Australia’s Stingers have defied all the chances to dethrone three-time defending ladies’s water polo champions the USA in a dramatic penalty shootout and muscle themselves into the Olympic gold medal match in Paris.
Captain Zoe Arancini’s facet turned the tables on the world champs who had outplayed them in a three-match collection in April, scoring an historic and nail-biting 14-13 triumph after a shootout on Friday morning at La Protection Enviornment.
The well-known win means they’re the primary Australian ladies’s facet to succeed in the ultimate for the reason that class of 2000 gained the inaugural occasion in Sydney.
They usually’re assured their first medal since successful bronze in 2012.
Within the remaining, they will meet Spain who beat the Netherlands 19-18, additionally successful a penalty shootout after the edges had been locked 14-all in high-scoring regulation.
The Australians prevailed after the groups had tied 8-8 in regulation time and their hero proved to be goalkeeper Gabriella Palm, who made the essential save within the shootout from Maddie Musselman, when the Aussies led 6-5 and have been into the sudden-death interval.
It prompted emotional, tearful scenes because the Stingers celebrated the triumph wildly in entrance of a packed 15,000-strong enviornment.
In regulation time, the Australians have been on the again foot rapidly when Musselman put the People forward from a penalty after an Arancini foul, earlier than Palm made a superb save to maintain out one other penalty from Jenna Flynn a minute later.
Flynn made amends to present the US a 2-0 lead with the American keeper Ashleigh Johnson pulling off early heroics, solely to get overwhelmed by Charlize Andrews’s crucial strike for the Aussies 9 seconds earlier than the top of the interval.
A Musselman second-period purpose was instantly answered by a terrific shot by Arancini, however the People then took a stranglehold, with Jovanna Sekulic and a killer breakaway purpose from teenager Emily Mary Ausmus seven seconds earlier than halftime giving them a 5-2 benefit.
It seemed grim for Australia, till Abby Andrews turned the sport on its head with an incredible third interval as she scored 4 instances for the Stingers together with her left-handed rockets. A sport that had seemed straightforward meat for the champions abruptly seemed precarious as they went into the ultimate interval simply 7-6 up.
The People stretched their lead however Bronte Halligan, daughter of NRL legend Daryl Halligan, got here up massive with two objectives to make it 8-8 with three minutes left.
The People twice got here near successful it however after the near-misses amid a feverish environment, it got here right down to penalties.
AAP
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