USA Women win Holiday Cup

The Women's four-nation Holiday Cup tournament was won by the USA on Sunday in Los Alamitos, California. Team USA defeated Canada 11-8 in the final and will now play the FINA World League prelims, starting on Monday already. In a 2012 European Championships final rematch Italy took the bronze medal beating reigning World champs Greece once again 13-6. The final game was put away in the fourth quarter after Canada led 8-6 in the third. USA climbed back and two Brenda Villa goals in the final period decided the 11-8 victory outcome.

Team USA had a 5-0-0 run in the five-day-competition. Canada did not only loose the Preliminary Round match of both teams, but also fell to Italy. In the semi-finals to be played only day later, the Canadians downed the European champion by seven goals, 7-2.
 
Action will go on in Souhtern California already this morning where the Preliminary Round matches of the FINA World League to be held at four different pools will start.  Here USA and Canada will face each other again tonight again at the city of Commerce, CA. The third of the Americas group is Brazil.  



Holiday Cup 2012 –Women’s Four-Nation-Tournament at Los Alamitos, CA

Wednesday, 15 February 2012
18:45 USA vs. Italy 17-10 (6-6, 4-1, 5-2, 2-1)
20:00 Canada vs. Greece 10-7 (1-1, 4-2, 3-3, 2-1)
 
Thursday, 16 February 2012
18:45 USA vs. Canada  9-8 (3-2, 2-2, 2-2, 2.2)
20:00 Italy vs. Greece 14-11 (3-2, 6-3, 4-4, 1-2) 

Friday, 17 February 2012
18:45 USA vs. Greece 12-9 (4-3, 3-2, 1-3, 4-1)  
20:00 Italy vs. Canada 7-6 (3-2, 0-1, 2-0, 2-3)
 
Saturday, 18 February 2012
16:30 Semi-final 1: USA vs. Greece 8-6 (2-3, 4-1, 2-2, 0-0) 
18:00 Semi-final 2: Canada vs Italy 9-2 (0-0, 3-1, 3-0, 3-1)
    
Sunday, 19 February 2012
16:30 Gold medal match: USA vs. Canada 11-8 (3-4, 3-3, 3-1, 2-0)
18:00 Bronze medal match: Italy vs. Greece 13-6 (5-2, 1-2, 3-2, 4-0)
 
 
 
FINA Women's World League 2012
 
Preliminary Round of the Americas at Southern California
 
Monday, 20 February 2012
10:30 USA vs. Brazil – at Los Alamitos, CA
19:00 USA vs. Canada – at Commerce, CA
 
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
10:30 Canada vs. Brazil – at Los Alamitos, CA
19:00 USA vs. Brazil – at Irvine, CA (Beckman High School)
 
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
10:30 Canada vs. Brazil – at Los Alamitos, CA
19:45 USA vs. Canada – at Irvine, CA (Woollett Aquatics Center)

N. b.: all starting times are local times (= CET – 9 hours)

 

Pictured: Margaret Steffens - Team USA (Photo Henk Swinkels)