News for 09 August 2012
Thursday, 09 August 2012 10:27 | 
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All the news for Thursday 9 August 2012
Black Sticks early strikes lead the way to ninth place in London
Argentina leaves their effort until too late
Richard Petherick (NZL) scoring the game winner (Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)
Argentina vs. New Zealand: 1-3 (half-time: 0-3)
Hari Kant
A methodical performance by the Black Sticks highlighted by strong midfield and sharp finishing provided a comfortable ninth place finish over a slow starting Argentinian team.
While Argentina briefly controlled the opening minutes an errant free hit by Manuel Brunet was delivered into the circle by Simon Child for the awaiting Stephen Jenness to deflect past Jan Manuel Vivaldi for the first tally.
Matias Parades was on the receiving end of a skillful give and go had his reverse bat find the side mesh, to cap a sequence of Argentina efforts that were a step short.
New Zealand extended twice, first with an immense corner flick by Richard Petherick and then quick reverse blast by Nicholas Wilson. Argentina finished the half with nine players having both Lucas Rossi and Matias Vila serving suspensions, personifying the overall team frustration.
Argentina was eager to start the second half but their chances were either lacking or rebuked. Kyle Pontifex stretching to make a penalty corner save on Peillat and then inducing the same to flick over the bar on his subsequent effort.
With eleven to play Pedro Ibarra solved the puzzle with a low PC drag, however the Argentine ascendency was initiated too late. New Zealand confidently absorbed the late charge to finish their campaign with a victory.
FIH site
Black Sticks men seal ninth placing at Games
FRED WOODCOCK
The New Zealand men's hockey team have ended their disappointing Olympic campaign on a positive note with a 3-1 victory over Argentina in the playoff for ninth today.
The men's Black Sticks virtually put the game to bed with three first half goals - to Stephen Jenness, Nick Wilson and a penalty corner strike from Richard Petherick - though the only scoring in the second came from Argentina's Pedro Ibarra at a penalty corner.
The result couldn't mask what has been a below average tournament for the New Zealand side.
On the back of victory in the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia, and with a hugely experienced side, the seventh-ranked Black Sticks were expected to fire more shots than they did in London.
But a victory over India, to go with two draws and two losses in pool play, was their only success before today's meaningless playoff match. They finish ninth of 12 teams.
Stuff
London 2012 Olympic Games - Hockey Competition Results
Wednesday 8 August
Classification Time Match Result
9/10 08:30 Japan vs. South Africa 2-1 (AET)
7/8 11:30 Korea vs. Germany 1-4
SF 15.30 Netherlands vs. New Zealand 2-2 (Netherlands win 3-1 penalties)
SF 20:00 Argentina vs. Great Britain 2-1
Argentina set up "El Clasico" with Netherlands
Brave Great Britain comeback cut short by world champions
2012 Olympic Games (women), London (Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)
Argentina vs Great Britain 2-1 (half-time: 2-0)
Stephen Findlater
Argentina kept alive their dream of a maiden Olympic gold medal as first half goals from Noel Barrionuevo and Carla Rebecchi proved just enough to dash Great Britain’s hopes of home glory. The hosts threw everything they had at the south Americans in the second half but they lacked the finishing finesse to complete one of their numerous chances, Alex Danson’s goal finally coming with just five minutes left but with not enough time left to effect an equaliser.
The raucous atmosphere was at its peak in front of a star-studded audience that featured Dame Kelly Holmes and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. They witnessed an intense battle with few quarters given and plenty of bruises likely to be felt in the aftermath.
Argentina were 2-0 up at the break as Barrionuevo scored from the half’s only penalty corner in the fifth minute, awarded after Josefina Sruoga’s piece of trickery. The second came just before the break when Luciana Aymar cruised around a string of would-be tacklers on the left sideline.
She laid the ball through to Carla Rebecchi who had too much pace for the last defender and tricked Beth Storry on the baseline with minimal room to manouvere. The goalkeeper collided with the striker who incredibly managed to take the ball around eyes on the ball and enough balance to poke the ball home. GB argued long and hard for what they felt was an infringement on halfway but the umpire waved away referral calls, the recourse to video only allowed for incidents inside the 25.
Aymar, for the most part, was double-teamed but she managed to cut loose on a number of occasions. For Britain, they enjoyed decent possession and Alex Danson clattered the outside of the goal on her reverse. Into the second half, GB upped their level considerably and began to find some joy.
Crista Cullen saw her one drag-flick shot blocked away by Macarena Rodriguez Perez but other efforts from Ashleigh Ball, Hannah Macleod and Helen Richardson were snatched at and went a begging without testing Florencia Mutio.
Richardson did pick out Danson with a pin-point cross and the diminutive striker slid in perfectly to guide home and raise the noise levels ever further. But no last chance came to level came as Argentina played it smart and could have killed the tie off from a couple of break-outs.
But the final berth was secure, setting up a repeat of the 2010 World Cup in Rosario with Aymar assured of a fourth Olympic medal. They will face old nemesis the Netherlands, an opposition coach Carlos Retegui described as the "El Clasico" of women's hockey
For more information on ARG vs GBR, click here
FIH site
Sombroek's stunning saves seal Netherlands final passage
New Zealand undone as Dutch goalkeeper keeps out three penalties in shoot-out
2012 Olympic Games (women), London (Photo: Stanislas Brochier)
Netherlands vs New Zealand, 2-2 (half-time: 1-1), Netherlands win 3-2 on penalties
Stephen Findlater
Joyce Sombroek pulled off three memorable penalty saves to set up Ellen Hoog to secure the Netherlands a third successive Olympic final berth at a tense Riverbank Arena. In doing so, they killed off the dreams of a New Zealand playing in their first ever semi-final, a side who have been one of the joys to watch during this campaign with their fast-paced, direct style.
It twice had them in the lead against the reigning champions as a Kayla Sharland corner and Krystal Forgesson nudged them in front. But Maartje Paumen finally found her scoring stick to level on both occasions, leading to extra-time and the ultimate penalty drama.
Only Stacey Michelsen could get past Sombroek while Naomi Van As, Eva de Goede and Hoog applied confident finishes to crush the kiwi dreams. Coming into the game, the odds were stacked against New Zealand. They had not beaten the Dutch in their last 17 tournament meetings while their three prior matches in the Olympics had all yielded Netherlands’ wins.
But the kiwis looked to send those statistics on their head with a stunning opening salvo. Gemma Flynn and Katie Glynn were combining well while Charlotte Harrison won the game’s first corner – on referral – in the eighth minute.
Kayla Sharland’s powerful sweep shot took a couple of little touches to sneak just inside the right post and the Dutch were rocked on their heels. In response, the orange-shirts probed down the right baseline regularly with Kelly Jonker twice denied by Bianca Russell with Naomi van As the instigator.
Similarly, Marilyn Agliotti’s shot was under-hit but they were scrappy, half chances while the black sticks were more direct in their counter-attacking philosophy. Sharland was the powerful dynamo in midfield, bullying her way forward. Glynn again was set through in the circle while Joyce Sombroek’s toe just denied an in-rushing Flynn.
Sitting so deep, though, invited the Dutch forward and Lidewij Welten worked their first penalty corner opportunity. Yet to score in the competition, Maartje Paumen had previously joked she was saving her goals for the final, but she delivered a game earlier, neatly exchanging passes with Maartje Goderie to beat the first runner. She duly scooped the ball over the logged Russell and the sides were level four minutes before half-time.
The second half kept up the same pulsating pace with Paumen dragging over her second corner while Ellen Hoog stung the base of Russell’s foot with an excellent reverse-stick effort.
Twenty-one minutes from time, the kiwis were back in front. Flynn’s pass inside found Stacey Michelsen who picked out Krystal Forgesson all alone on the right. She picked the narrowest of angles at the near post to make it 2-1, finding a way past Sombroek.
It lasted only five minutes, though, as Paumen had a taste for goals. From a referred corner call, she fired a rocket to the roof of the goal. It was her 13th Olympic goal, equalling the all-time record held by Alyson Annan.
New Zealand rebounded, winning a series of corners of their own, ending normal time with seven to their name but no winner accrued while the best Dutch chances came from a Naomi Van As run and reverse while Welten was unable to get a touch to Paumen’s crash ball.
Extra-time swung end to end but neither side could make a meaningful impact. Paumen pushed the only corner of the period just wide while Flynn was in the suspension bin. It left everything riding on the all-or-nothing penalty competition and the Dutch experience told against the young up-and-comers.
For more information on NED vs NZL, click here
FIH site
Gutsy Great Britain lose out to in-form Argentina
Despite a valiant performance, Great Britain’s women agonisingly missed out on a place in the London 2012 Olympics hockey final as they went down to a 2-1 defeat against Argentina at the Riverbank Arena tonight.
First half strikes from Noel Barrioneuvo and Carla Rebecchi were enough to send the world’s number two side into the final, while Great Britain’s consolation goal came from forward Alex Danson.
Great Britain still have a chance to claim a medal when they play New Zealand in the Bronze Medal match on Friday afternoon. Argentina’s reward is a Gold Medal match-up against the Netherlands that evening.
Speaking after the game, Great Britain Head Coach Danny Kerry said, “I’m very proud of what we did tonight. I felt we were definitely, in the second half at least, the dominant side. I thought Argentina offered little other than a bit of a dribble and we pretty much outplayed them.”
“The reason for not winning was the half chances; not converting the opportunity. But I couldn’t ask for any more from the girls. They executed superbly on what we were trying to do and I felt that Argentina were really just defending, not offering much other than that but they did that well. I’ve just an overwhelming sense of pride in how well the girls played and bitter, bitter disappointment that we haven’t come out on the right end of the result.”
Argentina made the perfect start in the sixth minute when captain Luciana Aymer played the ball off Clifton’s Georgie Twigg inside the circle to win their first penalty corner of the game. Defender Noel Barrionuevo made no mistake from the set-piece opportunity when her powerful drag-flick beat the unsighted Great Britain and Reading goalkeeper Beth Storry to open the scoring and give Argentina a 1-0 lead.
With chances few and far between for both sides, Great Britain fostered their first chance of the game in the 30th minute when Slough’s Ashleigh Ball found Reading’s Alex Danson in the circle. Despite the unwanted attention of an Argentinian defender, the 26 year-old forward managed to swivel and produce a marvellous snapshot that only just evaded the outside of the post.
However, Great Britain’s defence was caught out shortly afterwards when Argentina extended their lead in the 31st minute. Aymer stole a march down the left hand flank and found Carla Rebecchi in space in a dangerous attacking position. The Argentinian forward beat the advances of Loughborough Students’ Laura Unsworth and found herself one-on-one with the advancing Storry. With a sharp sidestep and exquisite stick-work, Rebecchi manoeuvred around the 34 year old’s dive, dragging the ball back from the baseline to guide it into the open goal. Great Britain’s players were eager to make a referral to the video umpire but the moment had passed and Argentina were awarded their second goal of the game
With Argentina leading 2-0 at the half-time interval, Great Britain Head Coach Danny Kerry would have had some words of motivation to deliver to his side as they looked to get back into the game in the second half.
Great Britain almost got their way shortly after the break when Barrioneuvo conceded a penalty corner in the 37th minute. Unfortunately, Leicester’s Crista Cullen saw her shot on target blocked and cleared away from the danger-zone.
However, opportunities were starting to appear for Great Britain and in the 40th minute, Ball saw her shot from just inside the left hand side of the circle skew wide of the target. Two minutes later, an Unsworth cross from the right hand side reached Danson, but her shot didn’t have enough power to trouble Argentina goalkeeper Laura del Colle.
Reading’s Helen Richardson then had one of Great Britain’s best opportunities to get on the score-sheet when the ball fell to the midfielder at the back post in the 55th minute. However, her shot was scuffed into the turf and drifted harmlessly wide of del Colle’s goal.
Richardson made amends for the missed chance in the 64th minute when her cross into the corridor of uncertainly was turned home by Danson’s reverse stick to pull a goal back for Great Britain at 1-2.
