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Team USA smothers Spain 14-5 to win third-straight gold medal

The USA was favored, but their margin of victory in the final was stunning.

By Collin Sherwin
Rachel Fattal of Team United States on attack during the Women’s Gold Medal match between Spain and the United States on day fifteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tatsumi Water Polo Centre on August 07, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

In a massive effort on the biggest of stages, the United States women’s water polo team won their third-straight gold medal in a 14-5 blowout of Spain on Saturday at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It’s the largest margin of victory in a gold medal match in Olympic water polo history.

Team USA held the Spaniards to just 5/32 shooting, simply a stifling defensive performance. There were 16 20-second exclusions of US players, but that converted to just two goals for Spain. Team USA had 13 man advantages, and scored eight times. The Spanish scored just once in the second half.

The USA was 14/26 shooting, led by three goals from Maddie Musselman. Aria Fischer, Kaleigh Gilchrist, and Alys Williams each added two. Goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson stopped 11 of 15 shots, and the size of the score differential meant backup keeper Amanda Longan was in net as the final horn sounded. All 12 American players got in the pool before the end.

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