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Semi Final JWC (CROATIA 11 ITALY 12) |
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CROATIA 11 ITALY 12
Quarters: 4-3, 2-2, 2-4, 3-3 Italy won a nail-biting encounter and spent many minutes celebrating poolside after having to play catch-up for most of the match before taking the lead late in the third period. The game started at a fast rate with the first three extra-man chances
converted. Guidaldi got Italy off to a great start from the top, followed by Jokovic off his left arm and Cule in the first two minutes. The extra-man spell was broken when Figari¹s shot was blocked by Jurisic soon after. Buljabasic gave up a penalty foul at 3:37 and Figari converted for 2-2. Sukno drilled from the top for 3-2 and Sutalo scythed the ball across the face of the goal from deep right for 4-2 by 2:28. Georgetti responded with a last-gasp lob-twister from five metres at 2:00. Italy wasted two chances on extra in the last minute. The second quarter saw a lot of activity but few shots making the keepers until Cule scored on counter at 4:34. Caliogna replied off the left post and across behind Jurisic for 5-4. Guidaldi found himself clear at the top and scored for 5-5 but straight after Patrone gave up a penalty foul, only to see Cule convert for 6-5 at 0:48.
Italy used a timeout in the third to no joy on the scoreboard but the ball was retained and an extra-man gained. Nora converted to level. Sukno and La Penna exchanged goals on extra. Radmanovic scored after extra-man and Ferrone responded from eight metres for the sixth tie of the game at 8-8. Figari gained Italy¹s first lead on extra with a drag down shot on a cross-cage pass from Ninfa. Cule nailed his fourth on extra at the top of the fourth. His team took a timeout on extra soon after but no goal came. Guidaldi collected his third on extra for an Italian lead again. Buljabasic creamed one from well outside to level at 5:06. Ferrone drilled his second eight-metre shot for the lead at 2:53. Italy went to a timeout and Ferrone accepted a looping cross pass to drag the ball into the goal while on his back for a two-goal lead at 1:41. Croatia¹s shot on the next attack was deflected. A double exclusion occurred but Croatia had the ball and there was another fracas. Two more players were ejected, resuming the game as a four on four. Another Italian was ejected (three in the box) and Jokovic converted the four on three for a goal down at 1:10. Italy lost the ball on attack. Croatia pushed the ball in and Ferrone was excluded and Georgetti protested and was sent for the game on misconduct. Croatia took the timeout and then worked the ball around. Players hesitated and the final shot with three seconds left hit goalkeeper Washburn and Italy was through to the gold-medal final.
CROATIA: Egon JURISIC, Luka LONCAR, Ivan DELAS, Domagoj CULE (4), Ivan
BEBIC, Maro JOKOVIC (2), Boris POPOVIC, Igor RADMANOVIC (1), Sandro
SUKNO(2), Petar MUSLIN, Ivan BULJUBASIC (1), Josip SUTALO, Mirko NIZIC. Head
Coach: Emil NIKOLIC.
ITALY: William WASHBURN, Niccolo PATRONE, Giacomo NINFA (1), Paride
SACCOIA,Alex GIORGETT (1), Edoardo CALIOGNA (1), Niccolo FIGARI (1), Marco
FERRONE(3), Federico LA PENNA (1), Francesco LO CASCIO, Alessandro NORA (1),
Gianmarco GUIDALDI (3), Dario GENNARO. Head Coach: Pietro IVALDI.
Shooting success: CRO 11/29; ITA 12/33
Extra Man: CRO 5/15; ITA 5/13
Pen: CRO 1/1; ITA 1/1
Goalkeeper saves: CRO 12; ITA 8
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