With the crowd fervently cheering on Great Britain to snatch an equaliser, it was unfortunately just out of reach for Kerry’s side as Argentina repelled the home nation’s final attempts to force the game into extra time.
Speaking after the game, Great Britain Captain Kate Walsh said, "I'm so proud of these girls. We will give absolutely everything in the final match to try to win that medal. We are not going home empty handed. We’ve fought too hard, given too much. We’ve been in this position many times before as England and Scotland and Wales and now as GB and we will fight for that bronze medal. The British public and that crowd have been outstanding. We couldn’t ask for any more from them and we want it again for the bronze medal game.”
“For us, as a legacy of this Games all we want is to get girls out there, playing hockey. There’s a massive drop off in girls who leave school and we want them going to clubs, going to Rush Hockey, playing indoor hockey. We’ve got this massive hockey family and it’s so welcoming, so inclusive of everybody. That’s what we want to get out of this – people watching hockey, playing hockey, enjoying hockey.”
With the final score 2-1 to Argentina, Great Britain now progress to the Bronze Medal match on Friday 10 August (15.30) when there will be plenty to cheer as they take on New Zealand at the Riverbank Arena.
Meanwhile, Great Britain men will be looking to reach their first Olympic final since the glory of 1988 when they face the Netherlands tomorrow night (20.00) at the Riverbank Arena.
ARGENTINA 2 (2)
Noel Barrionuevo 6’ (PC)
Carla Rebecchi 31’ (F)
GREAT BRITAIN 1 (0)
Alex Danson 64’ (F)
GREAT BRITAIN WOMEN’S SQUAD v ARGENTINA
Name (Club) [Position]
Started
Beth Storry (Reading) [Goalkeeper]
Kate Walsh (Reading) [Defender]
Emily Maguire (Reading) [Defender]
Crista Cullen (Leicester) [Defender]
Ashleigh Ball (Slough) [Midfielder]
Laura Bartlett (Reading) [Midfielder]
Laura Unsworth (Reading) [Defender]
Helen Richardson (Reading) [Midfielder]
Georgie Twigg (Clifton) [Midfielder/Forward]
Alex Danson (Reading) [Forward]
Hannah Macleod (Leicester) [Midfielder]
Substitutes Used
Anne Panter (Leicester) [Defender]
Sally Walton (Bowdon Hightown) [Defender]
Chloe Rogers (Leicester) [Midfielder]
Nicola White (Slough) [Forward]
Sarah Thomas (No Club) [Forward]
Great Britain Hockey media release
Argentina shatter Britain's dreams of a first women's hockey final
By Simon Briggs
Arm's length: Carla Rebecchi of Argentina stretches out to put a second ball past goalkeeper Elizabeth Storry of Great Britain Photo: Getty Images
Great Britain’s women’s hockey team will have to regroup from one of their most shattering defeats in time for tomorrow’s bronze medal play-off against New Zealand.
Every member of the team was in tears last night after a controversial goal from Argentina’s Carla Rebecchi sent them down to a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of their bitterest rivals.
The British team do not generally like to discuss officiating errors after a match, but this time their head coach Danny Kerry could not resist complaining about third-party obstruction in the build-up to Argentina’s crucial second goal.
The disappointment was all the more acute because he and the team captain – Kate Walsh – felt that Britain had posted their best performance of the whole tournament.
Still, the Olympics are not over for these players. “We’re not going home empty-handed,” Walsh promised last night, her voice quivering with emotion.
“We’ve fought too hard and given too much. We owe it to the girls who aren’t here and we owe it to our friends and families. We’ll get something out of this tournament.”
Kerry said he felt that Great Britain had dominated Argentina for much of the match, and certainly in the second half. “I didn’t think they offered much, apart from a bit of a dribble,” he said. Unfortunately it was that dribble that picked his team apart, particularly when the Argentine captain Luciana Aymar set off up the left to start the move that led to Rebecchi’s goal.
Aymar, who has been voted player of the year on no fewer than seven occasions, is known as El Diego. And it was easy to see why last night as she regularly evaded squadrons of red-shirted defenders with her astonishing sleight of stick.
For all that the British team played the more cohesive hockey in the second half, they couldn’t match the dexterity of players like Ayala and her fellow midfielder Daniela Sruoga.
The early stages had their share of niggle. There has been bad blood between these two teams since February, when Great Britain reached the final of the Champions Trophy in Rosario – their first ever chance of a gold medal in a top-level competition – only to be beaten 1-0 by the hosts. Then, in the final of the test event here in May, Las Leonas produced a roughhouse performance which left Danson and Christa Cullen with nasty injuries.
There were plenty of bumps, blocks and trips in the first few minutes, which saw the British women start the stronger. But then Argentina struck, courtesy of a smart penalty corner routine. After the ball had cannoned off Georgie Twigg’s shin in the ‘D’, flick-artist Noel Barrionuevo buried her shot past Beth Storry to claim an early lead.
Great Britain spent the rest of the first half in a state of mild chaos, failing to connect play up or to find receivers for their passes. Too many balls were hit wildly into space, in another echo of previous footballing encounters between these countries. There was only one shot that went in on the Argentine goal, a reverse-stick effort from key striker Alex Danson that flew narrowly wide.
Then came disaster. You never want to concede a goal just before half-time, but there were two minutes to go when Aymar played in Rebecchi. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the move, it was a magnificent finish from the Argentine striker, who slipped the ball past the onrushing Storry and then diverted it into the net from the tightest of angles, even though she was already lying flat on the ground.
Kerry clearly gave his team a few choice words at half-time, because the British women came out far more positively after the break. Within two minutes, they had their first – and only - penalty corner of the match. But Macarena Rodriguez Perez was away from the goal-line like lightning and managed to block Cullen’s flick with her stick – an extraordinary feat of dexterity at short range.
More shots came in from Great Britain, while Argentina spent most of the second half pegged back behind their own 30-metre line. But there was a level of composure about the defence that augured ill for the home team, and the attackers couldn’t reduce the deficit until there were just five minutes left in the match.
Helen Richardson, who has been one of the team’s outstanding players in this tournament, had just missed a good shooting chance in the ‘D’. But now the ball came to her on the right and she put in a pinpoint cross, allowing Danson to run onto the ball and tap it in from just three or four metres out.
The final stages were frenetic. Richardson and Georgie Twigg kept driving forward but they couldn’t carve out a clear chance. Finally, as a speculative drive into the area dribbled out of play off an Argentine stick, time ran out and the winners celebrated their progress to the gold-medal match against Holland.
Meanwhile Walsh brought her team around for a huddle. The tears were already flowing, but their captain was reminding them that their work here is not yet done. No British hockey team has won an Olympic medal since the women took bronze in Barcelona 20 years ago, and this group of players has the ability to at least take a place on the podium.
The Telegraph
Great Britain women's hockey felt robbed of chance for gold after umpiring error
By Emily Benammar, the Riverbank Arena
Contoversy: while the umipre played by the book, Kerry is unhappy with the fact the rule has not been clarified Photo: AP
Twenty-four hours after the hockey officials at London 2012 were accused of being biased towards the home teams there was further controversy as Great Britain women's coach Danny Kerry suggested his team had been robbed of a place in the final because of an umpiring error.
“I make mistakes as a coach, players make mistakes and I think the umpire would be honest enough to admit they made a mistake,” he said after his side's 2-1 defeat. Everyone knew [there had been an infringement] the millions watching TV, 16,000 in the crowd, 22 players on the pitch, everyone.”
Minutes before the half-time whistle was blown, and with GB a goal down against the South Americans, Carla Rebecchi managed to push the ball passed goalkeeper Beth Storry. While the world champions celebrated, a number of Kerry's squad appealed for the umpire to refer the goal to the video referee on the basis that there had been a third party obstruction.
Their pleas fell on deaf ears with the official saying that referrals can only be made when the alleged obstruction has been made within the 23-yard area – which prompted Kerry to call the regulation an “absurd interpretation.”
“To the letter of the law the decision they made was correct we couldn't refer because the obvious infringement happened outside the line,” Kerry continued. “It was raised at the technical briefing as a absurd interpretation and we were assured that common sense would prevail but it hasn't and as a result the goal has stood. Everyone saw it barring one. Everyone makes mistakes but the law allowed that to happen. That's just life's rich tapestry.”
It is the second time in as many days that an umpire's decision has been called into question after Spain's coach demanded an explanation from the International Hockey Federation [FIH] as to why his side were denied to penalty corners towards the end of a 2-2 draw with GB men which subsequently ended their bid for a medal.
While there will doubtless be further calls for regulations to be reconsidered, Kerry faces the more pressing challenge of rallying a heart-broken squad to put their disappointment on hold and turn their attentions to tomorrow's bronze medal match against world No 6 New Zealand who lost their semi-final against Holland in a shoot-out competition.
It is not the first time the squad has faced such a challenge. After losing the 2010 World Cup semi-final to Holland in a shoot-out, GB had just 24 hours to recover before they played and won the bronze medal match.
Drawing on that experience and the years of work the squad has done on recovery, GB captain Kate Walsh said she had no doubt her squad would be ready to fight for their place on the Olympic rostrum.
“Everybody's devastated,” she said. “Tonight will be sad and we'll let it out, tomorrow we'll do our recovery and then it'll be game faces back on.
“I know exactly how each player work and what they need from me. I have no doubt every single player will be in the right frame of mind.”
The Telegraph
GB 'bitterly disappointed' by defeat
Ian Herbert
They had all talked, heading into the tournament, of a “gold-medal” mentality – trusting in each other and fearing no-one – but the Great Britain women's hockey team could not muster these qualities as Argentina proved the impediment last night to them progressing beyond their previous best Olympic bronze. Their captain and coach were both close to tears at their press conference afterwards.
A bronze medal is still within their grasp on tomorrow, against the New Zealand side whose defeat on penalties to the Netherlands means the world's top two nations have reached the final. There are also grounds for optimism, whatever the outcome. The women's game's development, building up towards the Olympics, has helped attract seven-figure corporate sponsorship and a substantial number of new players at grass roots, to what has been one of the surprise hits of these games. But none of that will be of consolation to a group who believed they would go a step further than Jane Sixsmith's squad of '92. They will curse the umpiring decision which saw the Argentines advance to 2-0 lead just before half time, though the outcome was just.
Video analysis might have been another of the improvements in the British set-up since £15m was allocated over four years after the Beijing Olympics, but no amount of time spent scrutinising opposition at Bisham Abbey could prepare the home side for Luciana Aymar, who demonstrated last night that Lionel Messi is not the only sporting genius to hail from Rosario. Aymar made perhaps the most telling contribution, though Britain sealed their own fate, too. Their final delivery into the circle was lacking and on the whole they lacked finesse in possession.
They certainly needed those qualities because after Argentina scored with their first attack of the match - the ball landing on Georgie Twigg's foot to concede a short corner which Noel Barrionuevo seized on to convert - they displayed hockey's equivalent of parking the bus. "I felt Argentina were defending and not offering much other than that," the Great Britain coach, Danny Kerry, reflected. Britain also faced a familiar problem in this tournament – three defenders grouped around Alex Danson, their most potent threat by some distance. It took the very best of Danson – pivoting to reverse an yielding near-post shot wide at a narrow near-post angle, even while she was being pushed from behind – to elicit even a scent of hope for a raucous home crowd, which included the Duchess of Cambridge.
Argentina's second goal revealed Rosario Luchetti at her own imperious best, bundled to the floor by British keeper Elizabeth Storry but still displaying the dexterity to find two further touches and navigate the ball in from an unfeasibly difficult angle on the byline. Britain felt they had the right to a video referral for an infringement in that build-up, though incidents outside the 23-yard area cannot be referred. "This was the biggest day in sport in for four years and biggest audience in four years and [yet] people are confused," Kerry said. "The law is written that we could not use a video referral. It is an absurd rule."
