wanted to play in the match. They emerged strong with clear ideas and after the first few minutes they took the lead on the scoreboard with a goal Judith Forcaalready fatal in the semi-final Greece. Setting the tempo is the player’s goal C.N. Sabadell This marked the first green shot of the final for the Spanish team.

In tow

Anni Espar expanded the good vibes. Spain took advantage of good collective action with their direct and well-organised attack and the Catalan added a second with a lethal shot that skimmed the long post. The first quarter ended with a goal Simone van de KraatsHe closed the penalty window a few seconds after the horn sounded.

Twice Spain started with doubts. And their insecurity brought confidence to the Netherlands, who won the first set with a fair amount of forfeit and tied the score again. Miki Oca’s claim. Spain was in a blur, facing a very clear defense and an unclear attack. And once again the Dutch team took advantage of this. Joustra scored the third goal to move Spain past the points table and against the ropes for the first time in the match.

Spain is stuck. Although it was Anni Espar’s goal that left the team on their backs, the Dutch started to defeat the Spanish team by scoring two more goals and the final ended with a score of 3-5 at halftime.

These moments of calm and renewal served to calm the Spaniards, return to the ideas with which they first jumped into the pool, and try to reverse the clearly negative trend of the second quarter. Elena Ruiz He showed his character, responded and closed the gap a few minutes later to charge Guerreras again. A bucket of cold water was about to drown the Spaniards when the referee awarded a penalty to the Dutch, if not for the Dutch’s incredible performance. Martina Ferre under the sticks

Determination and bad luck

He flew away and Spain began to emerge again. Bea OrtizThe final restarted with the first shot of the match for Spain. Despite the extraordinary talents of Dutch women, Spain slowly found itself again. 5-6. And as the fourth quarter begins again, Paula Leiton He equalized the score again with 8 minutes left in the match. The CN Terrassa buoy tried for the first time with his back to goal, but the Dutch goalkeeper anticipated his attempt. The second time was inside and light increased by 6-6.

Minutes remained and goals fell to both sides. HE It ended 7-7 with 1 minute left. The Dutch coach’s timeout calmed the nerves but brought a foreboding smile to the Dutch team’s face. On the restart it was a coin toss and after Bente Rogge’s shot the ball bounced off Martina Tarré and went inches over the goal line with six seconds remaining. The score of 7-8 condemned Guerreras to silver.

Miki’s team could do little against this target. Bad luck and they left the pool defeated. The fourth European will have to wait, but no one can take away the talent and good performance in this edition