Hungary Tips U.S., Wins Alamo Cup
Hungary gave the U.S. national water polo team a lesson in international play, scoring three goals in the fourth quarter to win, 7-6, and capture the championship of the Alamo Cup on Sunday at Corona del Mar High.
Tibor Benedek scored two of Hungary’s fourth-quarter goals, including the match-winner with 10 seconds remaining. Benedek took a pass about eight meters from the goal and shot into the left corner beating U.S. goalkeeper Chris Duplanty, who could only get his fingertips on the ball.
With the victory, Hungary became the first team other than the United States to win the Alamo Cup goal medal in the three years of the tournament. Cuba beat Australia, 9-7, for the bronze. The U.S. B team defeated Canada, 12-9, in the fifth-place match and Japan beat Mexico, 14-5, for seventh place.
The final match was the most highly contested of the competition. The United States jumped out to an early 4-1 lead on goals by Gavin Arroyo and Chi Kredell in the first quarter and Alex Rousseau and Todd Hosmer in the second. Hungary cut the lead to 4-2 on a goal by Zsolt Varga with 1 minute 32 seconds left for the half.
Last year in the FINA World Cup, Hungary beat the United States, 6-2, and Benedek said his team was surprised how much the team has improved since then.
Hungary, which finished second to Italy in the World Cup, pulled even with the United States less than two minutes into the second half on goals by Attila Monostori and Benedek.
Still the less-experienced U.S. team didn’t fold. Rick McNair scored with 4:42 left in the quarter and afterward pointed at Benedek, who was guarding him closely. The match had been quite physical up to that point and the two had exchanged blows. McNair’s taunting was a pay back, Benedek said through an interpreter.
Benedek was asked whether he was thinking about that in the fourth quarter.
“I’m a guy who doesn’t like to lose,” Benedek said. “I always want to repay it and this is the best way for the revenge.”
U.S. Coach Rich Corso said his team made great progress in the last few months, but its play late in the match showed where improvement is needed.
“The guys at times instead of trying to win by one or settle for the tie are trying to win by five and sometimes that backfires,” Corso said.
Tied 6-6 in the final minutes, the United States took one wild shot and committed two turnovers. Hungary, by contrast, was patient enough to move the ball around and find Benedek for an open shot. “That’s the mark of a mature ballclub,” Corso said. “That what we lack in the last two minutes.”
But Corso said coming down to the final minutes with a chance to win or tie against one of the top teams in the world is gratifying. The United States will train this week with Hungary at Corona del Mar and then go to Europe for a 20-day training and competition trip that will include a major tournament in Hungary and the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia. The World Championship are in Rome in September but the ultimate U.S. goal is an elusive gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
“We’ve really, really improved,” Corso said. “We just have to keep improving.”
