The challenge was enormous: breaking a streak of 10 consecutive years without beating the United States in a World Cup or Olympic Games, contradicting history and logic. In their sixth attempt since that glorious World Cup in Barcelona in 2013 (9-6 for Spain in the quarterfinals), Miki Oca’s warriors once again succumbed to their American bete noire (11-9), this time at the World Cup in Doha. .

Spain, which never gave the impression of being able to surpass the USA, was soon left without options, inferior physically and technically, and will have to seek consolation for bronze on Friday (9:30 a.m., against the loser of Hungary-Greece).

The Spanish team had a precedent to cling to: the victory by penalties in the World League, in April 2023 (17-15), which broke that decade of defeats since 2013. Since then, failures in each crossing: in the quarterfinals final of the 2022 World Cup, in the finals of the 2021 Games and the 2019 and 2017 World Cups, and in the quarterfinals of the 2015 World Cup. There was no way.

This time, in the Doha World Cup, for the first time facing each other in the semifinals, Spain did not start well at all, completely overwhelmed by the American tsunami: in four attacks, three goals in three minutes (from Musselman, Flynn and Neushul), which could be 4 for 4 if Musselman had not sent the third pitch to the post.

A devastating attack that the warriors’ defense could not stop, nor could a helpless Martina Terré. To make matters worse, Anni Espar received her second expulsion before the end of the first quarter.

Elena Ruiz’s goal (3-1), with a missile from a central position (3), gave some air to the Spanish team, which could begin to see the light with Pili Peña’s 3-2, in a beach (a shot bouncing in the water), at the beginning of the second quarter.

The Spanish approach, based on a noticeable improvement in the defense around Terré, became a reality with two goals in a row, from Isabel Piralkova and Nona Pérez, which made it 4-4 after a set to dream of 1-3 in the second sleeve. Spain had overcome the initial tumble by holding on, with great mental strength, with stubbornness, intensifying its defensive play and refining its shots better.

However, before the break, the US regained its effectiveness with two consecutive goals from Jenna Flynn, which made it 6-4 before the break. A -2 that once again forced Miki Oca’s team to row against the current.

At the restart almost all the Spanish options disappeared when Rachel Fattal and Jewel Roemer established the 8-4 with two goals in a row, completing a 4-0 run. The US took advantage of its superiority (7 out of 10), but Spain, once again, did not give up despite the -4. Elena Ruiz, one of the youngest to explode at the Tokyo 2021 Games, put the team behind her by scoring two consecutive goals that gave some hope for the miracle (8-6).

It was a mirage, because the Americans responded to each Spanish approach by stepping on the accelerator. Tara Prentice responded to Piralkova’s 9-7 to start the last quarter with a three-goal lead (10-7).

Too much distance to surprise the Americans, who finished off the semifinal with Musselman’s 11-7 with 6m35s remaining. The goals from Paula Crespí and Piralkova (with one minute left, no time for miracles) only made up the final score: 11-9.

For Spain, the new batch of Martina Terré stood out (35% success, with 6 saves in 17 shots), Piralkova (3/5) and Elena Ruiz (3/10), the most successful in a team that had a performance very gray In the warriors, the contribution of the old guard was missing, missing: Maica García 0/1, Bea Ortiz 0/4, Anni Espar 0/1 and Judith Forca 0/4 (after leading the team in the quarterfinals against Canada with 5 goals).

United States: Johnson, Musselman (2), Prentice (1), Fattal (1), Flynn (3), Steffens, Raney, Neushul (2), Roemer (2), Gilchrist, Sekulic and Mammolith.

Spain: Martina Terré, Anni Espar, Bea Ortiz, Nona Pérez (1), Crespí (1), Elena Ruiz (3), Pili Peña (1), Forca, Camus, Maica García, Leiton, Piralkova (3).

Quarterfinals: 3-1, 6-4, 10-7, 11-9.