WATER POLO / JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS : Spain Gets Controversial 10-10 Tie With U.S.

Controversy ended a second-round match at the Junior Water Polo World Championships as the United States and Spain battled to a 10-10 tie Wednesday night at Corona del Mar High.

With the score tied, 9-9, and 34 seconds remaining in the game, Zach Holder of the United States was whistled for a foul on Spain’s Ignacio Pubill after both players attempted to catch a pass coming from the opposite side of the pool.

Australian official John Whitehouse awarded Spain a four-meter penalty shot, and Daniel Ballart scored his 15th goal of the tournament to give Spain a 10-9 lead.

“I’m not saying that the call cost us the game by any means,” United States Coach Ricardo Azevedo said. “But the problem with the (foul on Holder) was that the time judge said the 35-second shot clock had expired when the referee whistled the foul.

“But the referee overruled the time judge, and so my view is that if he is going to overrule, why have a time judge?”

On the United States’ ensuing possession, Puerto Rican official Manuel DeJesus whistled Ballart for a foul on Troy Barnhart with 22 seconds remaining, and Jose Santiago scored the final goal of the game on a four-meter penalty shot to get the U.S. even.

“That was one of the finest junior level water polo games I have ever seen,” Azevedo said. “I wasn’t happy with the final score, but I was proud to be a part of it.”

No team led by more than one goal and the United States held the lead only twice. The last U.S. lead, 9-8, came with 3:34 left when Zach Holder scored his second goal of the game on a pass from Gavin Arroyo, who also had two goals.

Another highlight for the United States was the play of Chi Kredell. Kredell scored three goals, but also shadowed the high-scoring Ballart for the majority of the game holding him to two goals.

“Chi did a fantastic job tonight, and that was against one of the finest players in the world,” Azevedo said.

Tony Barnes also gave the United States a lift, coming off the bench to score two goals, both in the third quarter.

Bulgaria, which lost to Hungary, 14-10, plays the United States tonight at 6 p.m. at Corona del Mar.

The United States can only advance to the medal round if Hungary defeats Spain, in the 7:30 p.m. game tonight at Corona del Mar, and the United States defeats Bulgaria by goal differential of six.