His team still had chances. It was Helen Richardson, just the player you would want to be presented with an unchallenged shot in space from five yards, who scuffed one – criminally. Danson raised hopes by converting a cross to score with five minutes to play, though prospects always felt bleak. Kerry professed himself "overwhelmed" and feeling "bitter, bitter disappointment" though much may still hinge on his players. The target GB Hockey committed to, in securing its £15m funding three years ago, was one or two medals at these Games. "We will use the hurt and turn it into a really thorough performance," Derry promised for the the bronze-medal game tomorrow.
GB Hockey is acutely aware of how the sport was not ready to seize the opportunity presented when Sean Kerly inspired the men to gold in Seoul in 1988. This time its push has accompanied the preparation for an Olympics, rather than await its conclusion. A major boost to the sport's attempts to be ready for an uplift from the Olympics was securing, 12 months ago, of Investec's sponsorship of the women's team and other aspects of the game.
It has raised the Kerry's squad's profile, too. They were official guests at racing's Derby, which Investec also sponsors. They met the Queen there, featured in advertising campaigns and felt the benefits of being at the core of hockey's marketing as a sophisticated sport, open to women. All of which added to the sense of emptiness they were left with last night.
Painful exit for Glynn and New Zealand
The Netherlands team start to celebrate at the Riverbank Arena yesterday after dramatically beating New Zealand 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out to reach tomorrow's final in the women's hockey. It was a painful occasion in more ways than one for the Kiwis' Katie Glynn, whose side twice took the lead but were held 2-2. The striker was accidentally hit in the head by Ellen Hoog's stick and had to be led off the field with a deep cut before returning sporting a thick bandage. To add insult to injury, Hoog scored the winning penalty.
The Independent
Argentina beat hosts 2-1, face Dutch in hockey final
LONDON: World champions Argentina eliminated Britain’s women with a 2-1 defeat yesterday and will fight over hockey gold with reigning Olympic champions the Netherlands, who squeezed through past New Zealand in a thrilling penalty shootout.
Argentina dominated hosts Britain throughout much of the semifinal, in which “Las Leonas” treated the 16,000-strong crowd to a display of magnificent stick and passing skills, while Britain often struggled to string their passes together.
Just five minutes into the game, Argentina’s Noel Barrionuevo flicked a penalty corner through British defender Crista Cullen’s legs for the 1-0 lead. With three minutes to go before half-time, Luciana Aymar, a record seven-time world player of the year, having won a ball back from four British players around her, launched a run down the left line. She pushed it to Carla Rebecchi, who took it down the baseline and, falling over the British goalkeeper’s legs, pushed the ball over the line in free fall for the halftime 2-0 lead. Britain, who played much more offensively in the second half, came close to levelling when Alex Danson scored with just six minutes to go, deflecting a hard pass across the circle from Helen Richardson, but their last-minute push came too late. Argentina will face the Netherlands on Friday at 1900 GMT, while Britain are up against New Zealand at 1430 GMT.
Gulf Times
Black Sticks Women to play for bronze medal
The Black Sticks Women gave every inch they could muster in a semifinal drawn 2-2 at the end of extra time, with a penalty shootout that the Dutch world No 1 side won 3-1.
At Riverbank Arena, the Kiwis played the game of their lives leading twice in the match but could not hold on for what would have been their first win against Netherlands in a major international competition and would have given them a shot at gold.
The Black Sticks will now play Great Britain, after the home side lost to Argentina 2-1 in the later semifinal. The game is scheduled for 2.30am on Saturday (NZT).
"I think we earned a lot of respect today against one of the best teams in the world. We had an opportunity to compete in the gold medal match, but we could not score that third goal," said head coach Mark Hager.
Co-captain Kayla Sharland said it was so disappointing to lose on shoot-outs.
“We will still be disappointed tonight and maybe even tomorrow, but then we will go back to training and refocus. We don't want to leave empty handed now,” said Sharland.
The match had ended 2-2 at the end of normal time and neither side was able to break the deadlock in golden-goal extra-time.
The opening stages of the match were even, but it was New Zealand who took the lead, using their team referral in the seventh minute to earn the first penalty corner of the match.
Sharland took advantage of some apprehensive defensive play by the Dutch to score her fourth goal of the tournament, low to goalkeeper Joyce Sombroek’s right.
The Netherlands had two shots blocked by Black Sticks’ goalkeeper Bianca Russell before they levelled matters from a penalty corner in the 32nd minute through captain and world class drag flicker Maartje Paumen.
With it 1-1 at half time, the Black Sticks were right in the game. The shots on goal were equal, as was the possession.
Senior player Krystal Forgesson restored the Black Sticks lead in the 49th minute, receiving a Stacey Michelsen pass in the circle and firing the ball low.
Penalty corner chances dominated the rest of the match. Sharland, Clarissa Eshuis and Katie Glynn all had further penalty corner chances for New Zealand as did Naomi van As and Welten. Netherlands used their referral to earn a penalty corner in the 53rd minute and Paumen scored her second goal.
Glynn left the field after a shocking knock to the head from a stick, but returned with her head taped up and played the rest of the game.
Michelsen was New Zealand's only goal scorer during the shoot-out with Sombroek proving too big an obstacle.
It was the first penalty shoot-out in Olympic hockey history and it is the Netherlands third consecutive women's Olympic final. It is the first time that a New Zealand women’s hockey team will play for a medal at an Olympics.
RESULTS
New Zealand 2 (Kayla Sharland, Krystal Forgesson) Netherlands 2 (Maartje Paumen x2) HT: 1-1. Extra time: 2-2. Shoot out: 3-1 to Netherlands.
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Black Sticks lose semifinal thriller to Netherlands
JONATHAN MILLMOW IN LONDON
GUTSY EFFORT: The Black Sticks women reflect on their heart-breaking loss to The Netherlands in the Olympic semifinals. Reuters
Sport can be cruel, just ask the Black Sticks women.
This morning in London their dream of an Olympic gold medal came to an end in a semifinal but not before they participated in the game of the tournament against the undisputed queen's of the turf the Netherlands.
Kayla Sharland's girls eventually died 3-1 in a penalty shoot out, an outcome they struggled to absorb after twice leading in regulation time.
The scores were locked 2-2 after extra time, necessitating a dramatic shoot-out where the shooter goes one-on-one from 25m against the goalie and a stopwatch with eight seconds on it.
Sadly the Black Sticks went to pieces with Sharland, Gemma Flynn and Anita Punt all denied in the same fashion, heading left away from goal.
Coach Mark Hager took the blame, saying they were under-prepared for such a scenario.
"I don't think we had practised it enough and that is my fault," Hager said
"We practise it, but not enough. We've never been in a final when we've had to do it.
"Holland have played two or three finals where they had to be in a shoot out. It is very difficult to replicate that environment so they probably have the experience over us on that."
In previous Olympic and Commonwealth Games, penalty strokes were used to find a winner but the new tiebreaker system has been in place internationally since last year's Champions Trophy so was not foreign to the Black Sticks.
After a sombre lap of the turf, the Black Sticks players filed down the tunnel clearly shattered they were now reduced to the bronze medal match on Friday.
Perhaps in a sign how ill-prepared they were for the shootout, Punt revealed she was initially unaware she was in the chosen five.
"I didn't get the call till I went out and I said "who is the fifth one" and they said "you"," Punt said.
"Unfortunately I couldn't finish it. We seem to lose in all those situations now, so we are getting used to it," Punt said in reference to their loss to Australia on strokes in the final of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Cool heads were certainly required with a near capacity crowd of 16,000 in the house, many of them dressed in orange but also a healthy contingent of Kiwis including most of the New Zealand rowing squad.
The only successful strike by a Black Stick in the shoot-out came from Stacey Michelsen, who also had a storming game.
Black Sticks goalkeeper Bianca Russell has been in top form but she could not produce any more miracles.
"The Dutch just had the composure in the big moments," she said.
"I am proud of my girls. They didn't leave anything in the tank.
"When we started this tournament we would've been thrilled to bits with any medal so we have to keep everything in perspective now.
"Of course we are disappointed, we were so close to the shiny ones but any extra jewellery going home is good by me. We'll give it a crack."
The Black Sticks will play Great Britain in the bronze medal match at 2.30am on Saturday (NZ time). Argentina eliminated the hosts 2-1 in the other semifinal.
Whether they can lift, remains to be seen, though Sharland vowed they would.
"We will be quite disappointed tonight and again in the morning but when we head back to training it is about re-focusing for the next match," Sharland said.
"We have come a long way in this tournament and we don't want to leave empty-handed now. We've pushed hard, it's about a never say die attitude, that is something we have installed in this group and if we run, run, run and chase, chase, chase I think we can get there."
Sharland was not far behind Michelsen as New Zealand's best player. She started with a bang, scoring from a penalty corner in the eight minute. Dutch captain Maartje Paumen equalised from a penalty corner in the 31st minute. The Black Sticks led again after Krystal Forgesson scored in the 49th minute only for Paumen to produce an unstoppable penalty corner with 17 minutes remaining.
What happened after that nearly went down in women's hockey folklore.
Stuff
Injured Black Stick's head and heart hurt
GREG FORD IN LONDON
BLOODY HEAD: Injured Black Stick Katie Glynn leaves the field after being struck in the head during the Olympic semifinal against The Netherlands. IAIN McGREGOR/Fairfax NZ
Katie Glynn did not know what hurt more.
After a pause for thought she reckoned it one of two things. "But I am not sure if it is my head or my heart".
Both were sporting considerable wounds after the Blacks Sticks dramatic defeat in a penalty shootout to the Netherlands at the London Olympics this morning.
With her gold medal dreams in tatters, head swathed in a bandages, tears rolling down both cheeks, Glynn recounted the moment she was knocked to the Riverbank Arena turf where she lay prone, crowd silent sensing Glynn was in a big big trouble.
She'd been hit flush on the head with a full blooded swing of a hockey stick.
Blood was pouring from a wound on top her head. Players rushed to her side and a stretcher was immediately called for.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was only half a minute, Glynn picked herself off the turf, rendezvoused with the team doctor under the grandstand and had her head stitched, stapled and bandaged.
RUNNING REPAIRS: A bandaged Katie Glynn bravely returns to the field for New Zealand against The Netherlands in their Olympic hockey semifinal. IAIN McGREGOR/Fairfax NZ
And, in the best traditions of NZ cricketer Bert Sutcliffe, she returned to the fray in the second half when her team needed her most as they struggled to keep the Dutch at bay.
She toiled for another 20 minutes of regulation play and a further 15 of golden point action.
Both sides were locked at 2-2 after 85 minutes and then the Dutch stuck a dagger deep in the New Zealand side's heart winning the shootout 3-1.
That the heroine's effort was to no avail mattered little.
She was lauded by her team-mates and the admiring and the slightly disbelieving Dutch amazed at how she could shrug off such a sickening blow.
"I remember the hit," said Glynn afterwards.
"Everything went quiet and I was lying on the floor. I have not really been hit on the head before but I am not sure what hurts the most, my head or my heart."
Her pain has a familiar feel to it.
Glynn was part of the New Zealand team which lost the gold medal match (in a penalty shootout) to the Australians two years ago at the Commonwealth Games.
And it was more than purely coincidentally she collided with the hockey stick of Ellen Hoog. Hoog also rammed home the decisive and winning penalty in the shootout.
"It feels like déjà vu," she confirmed.
"Obviously we are very disappointed and we now need to keep our heads up and try get that bronze."
New Zealand will play Great Britain in the bronze medal match at 2.30am on Saturday (NZ time).
Either way the result is a triumph. Unlike the men, the women have never played for a medal at the Games before.
And it seems Glynn's gutsy performance could be the tonic her team needs as inspiration after today's bitterly disappointing result.
"People would have been surprised that we pushed them so hard because they are the No 1 ranked side in the world. We are proud of our effort and it was disappointing not to get the result because we fought hard. We are a united team. The girls are good at sticking together. We have showed that in the past and we still have plenty to play for. I'm sure we will pick ourselves up off the ground and perform well in our next game."
