The USA Men’s Senior National Team finished group play at the FINA World League Super Final with a 13-10 water polo loss to Italy on Thursday in Bergamo, Italy.
Stanford’s Bret Bonanni led the way for the second straight match with three goals while Cardinal graduate Tony Azevedo added two tallies in the defeat. Stanford grad Alex Bowen added one goal.
Team USA returns to play on Friday in the quarterfinal round of the tournament when the Americans meet Hungary.
Team USA and Italy were even at the start with the scored tied at 3 after the first eight minutes. Italy took control in the second period, outscoring Team USA 4-0 to build a 7-3 lead at halftime.
Team USA rallied with three goals in the third, but Italy responded with two of its own and maintained an advantage at 9-6. The match ended with a flurry of goals as both teams delivered four goals each over the final eight minutes.
By USA Water Polo/Palo Alto Online Sports
By USA Water Polo/Palo Alto Online Sports
By USA Water Polo/Palo Alto Online Sports