The Dutch water polo players lost 11-7 to the USA at the World Cup in Budapest. The best resistance was offered, but the surplus of American experience was the deciding factor.

The Orange got off to a rousing start to the World Cup on Sunday, beating Argentina by a huge margin (29-6). In that game, the Netherlands were better; Then all the players managed to reach the target.

It was clear early on that the game against the USA would take a completely different course. The Americans have dominated women’s water polo for some time: they’ve won gold at the last three World Cups and the last three Olympics.

In the Bath match in Debrecen, the Netherlands were strong with the ball at times in the opening stages, but went wrong at crucial moments. The first quarter went America’s way, with sharp shots from the US and the excellent Ashley Johnson on target.

A tight American defense forced the Orange into more impossible shooting positions in part two. Laura Ards kept the Orange in the race with several saves as it rallied to make it 7-9 in the final quarter. The Americans then returned to the track and finished it in the usual manner.

On Friday, the Orange will play their third and final group game against South Africa. The country went hard against the US earlier and lost to Argentina. Currently, the Netherlands team is in second place.