Australian Men Make Strong Start to Water Polo World Champs
The Australian Sharks men’s water polo team has overcome a three goal deficit to record a stunning 9-8 victory over Romania in the opening match of their 2011 FINA World Championships campaign in Shanghai.
In a squad containing WAIS-AIS athletes Luke Quinlivan, Aaron Younger and Tim Cleland, the Sharks will take great confidence out of their first up win.
The Sharks got off to a great start, scoring the first goal in the opening minutes and were unlucky to be down 2-1 at the first break but just like in yesterday’s loss by the Aussie Stingers women’s team the Australians struggled to put the ball in the back of the net, shooting at just 16 per cent in the opening half to trail 4-2.
The third term was an even one with both teams scoring three times but the Sharks shooting in extra man improved to 30 per cent courtesy of two identical AJ Roach goals and the tide had turned.
A brilliant third goal to Billy Miller, two strikes to Richie Campbell and a sharp shot by WAIS teenager Aaron Younger to take the lead got the Australians home in the last quarter.
Remarkably the Sharks led for less than three minutes of the entire match but still grabbed a courageous win that ended a long run of losing tight one or two goal matches.
A jubilant Roach said he and the side never gave up hope despite trailing by three goals late in the third quarter.
“When we were over in Europe preparing we were losing these games by one or two goals so it’s good to come back and finally win one of the close ones by one goal,” Roach said.
“I never doubted the team, I don’t think any of the boys doubted the team. We knew we had them in the long run for fitness and we knew we’d get them in the end and we did.”
Roach was instructed by the Australian coaching staff to chance his hand if the opportunity arose and the youngster showed maturity beyond his years to seize the chance – twice.
“When I got in the water before the goals one of the coaches said to me just have a glance out the side of your eye and so I had a look, it was open and so I had the shots,” Roach said.
A relieved Australian Head Coach John Fox paid tribute to his team’s composure while saying he thought they would improve as the week went on.
“The most pleasing thing is, after the World League I talked about self belief and today it showed,” Fox said.
“We were always down for the whole game but we just kept saying let’s work to the systems, let’s work to the processes and it will happen.
“The game plan worked, it’s just our execution let us down a little bit today but we’ve still got improvement in us and that’s a good sign.”
The Sharks second game is on Wednesday night (2300 AEST) against host nation China and shapes as a massive game played in front of a sell out crowd. Fox understands the dangers.
“The Chinese at home are going to be hard and we’ll watch their game against Serbia tonight,” Fox said.
“We know China fairly well but certainly it’s not going to be an easy game for us so we can’t relax.”
The Aussie Stingers, who surprisingly lost their first game against Canada yesterday, are in the pool again tomorrow taking on Oceania rivals new Zealand at 1250 (AEST).
-Australian Water Polo