The women’s water polo team continues to enlarge his legend and this Friday he chained his second triumph in the Split European Championship after imposing on Greece in a splendid final (9-6). It is the third absolute title in its entire history for the Spanish team and the fifth consecutive podium finish.
From start to finish, Miki Oca’s team dominated a match that stretches the golden age of already established players such as Anni Espar, Pili Peña, Maica García, Judith Forca or Laura Ester, but also represents the leap to stardom of a new generation of young players like Elena Ruiz, Bea Ortiz or Martina Terré, who had already tasted success in the training categories.
The national team’s staging in the final was exemplary and opened a comfortable gap in the first quarter (3-0) that relieved her of nerves and fueled her confidence. she was the young Elena Ruiz, a 17-year-old prodigy who guarantees the future of the group, who opened the scoring account for Spain. But the selection of Mickey Father found some of his other pitchers like Nona Perez y Years Espar to escape on the scoreboard and also showed a lot of consistency behind, in defense, with an outstanding role of the young goalkeeper Martina Terreof the CN Sant Andreu, with several outstanding interventions.
control of the defenses
All the offensive fluidity that he displayed spain disappeared in the second quarter, since Greece He adjusted his defense much more, which is one of his virtues, and shielded his goal. Only Paula Leiton he managed to break the drought with a backward throw from the buoy. On the other hand, the selection that he directs Alexia Kammenou found air in attack, taking advantage of two superiority actions with as many of Chydririoti y Plevritou and a counterattack Siouti, marked by controversy, since it was preceded by a clear foul not indicated for Spain. Miki Oca’s protests only served for the referees to show him a card.
The defenses gained even more prominence in the third quarter. Only Elena Ruiz managed to break, with a penalty, the drought of the two teams, who wasted a penalty each and could not find a way to get the game out of the thicket. Up to three sticks crashed the Greek players, in their desperate race to reduce the differences of the Spanish team. Two posts were added by the Spanish players, who entered the last set with an advantage (5-3).
Greece, a team chasing its first European title, gritted its teeth defensively and came to force the tie in the final stretch (6-6), but in those moments of maximum pressure, Bea Ortiz, Maica García and Anni Espar appeared to enlarge the legend of a champion block, thus removing the bad taste left by fifth place in the last World Cup in Budapest.
Spain, 9 – Greece, 6
Spain: Martina Terre; Cristina Nogué, Anni Espar (2), Bea Ortiz (1), Nona Pérez (1), Paula Prats, Elena Ruiz (2.1p), Pili Peña, Judith Forca, Paula Camus, Maica García (2), Paula Leiton (1 ), Laura Ester.
Greece: Ioanna Stamatopoulou; Eleftheria Plevritou (1), Ioanna Chyridioti (2), Foteini Tricha, Margarita Plevritou (1), Eleni Xenaki (1), Eirini Ninou, María Patra, Christina Siouti (1), Vasiliki Plevritou, Athina Gianopoulou, Maria Myriokefalitaki, Eleni Sotireli .
Referees: Alessia Ferrari (Italy) and Nenad Peris (Croatia). They excluded Nogué (m.27) and Prats (m.29)
partial: 3-0, 1-3, 1-0, 4-3
