Martina Terre came out hoarse from the pool at the Aquatic Centre in Paris. The Catalan goalkeeper had just saved a penalty from Madeline Musselman in the last minute of a resounding match. A match that deserves to be given the most overused epithet in Olympic history. It was historic because Spain beat the United States after 11 years of drought. It was historic because despite it being just a group stage match, the United States has been the best team on the planet for the last three Olympics and, as the trophies and the way they played show, the best in the history of this sport that has been played at the Games in the women’s category since 2000.
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Spain won 11-13 in a grueling battle that included more than 30 attacks per side. That’s around two kilometers of swimming, including kicks, elbows, and apneas. A naval battle that Spain won with endurance and cunning against rivals who were characterised by their power. Along with Bea Ortiz and Maica Garcia, Martina Terre, who trained at Sant Andreu, was one of the most outstanding figures. She stopped seven of the 18 shots she received. But she did much more. Something that exceeded her defensive responsibilities. When Spain attacked, she guided her teammates by singing the countdowns of the attacks when they reached the last ten of the 30 regulatory seconds. Her deep, shrill voice, like a loudspeaker, crossed the 25 meters from goal to goal and provided serenity to the throwers. Instead of wasting time looking at the screens with the stopwatch, Bea Ortiz, Paula Crespi, Pili Pena, and Maica Garcia asked to focus their attention on the defenders and the opposing goalkeeper to play with their anxiety. The trick was especially helpful for Bea Ortiz, who scored five goals from a medium distance.
“It’s something new,” said Martina Terre. “Before, we used to say ‘ten’ and ‘five’ to warn that there were ten and five seconds left to attack. But it was stressful for the attackers. That’s why we decided to count each second until the end so that they know when they have a chance to shoot. It was worth it, even though it really wore out my voice.”
The United States started the match with bravery. The six girls on the field were a wall. They raised their arms, covered every crack, and protected their goalkeeper, Ashleigh Johnson, in a squadron, that thus better anticipated. The Spanish women had a hard time penetrating the net. But by increasing the pace of play and multiplying the attacks, the Americans, bigger and heavier, began to suffer from the hustle and bustle. As the minutes passed, they opened up and the Spanish, who had defended very well even when outnumbered, began to strike with ease. The United States finished the first quarter ahead, 3-2, and then faded, 6-9 in the second, 11-11 in the third, and 11-13 in the final score, made up for by a goal by Johnson herself, who broke away in the final seconds. “I have always enjoyed watching Ashleigh Johnson play,” Martina said. “I enjoyed beating her today, but I was truly hurt by the goal she scored against me.”
“They have eaten away at our morale,” said Jennifer Pareja. “But they are no better than us.” The veteran of the last Spanish team to beat the United States, in the quarter-finals of the 2013 World Cup in Barcelona, pointed to a psychological advantage before the opening ceremony. The inferiority complex was justified. In the last decade, the Americans beat the Spanish in the final of the 2017 World Cup in Budapest, in the final of the 2012 London Games, and in the final of the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“We knew it would be a battle,” said veteran American Kaleigh Gilchrist. “This U.S. team is different from the one that played in Tokyo and London. It’s a different story and the Spanish team has always been very dominant in this sport. They played a great game today and when we wanted to react in the third quarter it was too late, but we put some emotion into it.”
“I haven’t taken any thorns out of my side because I’m very young and the United States had only beaten me three times,” said the Spanish goalkeeper. The technical director of water polo in Spain, Rafa Aguilar, enjoyed the tactical innovation. “When you know how many minutes you have left, it gives you peace of mind because as a thrower you don’t have to divide your gaze between the stopwatch and the rival goalkeeper,” he observed. “In this team, we are seeing that the girls talk to each other a lot and help each other out loud in the pool. It’s not the same thing when your coach orders you to throw as when a friendly voice tells you how much time you have. But it’s difficult for a goalkeeper to do this because a goalkeeper is not there to talk, they are there to stop and then talk. And you have to be very sure of yourself to talk and direct your teammates, as Martina has done.”
Goal for goal, defense for defense, Spain took control of the pool and surprised the United States on the second day of Group B of the Olympic championship. Spain now leads the group with six points ahead of the United States (3), France (3), Italy (0) and Greece (0). The top four qualify and go on to the quarterfinals, which will be played on August 6.