Stuff
Holland reach women's hockey final after penalty shoot-out win over New Zealand
By Emily Benammar, Riverbank Arena
Holland booked their place in a third consecutive Olympic final yesterday after beating New Zealand in a dramatic shoot-out competition that ended 3-1 in favour of the Dutch after a 2-2 score in normal time.
Ellen Hoog scored the wining goal with a superb reverse strike to smash the ball beyond the reach of goalkeeper Bianca Russell to end a semi-final during which defending Olympic champions Holland twice had to recover from being a goal behind after Kayla Sharland and Krystal Forgesson scored for New Zealand.
While delighted his team were now guaranteed a medal, Holland coach Max Caldas was disappointed with the performance against New Zealand, a side ranked six places below them.
“At times we were lucky,” he said. “Today we chose to climb a mountain but we chose to climb it the wrong way: not the shortest way but the most difficult. I am very happy we have a chance to win a medal but with the performance I am satisfied – not happy.”
Under the new shoot-out format, which allows players eight seconds to attack the goal as many times as they can, Holland's experience shone through. Naomi van As got the Dutch off the mark and their advantage was maintained after Joyce Sombroek denied Sharland on New Zealand's first attempt.
There was a moment of reprieve for New Zealand when Maartje Pauman, who scored both of Holland's equalisers in normal time, missed her strike and Stacey Michelsen levelled the score. It was the only point of the shoot-out at which the sides were level.
The Riverbank crowd, awash with orange, roared as Eva de Goede scored Holland's second with a jaw-dropping strike from the top of the D. Her effort was followed by two further misses for New Zealand and one for the Dutch before Hoog hit the winner.
Holland will meet Argentina in the final while New Zealand whose inclusion in the last four had ended a 32-year wait, will now contest the bronze medal match against Great Britain.
Speaking after the shoot-out, New Zealand's Mark Hager admitted he had not made penalty taking a priority in his side's preparations for the Games.
“We had an opportunity and we threw it away,” he said. “The shoot-out cost us and we probably didn't practice enough, we only do it now and again. We've never been in this situation and it's hard to replicate in training.
“Holland had the experience over us but I'm proud of how the girls played - but equally pretty disappointed.”
The Telegraph
Former hockey captain Duchess of Cambridge cheers on Team GB at the Olympics
Kate applauded Team GB hockey stars as they lost in their Olympic semi-final. Photo: Heathcliff O'Malley/AFP/Getty Images
The Duchess of Cambridge, herself a former hockey player, watched as the women's team lost 2-1 to Argentina at the Olympic Park.
She wore her white Team GB polo shirt underneath a navy blazer.
Kate, who visited the team during pre-Games training, watched intently as they fought hard to pull back a goal in the second half after a disappointing start.
Although they still get a podium place if they win their bronze medal match, several of the players broke down in tears after the final whistle.
The Duchess looked on in sympathy and joined crowds in applauding the losing team as they left the field.
Before the Olympics the Duchess made a visit to the Olympic Park in Stratford to meet the team.
Kate had played hockey since junior school and was captain of the first XI at Marlborough College.
She had a run out with the team, after which captain Kate Walsh said: "Actually she was really good. She told me that she missed playing as part of a team.
"She also told me that she used to hit the penalty corners and you could see that. She got low and her shots were really sweet."
Later on Twitter the player expressed her excitement at meeting William's wife, adding: "Think our team have got royal approval!"
The Telegraph
Dutch in women's hockey final after shootout win over Kiwis
LONDON: Reigning champions the Netherlands squeezed into the women's Olympic hockey final on Wednesday, beating outsiders New Zealand 3-1 in a shootout with Ellen Hoog scoring the decisive penalty.
New Zealand, who finished last in Beijing without winning a match, came close to a tournament upset by holding the Dutch to a 2-2 draw after extra time, having twice taken the lead.
In the final on Friday the Netherlands will face either hosts Britain or world champions Argentina, who meet in the second semi-final at 1900 GMT on Wednesday.
"I don't care who we play. If it's GB, good for them. I'll get energy from their cheering home crowd too. I'd love that," said Netherlands' Naomi van As, who took the first penalty.
Wednesday's incident-packed game included a serious-looking injury to Kiwi forward Katie Glynn who was accidentally whacked on the head as Hoog tried to shoot on goal. Glynn fell to the ground and, blood dripping down her face, was led off the field.
She returned to play in the second half, her head heavily bandaged, having received what she described as "a couple of stitches and staples" to a scalp wound.
"We're so disappointed with how it ended but we've got to pull ourselves up now for the bronze game," said a teary-eyed Glynn. Asked about her injury, she said she was feeling dizzy but "well, that's all part of the game."
London's Olympic Games have been unusually hazardous for hockey players in a sport where most body contact is penalised but the small and fast-travelling ball and stick contact can cause brutal injuries.
Spain's men, Beijing silver medallists, lost two key players to injury - a broken arm and a dislocated shoulder.
Britain's skipper Kate Walsh broke her jaw in their opening match while team mate Anne Panter had 20 stitches to her upper lip having been hit by a ball.
KIWIS LEAD New Zealand, first-timers in an Olympic medal round, struck first with a seventh minute penalty corner shot that skipper Kayla Sharland smacked across the line.
But just before halftime, Maartje Paumen equalised through a penalty corner combination for the Netherlands, who had not dropped a point in the tournament.
Netherlands skipper Paumen netted 11 goals in Beijing but had not scored before the semi-final in London.
However, the Kiwis then went back into the lead, splitting the Dutch defence with three long passes from the halfway line that found Krystal Forgesson unmarked in the circle and she swept the ball past the Dutch goalkeeper's legs for a 2-1 lead.
Paumen then equalised again with a penalty corner flick. "I have great confidence in my corners. I did nothing differently to the previous days," she said.
After a goalless extra time - two lots of 7-1/2 minutes with a golden goal rule - five players from each team had eight seconds to enter the circle and put the ball past the keeper in the penalty shootout, an Olympic novelty in London.
Dutch goalkeeper Joyce Sombroek pulled off three penalty saves to set up Hoog to secure the Netherlands a third successive Olympic final berth.
New Zealand coach Mark Hager said his side had not practised the new shootouts enough since the switch from penalty strokes, taken from a seven metre distance.
"In the end the shootouts cost us. We didn't practise it enough. That's my fault," Hager said.
"Even though I'm really proud of the girls, I'm also gutted we missed an opportunity to be in the match for gold."
The Times of India
Sombroek's stunning saves seal Dutch win
LONDON - Joyce Sombroek pulled off three memorable penalty saves to set up Ellen Hoog to secure the Netherlands a third successive Olympic final berth at a tense Riverbank Arena. In doing so, they killed off the dreams of a New Zealand playing in their first ever semi-final, a side who have been one of the joys to watch during this campaign with their fast-paced, direct style.
It twice had them in the lead against the reigning champions as a Kayla Sharland corner and Krystal Forgesson nudged them in front. But Maartje Paumen finally found her scoring stick to level on both occasions, leading to extra-time and the ultimate penalty drama.
Only Stacey Michelsen could get past Sombroek while Naomi Van As, Eva de Goede and Hoog applied confident finishes to crush the kiwi dreams. Coming into the game, the odds were stacked against New Zealand. They had not beaten the Dutch in their last 17 tournament meetings while their three prior matches in the Olympics had all yielded Netherlands’ wins.
But the kiwis looked to send those statistics on their head with a stunning opening salvo. Gemma Flynn and Katie Glynn were combining well while Charlotte Harrison won the game’s first corner – on referral – in the eighth minute. Kayla Sharland’s powerful sweep shot took a couple of little touches to sneak just inside the right post and the Dutch were rocked on their heels. In response, the orange-shirts probed down the right baseline regularly with Kelly Jonker twice denied by Bianca Russell with Naomi van As the instigator.
Similarly, Marilyn Agliotti’s shot was under-hit but they were scrappy, half chances while the black sticks were more direct in their counter-attacking philosophy. Sharland was the powerful dynamo in midfield, bullying her way forward. Glynn again was set through in the circle while Joyce Sombroek’s toe just denied an in-rushing Flynn.
Sitting so deep, though, invited the Dutch forward and Lidewij Welten worked their first penalty corner opportunity. Yet to score in the competition, Maartje Paumen had previously joked she was saving her goals for the final, but she delivered a game earlier, neatly exchanging passes with Maartje Goderie to beat the first runner. She duly scooped the ball over the logged Russell and the sides were level four minutes before half-time.
The second half kept up the same pulsating pace with Paumen dragging over her second corner while Ellen Hoog stung the base of Russell’s foot with an excellent reverse-stick effort. Twenty-one minutes from time, the kiwis were back in front. Flynn’s pass inside found Stacey Michelsen who picked out Krystal Forgesson all alone on the right. She picked the narrowest of angles at the near post to make it 2-1, finding a way past Sombroek.
It lasted only five minutes, though, as Paumen had a taste for goals. From a referred corner call, she fired a rocket to the roof of the goal. It was her 13th Olympic goal, equalling the all-time record held by Alyson Annan. New Zealand rebounded, winning a series of corners of their own, ending normal time with seven to their name but no winner accrued while the best Dutch chances came from a Naomi Van As run and reverse while Welten was unable to get a touch to Paumen’s crash ball. Extra-time swung end to end but neither side could make a meaningful impact. Paumen pushed the only corner of the period just wide while Flynn was in the suspension bin. It left everything riding on the all-or-nothing penalty competition and the Dutch experience told against the young up-and-comers.
The Nation
SA end on a sour note
NICK GORDON
The Olympic Games ended for the South African women’s hockey side on a disappointing note here yesterday as Japan ran away with a 2-1 extra time win in their classification match.
Forced into the play-off for ninth and 10th places in a tournament where they had hoped for a top-eight finish, it was a bittersweet end for captain Marsha Marescia’s side as they capped their tournament with a loss but in qualifying for this match ensured a best ever finish for the women’s hockey side at an Olympic Games.
The side had taken a 1-0 lead into the halftime break thanks to Lisa-Marie Deetlef’s goal – a deflection off a Kate Woods penalty corner in the 27th minute – but it was not enough to see off a persistent Japan, ranked ninth in the world, who had the bulk of the chances in the second half as they tried to run the South Africans off their feet.
Japan’s efforts were rewarded when Ai Marakami managed to get her short-corner drag-flick to creep between the stick of defender Lenise Marais and the outstretched leg of goalkeeper Mariette Rix with seven minutes to play.
The sides remained level until the final hooter and then through the first period of golden goal extra time but South African hopes of a single digit finish were dashed when Marakami buried a penalty stroke in the final period to relegate world No 12-ranked South Africa to 10th place.
“I think it would have been really good to finish on a win because for a number of players this is probably their last Olympic Games,” said Marescia following the loss. “It would have been good to end on a win and keep the momentum going into the Champions Challenge in September,” she added.
“It was disappointing but maybe it leaves us with more determination. In previous Games we’ve always played for last place and the win against the US got us out of the last place play-off. We finish off 10th which is two places higher than our official ranking, the fact that we’re finishing higher than our ranking is a positive,” added Marescia when reflecting on their campaign.
The Citizen
Agony for South Africa as Ai seals ninth spot for Japan
By Mark Etheridge in London
Ai, ai, ai! A penalty stroke by Japan’s Ai Murakami five minutes from the end of extra time saw South African hearts broken as Japan won the ninth-10th place Olympic Games play-off at the Riverbank Arena on Wednesday.
The game had ended 1-1 after regulation time and it stayed that way for the first half of golden goal extra time.
But then came the penalty stroke decision and the Japanese No6 stepped up to beat SA goalkeeper Mariette Rix and force South African into 10th spot.
Still, they came into these Olympic Games as the 12th ranked side and anything higher than 12th has to be seen as a bonus for this team that coach Giles Bonnet only sees as reaching their true potential at the 2014 World Cup.
