Australia Tops Group at Youth World Champs
The Australian Youth women’s team has defeated Uzbekistan 18-1 in their day four Group A clash at Challenge Stadium.
They now top their group and will play the winner of Hungary and South Africa in the quarter finals.
While not as damaging as their opening 22-2 and 27-2 victories over Czech Republic and Indonesia, Australia were very deliberate in their approach.
Coach Aleks Osadchuk had asked the girls to play in a particular manner, and that they did executing the game plan to precision.
“I am quite happy,” Osadchuk said. “For me this result is probably more rewarding than the first two.
“I asked the girls to play in a specific way to test our tactics and I am very happy with their performance and all 13 girls played very well.”
After a slow opening where neither team was able to gain the ascendancy, the Australians slowly warmed to the task with local Perth girls and WAIS scholarship holders Jessica Zimmerman and Madeleine Quinn opening the scoring.
Chloe Barr then made it three nil at the first break with a well-executed five metre penalty.
Uzbekistan had showed great tenacity to hold out the Australians for most of the quarter and their stubbornness continued in the second with Australia unable to break the line.
Keeper Elena Dukhanova made two key saves to deny Belinda Symons and Shannan Martin, while Barr hit the crossbar and had two lob shots pull up on the line.
Australia eventually found their mark late in the half with Zimmerman netting her second and Martin, Maddi Schmid and Montana Perkins all converting to give Australia a 7-0 lead at half time.
A centre forward goal to Symonds and a neat conversion from Kassia Ralston (WAIS) early in the third then allowed Australia to break the shackles.
Six goals in the space of three and a half minutes together with a well-oiled defence saw the home team extend their lead to 15-0 at three-quarter time.
Barr then added her second and third goals, before Zimmerman nailed her fourth to give Australia the 18-1 win.
In what was one of the moments of the tournament, 11-year-old sensation Regina Shaydullina was able to score Uzbekistan’s first and only goal.
The whole crowd was behind her as she slotted a neat lob to the left hand of Aussie keeper Stephanie Calaizis just minutes from time.
Shaydullina and her coach Boris Rustamov were over the moon with the goal and said it was a great experience. “We are very happy with (Regina’s) goal and Perth is a wonderful place.”
Calaizis said it was great that Uzbekistan could experience that moment and she was happy to be part of it.
“I am very happy for her to score that goal and hopefully she can learn a lot from it,” Calaizis said.
“It’s great that Uzbekistan are here in Australia and the more they play the better they will get.”
– Water Polo Australia
