Six games, six destinies to be continued
24 Jun. 2022
The women’s main round competition reaches its conclusion, with six matches to be played: three in Group I and three in Group II, plus a further two in the consolation round.
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Denmark – top scorers at Greece 2022 with 245 points in their five games so far – and the hosts Greece clash to decide the winners of Group I at 18:00 (EEST), with one of the teams ending the day having lost their last match.
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Both have won all five of their games in Heraklion so far and it will be a top-level fight: Denmark, the 2019 ANOC World Beach Games champions, and the host nation, the title-holders of this event. Unsurprisingly, Magda Kepesidou tops the goalkeeper charts, her eight saves last night against Spain meaning she has now stopped 39 shots from 138 attempts.
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Spain, Thailand, Portugal and the USA can all still qualify through, with Portugal and the USA needing to win their game and Spain hoping that their four points will be enough whatever happens against Thailand.
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The USA’s Christine Mansour is currently the top scorer at Greece 2022 with 90 points in five games so far and her side will need her to considerably add to that total against the Portuguese.
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In Group II, just one place remains open for the quarter-finals, with Norway and Argentina facing each other in a play-off for the last spot. Whoever wins will go into the last eight.
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Uruguay could equal them on points, but having lost to everyone in the group so far, their match against Brazil tomorrow will have no effect on those quarter-final spots whatever the outcome.
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The other game sees Germany and Netherlands play off for top spot, the winners claiming that and the potential easier last eight clash – although at this stage of competition nothing is easy.
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As expected, Hungary will likely clean up in the consolation round, having won both of their games 2-0, against Mexico and Vietnam and facing Australia in their third and final game. Mexico and Vietnam play off for second in the group.
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