A 27th minute goal by Lisa -Marie Deetlefs saw South Africa leading 1-0 at halftime but Japan then squared the match with just seven minutes to play.
The first goal came after South Africa won their second penalty corner (and their third of the match) in the space of a minute.
From the PC a clever variation saw Kate Woods making advances into the right hand side of the D before firing across goal where Deetlefs made no mistake from close in. The joy in the SA camp was palpable with players rushing from all corners of the pitch to share in the celebrations.
Until then play had been relatively even but as the half wore on South Africa seemed to be gaining in confidence and Sulette Damon also went close with a hard-hit reverse stick shot from the left.
The Japanese side showed some indiscipline in the first half and were punished with three green-card offences (two-minute suspension).
The second half started with South Africa pressing hard for that two-goal cushion. They went close in the 10th minute after some good work by captain Marsha Marescia close to the Japanese goal-line saw her flash a cross in and Sulette Damons just couldn’t make contact with the goal beckoning.
With 19min to go Japan were again reduced to 10 players, this time for five minutes as Sachimi Iwao received a yellow card to go with the green she had in the first half.
South Africa were living dangerously though and twice Japan came close to equalising while Iwao was off the field, both from scrappy goalmouth scrambles.
Then it was SA’s turn to feel the pressure as Lesle-Ann George had to take a backseat for five minutes and returning for Japan Iwao had a golden chance to level things when she had acres of space in the D but blazed wide of Rix’s goal.
With seven minutes to go it was all level as Murakami levelled from a penalty corner that just squeezed in off Rix’s pad as she and an SA defender tried to keep the Japanese out.
South Africa then had two players off the field at the same time as both Kate Woods and Bernadette Coston were shown yellow cards as SA tried to contain what seemed like an invasion of red ants in their half of the field.
Within seconds of the hooter the Japanese had two great chances to seal the match but first Rix then the goal-line saw regulation time ending with the two sides locked at 1-1.
That saw the match move into golden-goal extra time before Murakami ended SA’s 2012 Olympic Games after a long and gruelling campaign and build-up that took them around the world before reaching London.
SASCOC Road to London
Mixed feelings for captain Marsha as SA end 10th
By Mark Etheridge
SA women’s hockey captain Marsha Marescia will take her troops back to South Africa after their best Olympic Games performance to date.
And she’ll return with mixed emotions after SA lost Wednesday’s ninth-10th place play-off to Japan with a golden goal five minutes from extra time relegating them to 10th spot.
“We just didn’t take our chances,” reflected Marescia. “We had a number of chances but I think the Japanese girls had the bigger fight in them today. They overloaded their right side and we just couldn’t get through.
“It would have been very nice to end on a win because for a number of our players this will be their last Olympic Games.”
And Marescia, like coach Giles Bonnnet previously in the competition, lamented the fickleness of the SA fight.
“Today some players stood up individually but it wasn’t a collective fight and you can’t have only 60% of players standing up. You have to be able to fight collectively for the full 70 minutes.”
But Marescia also took plenty out of the tournament. “Beating the US 7-0 was like a drug it was such a high and then it was great to be there for Pietie’s [Coetzee] 250th Test. And our defensive efforts against Germany and Australia was also very encouraging.
“The big thing going forward is that we need to be participating way more against the top nations. It’s the only way that we are going to improve going forward. We’ve got the Champions’ Challenge in September/October (Dublin) and we need to carry on this momentum.
“We’ve always played for last place at our previous Olympics so this is definitely a step up, now we just to see we got enough points during the Games to improve our FIH ranking.”
SASCOC Road to London
SA hockey women finish 10th
Japan's Rika Komazawa (right) collides with South Africa's Shelley Russell.
London – The South African women's side on Wednesday produced the longest match of the London Olympic hockey tournament thus far in their clash against Japan.
Japan won the closely-contested 9th/10th playoff classification fixture at the Riverbank Arena 2-1.
The sides were deadlocked after the final whistle and could only be separated after the second period of extra-time, as SA suffered their fifth loss of the tournament.
Having won only one of their five pool B encounters, SA entered the match hoping to round off their London Olympic campaign on a high after a disappointing group stage.
Both SA and Japan finished fifth in their respective pools, with Japan taking four points – following a win over China and a draw to Belgium. SA had a single, 7-0 victory over the US in their final pool match.
Both sides looked wary in the opening half, as neither went on the attack, opting to keep the ball between the midfield and defence before looking to enter their opponents' area.
The fixture was brought to life when SA opened the scoring in the 28th minute through Lisa Deetlefs, who got a touch off Kate Woods' shot from the South Africans' second penalty corner of the match.
SA goalkeeper Mariette Rix gave a superb performance once again, keeping her side in the lead in the second period, making vital saves from Japan's penalty corners.
Japan grew increasingly frustrated at their lack of opportunities as SA shrugged off their attacks.
The Japanese side had much of the possession throughout the second half but SA's defence held firm as Japan tried to claw their way back into the game and find the equaliser.
The pressure finally told as Japan's Ai Murakami scored her first goal of the tournament from a Japan PC, eight minutes from time.
SA were reduced to nine players with four minutes left on the clock through ill-discipline. Kate Woods and Bernadette Coston sat out the dying minutes of the clash.
The South Africans were lucky not to concede again with just seconds left to play. Japan missed a golden opportunity to steal victory with a cross from the right flank, narrowly missing a Japanese attacker in the area, with Rix left stranded.
The sides entered into extra-time (two seven-and-a-half minute halves) looking for the golden goal to end the match. Japan picked up where they left off, continuing to apply the pressure on the world number 12 South Africans.
An uneventful first half of extra time was followed by disappointment in the second as Japan won a penalty corner with just five minutes of play left.
Japan failed to score from the penalty corner, but umpire Stella Bartlema pointed to the penalty spot after a further infringement by the South Africans.
Ai Murakami then scored her second of the match to finish the contest, condemning SA to a 10th-place finish.
Independent Online
World's leading lights set for semi-final battle royale
Australia meet Germany and the Netherlands face off with GB
2012 Olympic Games (men), London (Photo: Grant Treeby)
The world’s four highest ranked sides take the biggest stage in world hockey today aiming to move one step closer to Olympic glory at the Riverbank Arena as Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and hosts Great Britain are all within one result of a medal.
First up, world number one meets number two as the Kookaburras play the Germans at 3.30pm. Both endured their own bumps along the road. Australia’s passage looked to be a serene one after huge victories over South Africa and 2008 runners-up Spain, they showed a first hint of vulnerability against Argentina. Having built a 2-0 lead, they were pegged back to draw. Against Britain, that situation was increased to a 3-0 advantage before James Tindall dramatically squared the game at 3-3.
It left them in a tentative position going into a final pool game against Pakistan but, in typical Aussie fashion, they produced a major statement of intent with a 7-0 victory to reaffirm their status. En route, superstar Jamie Dwyer has passed Mark Hager’s national goalscoring record while Russell Ford, Chris Ciriello and Matthew Butturini have also been to the fore in their aggressive, attacking style that has yielded 23 goals from five games.
For European champions Germany, they have yet to scale the full heights but showed glimpses of their potential in a 5-2 win over India while their defensive rigidity was revealed in a 1-0 win over Korea and the 2-1 success against Belgium. Central to those results has been the magnet-like qualities of skipper Max Mueller. He looks set to be able to play despite fears he had fractured a bone in his hand two days ago against New Zealand but he has been passed fit enough to play.
Christopher Zeller has been their forward totem with five goals but his side will need to tighten up after their bizarre 5-5 draw with New Zealand but their character to comeback will lift their confidence.
In the second semi-final at 8pm, hosts Great Britain will play their first semi-final in 24 years in front of an expectant home crowd against a resurgent Dutch squad. For the Netherlands, they are the only side to pick off a perfect five wins from five outings, the highlight being a 3-1 victory over Germany in Teun de Nooijer’s 450th international game. Mink van der Weerden has been a revelation from the penalty corner routine while looking secure in defence, chipping in with six goals to be the tournament top scorer to date.
Goals are usually the order of the day when these sides meet with the Dutch winning out 4-3 when they played in last August’s European championships – GB in their English guise. This tournament has once again affirmed Ashley Jackson as a global superstar while captain Barry Middleton has led the side from the forward line. Their route to the semis was a dramatic one, making it through unbeaten but with just two wins to their name.
The three-goal comeback against Australia showed their battling qualities while they were forced to dig in during a controversial late surge from Spain that ultimately secured their passage. Summoning the rhythm that accounted for Argentina and Pakistan is their main priority.
FIH site
Australian Men Pursuing Olympic Hockey Gold
Dual Olympic gold medal-winning coach Ric Charlesworth may be the high profile face behind the Kookaburras Olympic campaign in London but his coaching staff include some of the most astute hockey minds in the world.
It may be that combined knowledge, that proves the difference between winning and losing when they take on defending champions Germany in the semi-finals at Riverbank Arena tonight after Australia topped Pool A ahead of Great Britain with Germany finishing second in Pool B behind the Netherlands.
When Charlesworth took on the men’s job four years ago, he assembled a support staff that would enable him to deliver the same results he achieved with the women during their golden eight year reign winning every Olympic, World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medal.
In addition to former Olympic medal-winning players Graham Reid, Paul Gaudoin and David Guest he persuaded respected German coach Paul Lissek to come on board. Lissek presided over three Olympic campaigns for Germany winning gold in Barcelona in 1992.
On paper, there is little to separate Australia and Germany with both teams boasting championship-winning players.
Australia’s London campaign has been led by Jamie Dwyer, Liam de Young and Mark Knowles– the three remaining gold medallists from the 2004 Athens Games.
Germany has just six players who have played less than 100 internationals with 10 players remaining from the team that won Olympic gold in Beijing four years ago.
The star of the team is Matthias Witthaus who is the most capped player in the world with 359 games behind Dutchman Teun de Nooijer (451) and Waseem Ahmad (377) of Pakistan.
Five-time player of the year Dwyer is Australia’s most capped player with 283 Tests and 181 goals – the nation’s most prolific scorer of all time.
“You want good people around you and a mix of people with different opinions and different skills,” Charlesworth said.
However, he believes one of the most important sources of ideas are the players because they have to believe in what they are doing for the team to succeed.
“If we win gold it would be because we have the whole package in place – the result of everyone’s contribution,” Charlesworth said.
“You don’t win without gifted and talented players and our job is to challenge and stretch them by continually demanding high quality.”
''We've tried to play in a way that is relentlessly aggressive and creates as many chances as possible yet is parsimonious at the back,'' Charlesworth said.
''Invasion games like ours are pretty simple. You make as many chances as possible and finish them, and you give the opposition nothing.
“But it's attrition, these contests. Most of the teams we play against defend and counter-attack. We try to do it another way. But there are inherent risks.''
Charlesworth has great respect for Germany – a team Australia has encountered four times in Olympic competition winning twice, drawing once and losing once.
“They have skill and match winning players,” he said.
Hockey Australia media release
Ashley Jackson wants to roll back the years and take Great Britain into men's hockey final
By Emily Benammar
Going for gold: Team GB's Ashley Jackson (left) in action against Spain and Marc Salles Photo: REUTERS
The last time Great Britain had a men’s hockey team in the semi-final of an Olympic Games, Ashley Jackson had just celebrated his first birthday.
Now, almost 24 years on from the night Sean Kerly scored a hat-trick against Australia to help GB claim their place in final of the Seoul Games, the East Grinstead striker, much like his predecessor did in 1988, is carrying the hopes of a nation as Great Britain take on Holland in the Olympic men's hockey semi-finals.
Kerly is a huge fan of Jackson who he describes as “one of the best in the world”, whose “flashes of brilliance” have gone a long way in helping the team reach the final four.
But the pressure that comes with being hockey’s “poster boy” is not something Jackson is comfortable with on the basis that he does not believe any single player from this current team can or should be picked out as the one that got them to the final.
When asked about comparisons between himself and Kerly, and the current squad to that of 1988, he said: “They’re part of history and you can’t take anything away from them but we’re trying to do something more special and do it as a team and not have anyone stand out as the one player that won them that tournament.
