Women Will Play For Gold

This goalie is in trouble as Team USA heads to the Gold Medal Match

Just one game on the docket today but an important one as the USA Women dispatched of Brazil 13-1. After a bit of a slow start they got things cooking in the second half and especially the fourth quarter. The defense has also been on point as thus far the team has allowed just 8 goals through four games which is pretty ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as the 76 goals scored over four games. All that is history now though as the Gold Medal game is at hand at 5pm cst on Friday.

It will be USA vs Canada, the match most predicted. For all the lopsided games these two teams have taken part in thus far in the Pan Ams this game promises to be a real battle. As Coach Krikorian said today it wouldn't be a shocker if it were a one goal game. The two teams played at World Championships this past summer in Shanghai with Team USA winning handily but there wasn't nearly as much on the line as there will be Friday night in Guadalajara. The winner earns a berth to the Olympic Games, second place has to sweat it out until April when they take part in the Olympic qualification tournament in Italy, a road neither team wants to travel.

As for tomorrow it is back to men's water polo action as they try and do what the women did today, pick up a win and move into the Gold Medal game. The men take on Cuba at 3:30pm cst with eyes on advancing to the final and also claiming a berth to London. As usual full updates available on twitter @usawp.

In other news cool story posted today on teamusa.org by Aimee Berg on the four water polo players trying for their fourth Olympics. That would be Tony Azevedo, Ryan Bailey, Brenda Villa, and Heather Petri. Berg also checked in with Terry Schroeder as he is a four time Olympian in his own right, although he did not get to play in 1980 due to the boycott. Check it out here http://www.teamusa.org/news/2011/10/26/meet-water-polos-senior-class/45226?ngb_id=3

At the pool before the USA women's game there was Mexico in action playing for fifth place. Talk about a crowd, so awesome to see that many people at a water polo match. The photo does not do it justice how packed the place was. It helps that Guadalajara closed all schools for the two weeks of the Pan Am Games to ease the traffic and let kids check out all the sports. Pretty cool idea if you ask me.

Packed house for the Mexico match

Also if anyone is wondering, yes they have been showing Beyonce videos on the scoreboard during halftime. Also Nicki Minaj...Super Bass to be exact.

Back tomorrow with more...Go Team USA!