Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Water Polo World Championship match.
Last year’s World Championship winners, the USA, will face Greece, who have historically struggled against elite opposition and rarely found success in head-to-head meetings with their upcoming rivals.
Greece (women)
Greece have had a challenging path to reach the semi-finals of the World Championship. In the group stage, they comfortably overcame Croatia and Japan—both teams currently ranked outside the world’s top ten—but suffered a defeat to Hungary, who are ranked No. 4 globally. In the first knockout round, Greece benefitted from a favourable draw, dispatching France with ease and recording their 14th consecutive victory in this fixture. However, the quarter-finals proved far more difficult, as they narrowly edged past Australia with an 8:7 win. Facing the United States will be significantly tougher, given that Greece have lost 12 of their 14 previous meetings against them, including the last three by margins of at least seven goals.
USA (women)
The USA have dominated every opponent in their path. Only the Netherlands managed to mount any serious resistance in this tournament, while all other teams were defeated by at least eight goals. In the quarter-finals, the Americans dismantled Japan with a commanding 26:8 scoreline. This level of dominance is consistent with their record of winning gold at five of the last six World Championships. There is little to suggest that this year will be any different.
Greece (women) vs USA (women) Prediction
Greece’s winning run appears to have reached its limit. In the semi-finals, they meet the United States, who have left no room for error throughout the tournament. The leading title contenders are expected to reach the final in emphatic fashion, defeating Greece with a -2.5 goal handicap.
