“Yes, we won a silver medal, but we still have the bitter aftertaste of losing a final.”
Judith Forca’s reflection, after scoring five goals and splashing in the pool at the Marine Messe in Fukuoka to go three goals back in the last quarter, illustrates the ambition and sense of dissatisfaction that flooded the Warriors Miki Oca’s aquatics after missing out on the big world prize. A cursed penalty hit the post by Bea Ortiz in the tiebreaker (5-4), after 12-12 when regulation time ended, left Spain without its second gold, a decade after the first in Barcelona 2013 .
Silver, the third world class that this unique generation has won 10 medals in 12 years (since Olympic silver in London 2012, their calling card), still has a strange bitterness, an insufficient aftertaste for the competitive and ambitious Spanish team. A feeling of a lost golden opportunity, since in their fourth final of a World Cup they did not have the United States in front of them, their recurring black beast that had beaten them in the last three editions (two finals, in 2017 and in 2019, and in the quarters of 2022) and in the Olympic final of Tokyo’21. Without the American women, the path to gold had to be clearer. But it was not so.
In the absence of the USA, the Netherlands are a formidable opponent. They were no candy; they have a team with very powerful players, physically and technically – as Miki Oca had warned in the preview – with well-known faces, such as the trio of Van der Sloot (from CN Sabadell), Sevenich and Van der Kraats (from CN Mataró). And, in addition, they reached the final undefeated and with the moral advantage of having beaten Spain in the first match (7-6).
Oca’s starting approach was correct, what could be expected: attack the opponent first, take the initiative, avoid their throws and do not lower your arms. This is how Maica García put Spain ahead with a flick of her fingers from the buoy after a pass from her Sabadell teammate Judith Forca. At 0-1 he was followed by two brilliant strikes, one for each side. A 2-0 Dutch and a 0-2 Spanish with goals from Forca that put a hopeful 2-3 in 3 dizzying minutes. It was when the Spanish team was able to score the coup de grace, leaving the rivals very touched, if Anni Espar had hit two chances to extend the account. But the Barcelona player crashed two vaselines on the crossbar and the post. From being able to win by three goals, to conceding two before the horn in two plays with superiority that put Spain in tow: 4-3.
In the second half, it seemed that the Spanish team found the right way and achieved a partial 0-3 thanks to the goals of Maica García and Elena Ruiz (2 penalty). Spain put themselves two goals ahead (4-6), but did not consolidate the advantage in play against the Netherlands, who countered with a partial 2-0 to return to equality (6-6).
Judith Forca’s 6-7 in a counter when the third quarter began was the last Spanish advantage. From there, the Dutch went over them. A 3-0 left the Spanish very touched to face the last quarter (9-7). They needed almost a miracle to come back in the final.
And with faith and perseverance the Oca warriors recovered and forced a tie in a brutal last leg (3-5) with a partial 0-3 (Bea Ortiz and two goals in a row from Paula Crespí) and a resolutive Judith Forca who made it 12-12 with 15 seconds left. The gold would be decided in penalties, “a lottery; it can go well or it can go bad”, said the Sabadell left-hander.
Well, it came out cross: in the round of five throws, Spain missed the third one, the one thrown by Bea Ortiz, who crashed the ball into the post. Elena Ruiz, Forca, Espar and Maica all hit, and Martina Terré was unable to stop a single Dutch shot. The gold was flying to the Netherlands… 32 years later. The bronze went to Italy (16-14 in Australia).
