World League, narrow defeat for Setterosa

Holland-Italy 18-17

Proud, stubborn and always purposeful. A whole-hearted Setterosa yields 18-17 (5-4, 5-4, 3-4, 5-5) to the Netherlands on the second day of round A of the SuperFinals of the World League in Tenerife, but proves once again that it has returned a great team by always playing it against the Orange against whom they had lost the “finalina” of the World Championships in Budapest (7-4) and then made up for it in the one of the European Championships in Split (16-13).

Vibrant match with Italy, always chasing in the score, down 12-8 and 13-9 in the third half; then goals in sequence by Cocchiere, Bianconi, Avegno and Marletta, who will make six, make it 13-13 at the start of the last quarter. The Orange got back to +2 (17-15) with a minute and a half to go, and when it seemed to be over, Marletta (penalty shot and magic from distance) stamped 17-17 with twenty seconds to go that seemed to open the door to penalties; but Keuning at the last gasp was quick to pounce on a short rebound by Condorelli (who took over for Banchelli at the beginning of the second quarter) and sign the final 18-17.