WATER POLO : Wilson Saves U.S. in 9-7 Win

Even for Craig Wilson, best water polo goalkeeper in the world, it seemed an impossible situation.

Four meters in front of Wilson, the U.S. National team’s goalie, Paolo Petronelli of Italy bobbed with the ball, waiting to try a penalty shot that would have tied the match early in the fourth quarter.

But Wilson played a hunch and stopped Petronelli’s shot toward the lower-left corner, deflecting the ball to defender Doug Kimbell.

Wilson finished with 10 saves in the United States’ 9-7 victory over Italy in the championship match of the Alamo Cup Saturday at Corona del Mar High School.

“I had a feeling it was going to go there,” Wilson said of his biggest save. “Before he took the shot, I told Doug, ‘He’s going to shoot to my left, be ready for the rebound.’ ”

The U.S. built a 7-3 lead, converting five of six 6-on-5 situations in the first half.

Notes

The U.S. plays the Commonwealth of Independent States, a 10-2 winner over Canada Saturday, at 1:30 today at UC San Diego. Italy and Canada play at noon. . . . The 14-man U.S. team has one cut to be made before the Olympics. The U.S. finished second to Yugoslavia in the 1984 and ’88 Games but last summer won the FINA World Cup, the first major U.S. international championship in the modern era.