Water polo out after 27-6 loss to Ireland

by Martin Dale-Hench on September 9, 2009

The United States water polo team is out of medal contention after a 27-6 loss to Ireland on Wednesday at Hsinchu County Swimming Plaza. The game was the last of four straight days of games, a grueling pace that took its toll on an undermanned team of eight players. “It’s really tough to play four straight days without a bye,” two-meter Scott Madsen said. The Americans’ bye falls tomorrow, at the end of their play. However, a bright spot sprang up during the game. With top scorer Sean Jackson out of the game, Stetson McBririe, 17, stepped up and scored four goals from the side. He had a couple of goals in the team’s previous three games. “I was frustrated,” McBririe said, “I wanted to win.” The numerical disadvantage was exacerbated when Jackson fouled out in the third quarter, leaving the U.S. without any substitution for the rest of the game. Jackson’s ban was due to misunderstanding and miscommunication between the referees and players. In the first quarter, Jackson earned his first checkout for battling with an Irish forward, but one referee held up five fingers, meaning the Irish had a 5-meter opportunity, the equivalent of a penalty shot. That meant Jackson did not have to go into the penalty box. However, the other referee ruled that he had a checkout. Jackson looked from one side to another, unsure where to go. His ambivalence cost time, and he was conferred another checkout, giving him two in the first three minutes alone. This did not please the players and coaches, and they appealed the ruling to the officials in vain. Despite being a man down, the U.S. raged on. “We gave it all,” Madsen said. “We lost a player in the third, but we didn’t stop playing.” The halftime score was 14-5, Ireland. The Irish also committed 13 checkouts to the Americans’ five. The Americans were unable to convert their man-up opportunities — McBririe scored the only man-up goal in the third quarter. He also scored two goals in a 45-second span in the second. Coach Velasquez said she couldn’t ask more from her team. “We have soul and perseverance,” she said. “We did not stop playing even with seven or eight players. That means more to me than any medal ever will, and I’m proud of that.” After the game, the players discussed whether there would be a water polo discipline in the 2013 Athens Games, since the ICSD struck the sport from the list Sept. 1, citing lack of teams. The Americans seemed to be resolute, vowing to remain playing regardless of ICSD’s decision and said they look forward to the 2011 world championships in Germany. When asked if he would continue to play, Matthew Huff rebutted with a determination characteristic of water poloers: “I’m going to play water polo until I die.”

Water polo out after 27-6 loss to Ireland

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