Us Men’S Water Polo Advances To Semifinals With Penalty Shootout Win Against Australia

The U.S. men’s water polo team secured a remarkable 11-10 victory over Australia in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Hannes Daube and Alex Bowen displayed exceptional performances, scoring two goals each for Team USA. Goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg, with two crucial saves in a penalty shootout, played a vital role in the team’s triumph. In the upcoming semifinals, the United States will face Serbia.

The United States aims to secure its first medal in men’s water polo since winning silver at the Beijing Games in 2008. Notably, the top-seeded teams, Greece and Spain, have been eliminated from the competition.

The thrilling game remained tied 5-5 heading into the final quarter. Weinberg and the tenacious U.S. defense continued to stifle the Australian opponents. Daube broke the deadlock and gave the Americans a 6-5 lead with a power-play goal, with only 6 minutes and 3 seconds remaining in the game. However, Luke Pavillard of Australia equalized the score 6-6 with just 2 minutes and 43 seconds left on the clock.

Pavillard found the back of the net once again, scoring his fourth goal with 1 minute and 53 seconds remaining. However, in the last 33 seconds, Bowen rescued the American team, tying the game 7-7 and forcing overtime.

In the shootout, Daube, Max Irving, Bowen, and Marko Vavic brilliantly capitalized on their opportunities, scoring for the U.S. Meanwhile, Weinberg delivered an impressive performance, denying shots from Milos Maksimovic and Chaz Poot, ultimately securing the victory for the United States.

Australia secured second place in Group B, which was considered the toughest division including defending champions Serbia, as well as Hungary, who won the bronze medal in the 2020 Olympics. The group also featured Japan, Spain, and host nation France. After starting with a 9-5 loss to Spain, the Aussies bounced back with victories against Tokyo and Serbia. They continued their winning streak by defeating both France and Hungary, with scores of 9-8 each, before eventually losing 14-13 to Japan.

Team USA finished third in their group during the preliminary stage, securing their spot in the quarterfinals. The American team experienced defeats against Italy (12-8) and Greece (13-11), but managed to emerge victorious against Croatia (14-11), Montenegro (12-7), and Romania (14-8).

The United States had previously suffered a defeat against Australia, two years ago at the 2022 Intercontinental Cup held in Lima. Blake Edwards’ outstanding performance led Australia to a thrilling 12-11 victory over the Americans.

The American team boasts a wealth of experience, including two-time Olympian and team captain Ben Hallock, who achieved three Champions League titles with the Italian club, Pro Recco. Out of the 13 players representing the United States in Paris, ten of them also competed in the Tokyo Olympics.

The first quarter saw Australia taking a 3-1 lead, with two goals by Pavillard and another by Maksimovic. Johnny Hooper scored the lone goal for the Americans, and Irving appeared to have equalized the score in the final minute. However, Hooper was ejected from the game after throwing a punch, resulting in a successful penalty shot for Pavillard. Both teams had 10 possessions in the opening quarter.

Australia kept the momentum in their favor, extending their lead to 4-1 with a goal by Maksimovic. Bowen managed to reduce the deficit to two goals for Team USA, but Jacob Mercep responded swiftly, restoring Australia’s three-goal advantage. It could have been worse for the Americans, but Weinberg’s exceptional saves prevented further damage. Luca Cupido’s power-play goal with just 22 seconds remaining before halftime narrowed the margin to 5-3.

The U.S. team continued to build on their momentum and capitalized on Australia’s mistakes. Weinberg’s crucial save on a penalty shot from Maksimovic further invigorated the American side. Ryder Dodd and Daube scored back-to-back goals, leveling the score at 6-6 with 3 minutes and 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

The United States and Australia have a rich history in water polo, having faced each other 27 times since July 2014. The Americans now hold a slight 14-13 advantage. Moreover, the USA has emerged victorious in the last six encounters between the two teams.

Prior to their quarterfinal clash in Paris, the two teams most recently competed at the World Aquatics World Championships in Doha in February, where Australia secured a convincing 16-10 victory.

The United States secured their spot in the 2024 Olympic men’s water polo competition by winning the gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games held in Santiago, Chile.

Regarding Australia’s previous Olympic performances, their highest finishes were fifth place in both the Los Angeles Games in 1984 and the Barcelona Games in 1992.