“It’s absolutely great [to reach the semis]. We believe we can do something great here.”
The GB men were undefeated in the group stage, with two wins and three draws – including an astonishing comeback from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with world No 1 Australia.
However, like their female counterparts, securing qualification was tense as they held on for the one point they needed in a contentious match against Spain on Tuesday.
GB captain Barry Middleton was officially reprimanded after the 1-1 draw for accepting that he had failed to control his players properly when they surrounded the umpire after he awarded Spain with two penalty corners which were subsequently taken away.
The aftermath of that match saw Spain’s coach accuse the match officials of bias though fortunately for GB, no further sanction was imposed on Middleton and he will lead the side out for Thursday night’s showdown.
GB will have their work cut out against Holland, two-time Olympic gold medallists playing in their sixth consecutive Olympic semi-final. They too were undefeated in the pool stages and finished top of Group B above Germany who play Australia in today’s other semi-final.
“They’ve had all wins from their group and whoever you play in the semi-finals is going to be tough but we really do believe we can beat them,” Jackson said of opponents who are ranked 3rd in the world – one place above GB.
“We’ve played them hundreds of times before and beaten them in big games so they know what they’re up against and we know what we’re up against. We believe we can beat anyone in this tournament.”
Players to watch
James Tindall
Great Britain’s hero against Australia, the Surbiton striker is responsible for scoring some of the most spectacular goals form tight angles. He has come a long way since being sent off against Canada at Brijing 2008 when he flipped his opponent over his head.
Mink van der Weerden
The leading goalscorer in the competition with six to his name and when in his best form, controlling the 24-year-old will require a huge performance from the GB defence.
Where the match will be won and lost
Penalty corners. Great Britain have scored 50 per cent of their goals from set pieces and will push for as many as possible to allow Ashley Jackson and Barry Middleton to execute their trademark moves. For Holland, their pace is their main threat. Fifty per cent of their goals have resulted from open play breaks.
Key facts
The match will consist of two halves of 35 minutes with the winners going through to Saturday’s final. Should the sides be level when the final whistle is blown, 15 minutes [7 and a half each way] of golden goal time is played after which if the score is still tied, the match goes to penalties.
The Telegraph
‘Pakistan should finish seventh at the Olympics’
Salman Akbar
Pakistan played without any energy and made many mistakes against Australia. -Photo by AFP
Salman Akbar is a veteran goal-keeper who made his debut for Pakistan’s hockey team in 2001. Termed by Olympian Shahid Ali Khan as one of the most hard-working players in the game, Akbar has won the 2005 Rabo Trophy and the 2010 Asian Games gold medal with Pakistan. He was adjudged the ‘best keeper’ in both events. Here, he reviews Pakistan’s performance against Australia and talks about their next match against South Korea on Thursday.
Crushed by the champions
Nothing good to write about this match as it was Pakistan’s worst ever defeat in the Olympics. From the very first minute, Australia did exactly what was expected from them and what they are famous.
Pakistan, however, did not do what was expected from them and started the game with no planning and absolutely no energy, making mistakes after mistakes. Lacking courage, Pakistan tried to start off defensively but that did not work out too well as Australia were leading 2-0 after just six minutes.
Pakistan didn’t create a single penalty corner and the Australian goal keeper did not touch the ball in the 70 minute game. It was a shock to see Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi on the bench before the match started. The coaching staff did not recognize the importance of the match and put a weak starting 11 against the world champions. The 4-0 scoreline at half-time clearly showed Pakistan’s incompetency thus far in all departments of the game.
Goalkeeper Imran Shah made a few simple saves but mostly he was just like beginner standing under the bar which raised a lot of questions.
Why was he the only goalkeeper in the squad of 16? More importantly, what kind of training had been given to him by the goal keeper trainer who has been with the team for many years?
There was no connection in the team and the defensive errors were shocking. Strikers showed individual play which cost Pakistan their worst defeat. There should have been a fightback from the Greenshirts even after letting two goals in after six minutes but in the last twenty minutes of the match it looked like everyone was just waiting for it to get over. On the other hand, it was obvious that the Australians had done their homework.
Korea’s skill and speed
Korea, famous for their fitness and agility, are ranked sixth in the world. They love to play full speed hockey and boast of a lot of skillful players with some solid defenders. Seo Jongho, Hyo Sik You, Lee Nam Yong and Nam Hyun Woo are their force. They build up with very high ball speed and don’t play many long balls while trying to bring the ball in the midfield to generate the attack from there. Jang Jong
Hyun is their weak player in build and defense but he is their main drag flicker along with Nam Hyun Woo and both of them have very good speed in their flicks.
Korea’s midfield generates the attack and joins it with the strikers who are very speedy, especially Seo and You. They like to enter in the circle from the flanks and have high speed restarts around the circle.
Though not good in defending the turn overs, when they do get the turn over, they are one of the best with their speed. One of their weak points is their goalkeeper who is not good on the top right and both high and low on the leftand comes out of the goal a lot. However, their penalty corner attack is good and they use variations with good straight drag flicks. In penalty corner defense they have very speedy first runners but they are not good in defending indirect variations.
Pakistan will be playing this match after putting up a bad performance against Australia. However, the Greenshirts should put that behind them and take this classification match seriously which will decide the seventh and eighth position to finish their campaign by getting the best possible seventh position.
Pakistan should make use of all their experienced players in this match and work as a unit in all the departments. Imran Shah should give a good performance in at least one match of the mega event.
Slow down the pace
Green machine should start the game with semi press and allow Korea to come from their left side in which they are not good. Pakistan’s defense should be very active right from the first minute of the game and the whole team should be in connection until the end. Midfield should also be ready for the pressure from Koreans and Pakistan should attack from their right side and use short passes to beat the Korean defense.
They should do maximum overlaps to increase the number of the players in the attack. The Korean goalkeeper loves to go out of the goal every time so the strikers should use it smartly and try to give one extra pass in the circle to get an open goal in front of them. When Pakistan will be on the attack, the defenders should mark their free strikers well to avoid the turn overs.
On penalty corner attack, our first drag flickers should go on the right top of the Korean keeper with maximum force. On penalty corner defense, Pakistan’s goal keeper should look for his right high and left low on the first shots and the defensive runs should be 3-1 most of the time.
It will be a high speed game so Pakistan should be using full advantage of the rolling substitutions to have fresh legs in the field at all times. Pakistan should not try to match the speed of their opponents and should try to keep the pace of the game a little slow as
this will annoy the Koreans. By making simple fouls, the Korean attack can be broken in order to halt their rhythym and speed but Sohail Abbas’ men should be very careful to avoid the cards.
It is also possible that this match goes in two sessions of extra time for a golden goal and maybe a shootout to determine the winner. If that happens then hopefully, the coaches have prepared the team well for extra time and shootout.
Players to watch
Muhammad Rashid, Sohail Abbas and Haseem Khan.
Dawn
Australian Umpires on the International Stage
Congratulations to all four of the Australian Umpires who have been appointed to officiate at the semi-finals at the London Olympics.
Julie Ashton-Lucy was appointed to the Netherlands v New Zealand match, while compatriot Lisa Roach officiated in the Argentina v Great Britain match.
Olympic stalwart David Gentles, umpiring in his 3rd Olympic Games, has been appointed to the Netherlands v Great Britain men’s semi-final tonight, with first time Olympian Tim Pullman being appointed as the reserve umpire for the same match.
This is fantastic recognition for the ability and profile of Australian umpires, who without doubt are seen and respected internationally as some of the world’s best.
Hockey Australia media release
Britain looks to up its game after Olympic success
Ian Herbert
The governing body of British hockey is making an ambitious push to capitalize on one of the surprise hits of the Olympics, with a recruitment drive under way which focuses substantially on the nation’s women.
The national team, coached by Danny Kerry, is seeking tonight to reach its first final, with the Argentine side which has been inspired by Luciana Aymar the impediment to the side progressing beyond the previous best bronze attained in Barcelona, 20 years ago. A huge amount rests on either Jason Lee’s men or Kerry’s women achieving at least a bronze – because the target set in the new round of four-year funding which replaces the £15m allocated after the Beijing Olympics was one to two medals for the GB teams.
But GB Hockey is acutely aware of how the sport was not ready to seize the opportunity presented when Sean Kerly inspired the men to gold in Seoul, back in 1988, so has already thrown itself into a recruitment campaign.
The Hockey Nation Give-it-a-go campaign has increased the number of people playing hockey from 27,000 to 106,000 and the introduction of Rush Hockey, a five-a side version of the game, has been critical. A major boost to the sport’s attempts to be ready for an uplift from the Olympics was the securing 12 months ago of a sponsor for the women’s game, Investec, whose seven-figure sum has enabled the governing body to split the costs of the televising of the sport on Sky Sports.
Victory for one of the two Olympic sides – with Lee’s men facing the Netherlands today – would provide an even bigger step, forward, though. The UK Sport funding deal secured after Beijing, has funded talent coach development and sports science and medicine investment – with a level of video analysis which is equal even to that in the fabulously wealthy football.
That analysis means that if today’s game goes to the same penalty shoot-out which saw the Dutch women beat New Zealand in yesterday’s women’s semi-final, Lee will have had a break-down on precisely how the Dutch men take theirs. That level of knowledge was clearly lacking in the Kiwis, whose coach Mark Hager admitted last night that he had failed to prepare adequately. “We didn’t practise enough and that’s probably my fault,” Hager said, after a 3-1 defeat on penalties followed a 2-2 scoreline after normal time, plus 15 minutes of golden goal time. Whether Great Britain or Argentina progressed, it will be a disgruntled, dissatisfied Netherlands they faced in the final – with the concern for the nation that would face them being that the team, the source of substantial expectation back home, will want to get it out of their system.
The Dutch’s stuttering performance against a New Zealand six places below them in the world rankings, reflected their sentiment in the tournament as a whole and one of the few consolation for ebullient coach Max Caldas was that his captain, Maartje Paumen, finally found her goalscoring touch having surprisingly failed to net once in the tournament. She scored 11 goals in Beijiing, where the Dutch side took Olympic gold, but her corner flicks have been curiously absent in this competition.
Hager could perhaps be forgiven for his planning oversight, given that his side’s was the Olympics' first ever hockey shoot-out – a contest which involves the players being given eight seconds to dribble the ball from the edge of the ‘D’ and seek to put it past the goalkeeper. The Dutch had experienced shoot-outs in international competition and their goalkeeper Joyce Sombroek proved to be a vital asset in their progress. "She read us well and anticipated our actions. But perhaps we were guilty. All our players basically did the same thing,” Kate Sharland, captain of a New Zealand side known as the Black Sticks, said of Sombroek.
New Zealand were given a seventh-minute lead by their captain Kate Sharland from a penalty corner.
Paumen replied in similar fashion. Krystal Forgesson restored the Kiwi lead but Paumen produced a near-perfect corner flick into the roof of the net to make the score 2-2.
The Dutch were awarded a penalty corner in the second seven-and-a-half-minute period of extra time, which they tried unsuccessfully to have upgraded to a penalty stroke with a video referral. When Paumen took the corner, she shot wide. But the Netherlands didn't flinch in the deciding shoot-out.
The other finalists would face an inscrutable opponent in Caldas, who has a difficult relationship with the Dutch media who have produced volumes of material on the nation’s campaign. He was indignant yesterday about refereeing decisions, including video referrals, though he admitted that his players own below-par performance was to blame for their struggle against New Zealand. He could not put his finger on why they have been below par, though five straight wins in the group stage reveals that they are not entirely struggling.
The Independent
Asian teams must get modern
By Ajitpal Singh
FORMER international Datuk Poon Fook Loke yesterday warned Asian teams to adopt modern methods of hockey or continue to be left behind in the sport.
"It is frightening as none of the Asian teams advanced to the semi-finals of the London Olympics. Pakistan needed to beat Australia (Monday) but they were instead hammered 7-0 while South Korea and India also failed to progress," said Fook Loke.
