Hungary, Italy, and Croatia also advance to last eight in Salvador
Host nation Brazil produced a dramatic late comeback to defeat New Zealand 10–9, sealing a place in the Women’s U20 World Championship quarterfinals for the first time in a decade. Joining them in the last eight are Hungary, Italy, and Croatia, who all came through tense crossover encounters on Day 4.
The four winners will now face the top seeds from the group stage — USA, Spain, Greece, and the Netherlands — in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Day 5 – Thursday Schedule
Group E
- 09:00 – Argentina v Mexico
- 10:30 – Canada v South Africa
Classification 9–12
- 12:00 – Israel v China
- 13:30 – Australia v New Zealand
Quarterfinals
- 16:00 – USA v Croatia
- 17:30 – Spain v Hungary
- 19:00 – Greece v Brazil
- 20:30 – Netherlands v Italy
Crossover Match Summaries
Brazil 10–9 New Zealand
Brazil scored the final three goals of the match to overturn a 9–7 deficit and send the Salvador crowd into raptures. Ana Neves was the hero with four goals, including the winner with 1:07 remaining.
New Zealand had dominated the middle stages, particularly a 5–1 second quarter, but couldn’t close it out. Stefany Azevedo and Maiah Nascimento both converted on extra-player chances before Neves delivered the decisive bounce shot.
Key Stats: Brazil 4/10 on extra; New Zealand 1/7. Steals: Brazil 8–3. Shots: Brazil 31–23.
Italy 15–12 China
Italy found form when it mattered, holding off a spirited China to book a quarterfinal against the Netherlands. Paola di Maria struck four times, while Bianca Rosta and Beatrice Cassarà each netted three.
China’s Wang Beiyi scored the team’s opening six goals and finished with six in total, but the European side’s efficiency on the power play (7/10) proved decisive.
Hungary 17–12 Australia
The defending champions finally clicked into gear, led by Kata Hajdu’s six goals and an inspired 15-save performance from goalkeeper Szonja Golopencza.
A devastating 6–0 run in the second quarter turned the match, giving Hungary the cushion they needed despite Australia’s late rally. Hungary was near-perfect on extra-player situations (8/9) and clinical from the penalty line (4/5).
Croatia 14–13 Israel
Croatia edged a thrilling contest to reach the quarterfinals for the first time, holding off a fierce Israeli comeback in the final minutes. Neli Janković scored five, while Miya Tirosh was outstanding for Israel with seven goals.
Croatia’s flawless extra-player conversion (3/3) and a 7–1 steals advantage made the difference, despite missing two late penalties.
Classification Round – Group E
Canada 19–8 Mexico
Canada dominated early, leading 11–1 at halftime before weathering a spirited Mexican surge in the third quarter. Cianne Benjamin and Pippa Heaver each scored four, with Benjamin netting a late hat-trick in just three minutes.
Argentina 15–10 South Africa
Captain Anahí Bacigalupo’s six goals powered Argentina to victory, despite South Africa outscoring them 9–8 over the final three quarters. Both teams were highly efficient on extra-player opportunities, but Argentina’s fast start (7–1) set the tone.
The Road Ahead
The quarterfinals on Thursday promise high drama:
- USA will meet an in-form Croatia.
- Spain faces reigning champions Hungary.
- Greece takes on host nation Brazil in front of a partisan crowd.
- The Netherlands meets Italy in a rematch of last year’s senior World Championship final.
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