Ho-Hum: US Women Drive for Another Super League Final Title

In a final tune-up before the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the U.S. women’s water polo team is on the verge of yet another milestone. The Americans—number one in the world and two-time defending Olympic champions—seek a 13th straight major title when they get in the water later today against Hungary in the FINA World League Super Final (1:15pm EST/10:15am PST at Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre). A win will give them a seventh straight Super Final title (2014-2019).

No one should be surprised by U.S. dominance in women’s polo. They are led by Adam Krikorian, one of the world’s best coaches in any sport. They are captained by Maggie Steffens, who will go down in history as one of the best women to ever suit up—especially if, as expected, she leads her team to a third-straight Olympic water polo gold. Ashleigh Johnson, the world’s best female goalie, is another all-time great.

[Di Fulvio, Johnson Are Swimming World’s Top Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Players for 2019]

Melissa Seidmann, like Steffens, is on the verge of an incredible feat: three golds in Olympic team sports. Only Hungarian men have accomplished this in water polo (two separate times: 1952, 1956, 1964 and the incredible dominance of the 2000, 2004 and 2008 squads).

A common experience: Adam Krikorian in the pool celebrating a title. Photo: USAWP

If you look at Krikorian’s current line-up, their top 10 could easily be considered the best of any women in their sport. Eight players return from their gold medal campaign in 2016; this includes Johnson, Steffens, Seidmann, Maddie Musselman, Rachel Fattal, Aria and Mackenzie Fischer, Kaleigh Gilchrist. Add in youngsters Stephania Haralabidis, Paige Hauschild, Jamie Neushul, Jordan Raney, Alys Williams and there’s no question that the American’s are the world’s best.

By far.

Haralabidis is one example of just how good the Americans are. A Greek native, she and her twin sister Ioanna came to the U.S. for high school competition at Corona Del Mar in Newport, California, than starred at USC, winning a national championship in 2016. Stephania picked up the Cutino Award that year as the country’s best collegian.

She would be the best player on the Greek side—and one of Europe’s top polo athletes—but Haralabidis chose to become an American citizen and compete with the best, even though a roster sport is not assured (it would be an incredible surprise if Krikorian’s top left-handed option did not qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Games.)

So, the fact that they are in pursuit of the program’s 85th victory in the past 86 matches—including an incredible 69-match win streak—should not be held against Krikorian and his players. They are just so good that (practically) no one can beat them (you hear that, Australia?!).

Certainly, it won’t be Hungary today. In four friendlies last month, the Americans won by an average margin of approximately 6 goals. The results in five games in Athens have been even starker. If you exclude matches against Kazakhstan (20-2) and Japan (20-6), Team USA won by an average margin of eight goals against host Greece, Russia and Spain, currently ranked fifth, third and third (tied) by FINA.

The Hungarians, who last won a major championship in 2016, are led by Rita Kesztheli, one of the world’s top players. With 17 goals in five matches, Kesztheli is the tournament’s second leading scorer. She led Hungary with four scores in a 14-10 semifinal win over Canada, revenge for a surprising one-goal Canadian win in group play.

Other top Hungarians include Anna Illes, formerly of Cal-Berkeley, Dora Leimeter and Greta Gurisatti. Dóra Abel-Antal, Cal’s all-time leading scorer, has an outside shot of making Head Coach Attila Biro’s roster.

[Catching Up with Dóra Antal of Cal Women’s Water Polo]

As is their habit, Krikorian’s squad has gotten balanced scoring throughout the tournament. Musselman leads with 15 goals; Fattal and Steffens have a dozen each; Mackenzie Fischer has 10. Williams, an outside possibility to make the Olympic roster, has eight, and Seidmann has seven.

Dóra Antal at Cal. She finished her Bear career with a record 243 goals. Photo: Cal-Berkeley

I don’t come to bury the Americans, but to encourage other teams to catch up. Spain didn’t even make the semifinals, coming up short against a Hungarian side that had two losses in group play. Russia and the U.S. were tied 2-2 midway through the first quarter of their semifinal, but the Russians were outscored 15-6 over the remaining 28 minutes of the match.

Missing from this tournament are the Netherlands, which did not qualify by virtue of a 15-10 loss to Russia in a World League qualification tournament in March, and Australia, which also did not qualify. The Dutch are currently ranked #2 in the world by FINA while the Australians have registered the only victories over the Americans in the past three years (two; in 2018 and 2020).

Expectation for the Hungary vs. USA match later today are a decisive victory by the Yanks. The biggest question will come after the team returns home, when Krikorian announces his final roster. In fact, that may be the biggest upset the American women experience all year.

Live stats: click here, live streaming will be available for viewers in the United States via FloSports.