"The current standard of the game is very high. Hockey is not about positional play anymore, it is about speed and a player, most importantly, needs to be versatile.
"Asian teams will continue to lag behind if they do not adopt the modern game. It is also quite worrying that even the smaller European nations like Belgium are improving at a faster rate."
On the ways Malaysia can improve, Fook Loke, 61, said those concerned must work towards moulding a solid team for the 2020 Olympics.
"We should plan eight years ahead. We need to focus on our grassroots programme. No doubt, we have done well in Asia of late but we are not good enough when we play Australia, New Zealand and also teams from Europe.
"Our players should also ply their trade in top European leagues as the exposure will turn them into better players", said Fook Loke, who played in the 1976 Montreal and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Fook Loke picked Australia to win the men's title in London.
"They looked unstoppable in the group stage. The Netherlands, who have included several new faces, are also a force.
"I think if both teams continue to play well, they will meet in the final," Fook Loke added.
*Fook Loke, who played an instrumental role in Malaysia finishing fourth at the 1975 World Cup, is one of the Olympians featured in NSTP's 'Honouring Our Olympians -- A Visual Tribute' ongoing exhibition at Bangsar Shopping Centre.
New Straits Times
Pakistan hockey needs changes
KARACHI - Pakistani Olympians voiced anger and disappointment on Wednesday after their once-dominant hockey team failed spectacularly at the London Games, calling for change from top to bottom. Pakistan were annihilated 7-0 by world champions Australia in their last pool match on Tuesday — their worst Olympic defeat — to crash out of the medal race.
They now play South Korea in a play-off for seventh and eighth position today (Thursday). Former Olympian Shahnaz Shaikh said changes were needed at all levels of the game to get the country back to the form that saw Pakistan win hockey gold in 1960, 1968 and 1984. “First, the Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel was shown the door and then there was an uncertain build-up for the games, which affected the performance,” Shaikh told AFP.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) terminated the Dutchman’s contract for breach of agreement just four months before London. “When a kid continuously fails monthly tests, how can he get good marks in the annual examination?” lamented Shaikh, demanding immediate changes within a “directionless” PHF. “We need new planning and new faces to run the game, which was pumped with huge funds from the government in the past,” said Shaikh, referring to state subsidies, the value of which was not disclosed, for hockey between 2004-2010.
Another former Olympian, Mansoor Ahmed, agreed. “Enough is enough, we badly need a change in the PHF,” said Ahmed, a member of Pakistan’s last of four World Cup winning teams in 1994. “We should have prepared well for the Olympics but we were exposed by a superior Australian team. It is time we make concrete efforts to lift up our national sport.” The last two decades have seen a dramatic decline for Pakistan hockey. London is their fifth Olympics without a medal. Their last was a bronze at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
It was estimated that in a do or die game like this, Pakistan would go all out on attack right from the beginning and not worry too much on defence, but surprisingly the team management’s decision not to field three main strikers Rehan Butt, Haseem Khan and Shakeel Abbasi in the first 15 minutes of the game proved to be fatal. The game plan to start defensively in this decisive game caused irreparable damage to Pakistan as it could not withstand the Australian charges and conceded two goals in the first 10 minutes of the match. This two goal margin was doubled in the same half ? a margin that had immense psychological impact on the boys. The second half saw three more Australian goals, sinking Pakistani hearts even deeper.
The management should have realised what a demoralising effect a high margin lead in the first half would have on the boys. When a team is a goal down, then its efforts should be to reduce the margin immediately and not go on the defensive, and allow the opposition further attacks.
An equaliser expiates the demoralising effect on the team and brings hope back into the game. But against this, Pakistan team management decided to play defensive even though two goals had been scored against them making the team sitting ducks to the Australian hawks. The management realised the mistake in the later period of the first half and fielded Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi, but at a time when we were losing with a big margin. Star forward Haseem, however, was nowhere to be seen on the pitch, except in the middle of the second half. Captain Sohail Abbas, too, was kept on and off the pitch resulting in an inconsistent defensive pattern.
The Nation
Calls for wholesale changes to Pakistan hockey
Staff Report
KARACHI: Pakistani Olympians voiced anger and disappointment on Wednesday after their once-dominant hockey team failed spectacularly at the London Games, calling for change from top to bottom. Pakistan were annihilated 7-0 by world champions Australia in their last pool match on Tuesday – their worst Olympic defeat – to crash out of the medal race. They now play South Korea in a play-off for seventh and eighth position on Thursday.
Former Olympian Shahnaz Shaikh said changes were needed at all levels of the game to get the country back to the form that saw Pakistan win hockey gold in 1960, 1968 and 1984. “First, the Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel was shown the door and then there was an uncertain build-up for the games, which affected the performance,” Shaikh was quoted as saying. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) terminated the Dutchman’s contract for breach of agreement just four months before London. “When a kid continuously fails monthly tests, how can he get good marks in the annual examination?” lamented Shaikh, demanding immediate changes within a “directionless” PHF. “We need new planning and new faces to run the game, which was pumped with huge funds from the government in the past,” said Shaikh, referring to state subsidies, the value of which was not disclosed, for hockey between 2004-2010.
Another former Olympian, Mansoor Ahmed, agreed. “Enough is enough, we badly need a change in the PHF,” said Ahmed, a member of Pakistan’s last of four World Cup winning teams in 1994. “We should have prepared well for the Olympics but we were exposed by a superior Australian team. It is time we make concrete efforts to lift up our national sport.” The last two decades have seen a dramatic decline for Pakistan hockey. London is their fifth Olympics without a medal. Their last was a bronze at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
The Daily Times
Indian hockey outfit was anything but a team: Pargat Singh
By Pargat Singh
After this performance, Indian hockey is heading for tough times. Reuters
There is little left to say after India’s three-goal loss to Belgium in what was a tale of missed chances versus three incisive blows that completed the humiliation of Indian hockey at the ongoing Olympic Games.
After this performance, Indian hockey is heading for tough times, made tougher by the lacklustre show of the national team in the London Games.
Suffering five successive defeats, India will now play in the 11-12th position wooden spoon match. These minor placing play-offs are not easy to handle, certainly not for players from countries like India who have often shown a dislike to play for minor positions when they have failed to make the semi-finals.
But this is a reality with which the players need to come to terms. Ranked no. 10, India were not among the nations fancied to make the semi-finals, but the romantic Indian hockey followers will always believe that the team can turn the tide straightaway.
Playing to avert the 12th position finish, India will take on South Africa, the bottom placed side in the other group. Where results are concerned, even South Africa has done marginally better than India since they had a drawn match to show for their efforts. The South Africans have even conceded more goals in the competition than India.
I fully understand what emotions the players would be going through at this moment. The need of the hour is for the team to regroup themselves, although the outfit that went on to the pitch to represent India did not show the elements of what is termed as a team effort.
When things are going wrong, it needs a lot of resolve in the team to reverse the tide. That determination was not quite evident on the pitch throughout the Olympic Games. I have been saying all along that the Indian outfit which was stepping on to the pitch during these Olympics was anything but a team.
The elements that make a team were not visible. This was a big factor in the discomfort confronting Indian hockey in London, which was the venue for independent India’s first major triumph on the global arena.
India did show an inclination to attack against Belgium, who had never beaten India in the Olympics although they had stopped India from winning the Champions Challenge in South Africa eight months ago. But the erratic marksmanship and the disjointed combination upfront allowed Belgium to breathe easy.
Three incisive blows by Belgium and India’s challenge evaporated, like it had done frequently during previous matches of this Olympic campaign. It would appear that India had an edge in field play, but the forwards showed little or no imagination once inside the circle.
That is where good players who are capable of thinking on their feet can do wonders. Instead the Indian forwards were just frittering the chances away. In international sport, teams do not get many opportunities as good as this. And when these breaks come your way, players should be able to capitalise on them. That is the name of the game.
Firstpost Sports
Hockey team slammed as India hit new low
NEW DELHI - India did not deserve to be part of Olympic field hockey, former players said on Wednesday, after the eight-time gold medallists were condemned to their poorest finish ever. India, who lost all their five group matches, will play South Africa for the last two places in the 12-nation competition in London — lower than their previous worst of eighth position at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
“This team did not deserve to be in the Olympics,” said former international Mohammad Shahid. “They have let the whole nation down.” India, who won their last Olympic hockey gold in 1980, failed to qualify for the Beijing Games four years ago and needed to win a qualifying event at home in New Delhi to make the trip to London.
Ranked 10th in the world, India were never serious contenders for the semi-finals, but even skipper and goalkeeper Bharat Chetri was stunned at the total meltdown in the ongoing Games. “We didn’t play as a team in the whole tournament,” Chetri told the Hindustan Times in London. “Every match we went down and down. The morale is totally down.”
Chetri, asked what went wrong with the team, said: “We are not defending, neither are we scoring. We have to learn more hockey. We have to improve a lot.” Former Olympian Gurbux Singh said India needed to start from the beginning and look ahead at doing well at the 2020 Games. “We should now concentrate on youngsters and prepare for 2020. It will take us at least eight years to overhaul the system,” he said. India’s Australian coach Michael Nobbs, who took over last year, escaped criticism which was mainly directed at the players.
“The players have been given a lot of exposure, they can’t blame anyone for their performance,” said the 1975 World Cup winning captain Ajitpal Singh. “The team looked awful in all areas. This team has a bunch of mediocre players who are just satisfied to be in the Olympics.”
The Hindu newspaper said the performance of the hockey team stood out as “appallingly pathetic”. “What can you expect from a squad that was deficient in defence, disoriented in attack and disgustingly inconsistent in the half-line,” the paper said. “To blame anyone other than the players would be unfair. Everything was provided for them: adequate training, exposure to competitions in all climes and promise of generous rewards.” India were the only team in the competition which failed to gain a point, scoring just six goals against the 18 conceded.
The Nation
Keep aside egos, start from scratch
By Mihir Vasavda
A few months before the start of the 2010 World Cup, a few senior players boycotted the national camp. Reason? The then chief coach, Jose Brasa, was teaching them the basics. Things like trapping the ball, passing it correctly... the kind of stuff that is taught when you first pick up a hockey stick.
The players’ ego was hurt. How can you teach a national team player to trap a ball? The issue was buried then. The coach relented a bit. The players had their way. The team showed steady improvement since. They won silver at the Delhi CWG, claimed the Asian Champions Trophy and topped it up with a ‘splendid’ show at the Olympic qualifiers. But what an eyewash that has proved to be!
If there was any evidence needed of team’s incompetency at an Olympic level, of them needing to learn the basics all over again, they’ve shown it at the biggest platform of all. Instead of making their return to Olympics hockey with vengeance, the team is going out with a whimper, not even putting up a fight worthy of some praise.
On an average, India had nearly 20 missed traps in each of their five group matches at the London Games. That means gifting possession to the opponents each time they had ball, which is unacceptable at this level. Skipper Bharat Chetri, whose place in the team itself is debatable, accepted:“We need to go back and learn hockey all over again,” when asked to sum up.
The team simply could not cope up with the pressure. Some teams thrive under big-match pressure while some crumble. India fall under the latter category. As the tournament progressed, India looked more and more disjointed; the communication gap between coach Michael Nobbs and the rest of the team became apparent. Already, there are hints of the team divided in two camps, with Nobbs struggling to keep them under control. The uneasiness among the players was evident.
Nobbs even admitted how let down he felt by the players who never implemented the game plan as discussed in the team meetings prior to the match. May be it was the fear of defeat that they fail to tackle. As all teams rose to the occasion, India never got going.
For the opposition, it was easy to sort India out. The team relies heavily on Sardar Singh’s artistry and SV Sunil’s speed. All the teams had at least two men marking these players, negating their strength and frustrating India. After the defeat to Belgium, Chetri accepted the players played only 30 per cent of their true potential, which is a shame. One wonders why the players weren’t motivated enough to give more than a 100 per cent at a stage as big as the Olympics.
Nobbs has said there’ll be changes to the team now. It’ll not be a knee-jerk reaction but a much needed one. The coach is likely to continue but he’ll get a new, young crop of players who will play ‘his’ way. “Yes, we will need changes when we return to India. It cannot go on like this. We do a realistic assessment,” Nobbs said.
DNA
Indian hockey is dead; long live Indian hockey
Bobilli Vijay Kumar
In the end, it proved to be a false dawn; if anything, Indian hockey has only plunged deeper into darkness after an odyssey called nightmare in London. There is no need to look far for the culprits behind this disaster though; we just need to look into the mirror, and the answer will hit back at us: yes, as a country, we alone are responsible for this gut-wrenching decline.
We merely sat and watched the fun as selfish and squabbling officials destroyed the sport; we didn't even raise a whimper, let alone a protest, even though they have been gnawing at it for years. Finally, they have got to its soul too.
They will now point fingers at the players, calling it a heartless, if not spineless, display; they will blame the coach and even present him at the sacrificial altar; they will announce grand plans for the future, even suggesting that the breakthrough is just round the corner.
We must stop them before they take off on these fanciful flights and lull us into hope again; we must stop them before they plunder the game some more, not even leaving any remains for a decent burial. If we really love hockey, we must stop them now.
Of course, it was our own fault that we got fooled by their promises, getting swept away in the euphoria of just qualifying; we didn't bother to see the signs, or at least notice the gap that the world had already created.
Yes, it looked like happy days were on their way back, when India eased into the Olympics; but did we bother to consider that the demolished sides were all weaklings? We exulted over the bronze in the Azlan Shah tournament; but didn't we gloss over the fact that we had sent virtually our Olympic team, while others had fielded their second-strings or had at least rested key players?
In the first few moments of their Olympic campaign itself, India's fate had become clear; the players seemed overawed to be back on the big stage, and conceded two soft goals. They would later recover poise and even restore parity but the joy was ephemeral.
They were shown their true colours in the next game; New Zealand overwhelmed them in every facet, brutally exposing the holes in their defence. Suddenly, the forwards too forgot the drills and clung on to the ball in the D; the midfield too dissipated, taking the fight out of them.
After that, it was only going to go one way: downhill. They lost all their group matches for the first time; they are going to finish second last, if they get lucky: it will be another first. Indian hockey is clearly dead; long live Indian hockey.
Let us stop looking for a new dawn.
What the Papers Say Today - Stick2Hockey.com
Five main factors of Indian hockey's 'historic' debacle at Olympics
The hockey team has does it again. They have sunk even deeper into the abyss, and this time the revival hopes look really bleak. TOI analyzes five main factors that led to Indian hockey's 'historic' debacle at the Games, where they failed to win even a single match, a first for them in Olympics...
FAULTY PREPARATIONS
Coach Michael Nobbs did not get much time to test his team against quality opposition in the run-up to the mega event. Their only tough tournament came in the test event for the Olympics in May where they failed miserably.
OVER-RELIANCE ON STRIKERS
Nobbs perhaps made a grave error by relying too much on the strikers. Instead of having specialist defenders, he moved Ignace Tirkey back from the midfield while keeping Sandeep Singh and VR Raghunath, known better as drag-flickers, as defenders. The move backfired as India conceded 18 goals in London.
WHERE'S THE GAMEPLAN?
Be it passing, trapping, defence or attack, India were found wanting in almost all areas of the game. The strikers fared poorly, the midfield looked ineffective and there was virtually no defence. The Indians looked completely lost in the field and allowed their rivals to dictate terms.
FITNESS WOES
The players were not ready, neither physically nor mentally. Though the coaches worked on their physical fitness in the run-up to the Olympics, it became clear during the matches that there was hardly any improvement. After losing the first two games, they completely lost their way, failing to regroup themselves to mount a comeback.
LACK OF FOCUS
The players probably thought they had achieved their goal even before the start of the Olympics when they won the qualifiers. Making it to the Games seemed a far bigger objective for the team then doing well in the Games. The team celebrated the success in the qualifiers in a grand way, when in reality it was just the beginning of the journey.
The Times of India
Olympic field hockey medal matches set
LONDON – The top two world ranked teams will meet in the final Olympic match at Riverbank Arena in London’s Olympic Park on Friday, August 10 at 8:00 p.m. The Netherlands, ranked No. 1, will fight for their second consecutive gold medal, while Argentina, ranked No. 2, hopes to add gold to their collection of silver and bronze Olympic medals.
The Netherlands defeated New Zealand, 3-1, in the first penalty shootout of the tournament this afternoon. Argentina upset the host nation, Great Britain, 2-1, in front of a home crowd and under the lights of Riverbank Arena this evening.
Argentina’s only loss was to the U.S. in the second match-up of the tournament, while the Netherlands have won all six of their Olympic matches.
New Zealand can’t be disappointed with their Olympic campaign. They made it through to the final four for the first time in their Olympic history. Ranked No. 6 in the world and finishing eleventh in Beijing, the New Zealand Black Sticks have had a successful run in London. They will face Great Britain for the bronze medal at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, August 10. Great Britain will be a tough side and have the support of a home crowd as they challenge for a podium finish.
South Africa and Japan fought for a ninth place finish in the first placement match of the day this morning. In overtime, Japan scored the golden goal to lift the No. 9 world ranked team to the best possible finish – ninth place. Ai Murakami scored both of Japan’s goals, including the game-winner on a penalty stroke with in overtime. South Africa finished off their Olympic campaign with a tenth place finish, an improvement from the 2008 Beijing Games.
Korea and Germany laced up their Olympic turf shoes one last time and took the pitch for seventh place. A draw with New Zealand eliminated the No. 3 world ranked Germany team from the semi-finals and dropped them to a disappointing fourth place in Pool B. It is safe to say Germany had higher expectations in London. Capturing a gold medal in 2004 and finishing just out of medal contention in 2008, a podium finish was what the team was anticipating. Although not competing for a medal, Germany finished with a strong performance and convincing 4-1 win over Korea. Korea’s eighth-place finish is on par with their last three Olympic appearances - two ninth-place finishes and one seventh-place.
The U.S. will face Belgium at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, August 10 for an eleventh place finish. Belgium’s results include three loses to the Netherlands, Great Britain and Korea and two draws to China and Japan. The U.S. will look to finish their Olympic campaign on a high note.
Following the U.S., Belgium match, Australia will face China at 11:30 a.m. for fifth in overall standings. China didn't match their performance in Beijing, but will be looking to finish in the same place they are world ranked - No. 5.
USFHA media release
Junior women unbeaten in Cuba
T&T junior women’s hockey team returned home on the weekend from Cuba, having won all four matches in preparation for the Pan American Junior Hockey Championship scheduled for Guadalajara, Mexico from September 10 to 23. T&T eked out a 1-0 win over Ciego Avilas in the opener, thanks to a 63rd minute goal from Stephanie Whiteman. This was followed by two penalty stroke wins over Camaguey, the first 3-1 after a 0-0 deadlock. The second was won 4-3 after a 2-2 draw. Hero for T&T was goalkeeper Arreisa Sandy who pulled off three saves in the first shoot-out while her team-mates Whiteman, Brianna Govia and Amanda George converted.
Amie Olton and her sister, Elise Olton were the local players not to score. George and Tamia Roach scored the final two penalties for T&T during the first stage of the penalty-flicks and also scored the first two in sudden-death to secure the victory.
This after T&T missed its first three attempts. In its final match, Brittney Hingh (17th) and Amanda George (20th) got first-half items to lead T&T to a hard fought 2-1 win over Camaguey to complete a perfect tour. In Mexico, T&T will compete in Pool A with Argentina, Jamaica, Paraguay and Venezuela while Pool B comprises Barbados, Brazil, Mexico and USA, and Group C, Bermuda, Canada, Chile and Uruguay.
Three countries will qualify for the FIH Seventh Women's Junior World Cup. If a PAHF National Association is the host, that country will qualify automatically, together with the two highest placed teams, not including the host. The Under-21 men’s team did not enjoy any success as they failed to win any of their three matches. They were beaten by Ciego Avilas 5-2 with Ishmael Campbell and Tariq Marcano, the scorers. Next, they lost 0- 2 to Camaguey, while in their final match, they scored first but suffered a 4-2 defeat to Camaguey with Marcano getting both goals. The men will compete in Mexico in Pool A with Argentina, Brazil, Jamaica and Panama. Pool B comprises Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Uruguay while Pool C consist of Barbados, Chile, USA and Venezuela. Two countries will qualify for the FIH 10th Men's Junior World Cup while the third place finishers will be the first reserve team.
The Trinidad Guardian
Anthony Farry to lead Men’s National Team
Canada takes training to the next level
As all eyes are on London – the Canadian Men’s National Field Hockey Team looks toward the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Anthony Farry will lead the charge as the new Head Coach of the Men’s National Team. Building on the solid progress that has already been made – Farry is eager to continue establishing a professional training environment and ultimately lead Canada to consistent success on the international stage.
“It’s not about just qualifying for the Olympic Games or World Cup – it’s about being successful once you qualify,” says Farry. “To get to that point we are cultivating an attitude of success towards everything we do. If you play for Team Canada – field hockey has to be your top priority.”
Farry hopes to take the Men’s National Team to the next level with a revamped training regimen and professional environment. So far, so good.
“I’m enjoying the environment. I’m enjoying seeing the guys work hard,” says Farry. “During my time as Assistant Coach with Robin D’Abreo, he initiated many aspects of this transformation. We’re starting to see the benefits of the hard work and dedication, but we still have a long way to go. I look forward to being on the pitch every day with the guys – pushing us to work harder and be better.”
To ensure our dedicated athletes have the support they need, Canada continues to expand the Integrated Sport Medicine, Science and Technology Team (IST). The IST Team utilizes performance technology to give our Men’s National Team the competitive edge. They also ensure our athletes stay healthy on and off the pitch by continually improving the injury management system and nutrition program. This extends to the Men’s Junior National Team as well.
“We are definitely increasing integration with the Junior Program,” says Farry. “Junior Head Coach Mathias Ahrens and I have been going to each other’s training sessions and competitions – there are a lot of opportunities to collaborate. As we continue to establish our daily training program, we want to see more overlap and integration.”
The Men’s Junior National Team is currently preparing for the 2012 Junior Pan American Championship in Guadalajara next month. The Championship serves as the qualifier for the 2013 Junior World Cup – the most important competition for the under 21 age group.
At the moment, the Senior Squad remains focused on centralized daily training. While there are some potential test series on the horizon, the next major international competition isn’t until the FIH World League in February 2013. Until then, Canada will stay focused at home.
“Every time we step on the pitch, we want to be better than the last time,” says Farry.
In the past week there has been an unspoken force pushing our Men’s National Team to train harder – to give their everything. Never again do they want to be training while the opposition competes on the international stage.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Kuhan fighting against time to be fit for the MHL
AFTAR SINGH
KUALA LUMPUR: Sapura defender S. Kuhan is fighting against time to be fit for this year’s Malaysia Hockey League, which begins on Sept 1.
The former international, who has played in the MHL since 1992 and turned 36 last month, is way behind in terms of fitness due to his offshore work in Miri.
Sapura assistant team manager Gregory Louis said that Kuhan “is a player with vast experience and good with his penalty corners”.
“But we are not sure about his fitness level as he works offshore and hardly gets a chance to train with the team,” said Gregory.
“We have to gauge his fitness level in training before deciding whether to include him as a player.
“If he is unfit, then Kuhan will be named as the team manager because of his experience.”
Kuhan has captained Sapura in the MHL since 2000 and lifted a few titles for the team in the league.
Sapura were league champions in 2004. A year later, they not only retained the title but were also overall champions. In 2006, Sapura retained the overall title.
Last year, Sapura finished as runners-up in the Premier Division behind champions KL Hockey Club (KLHC). In the knockout stage, they finished third behind KLHC and Tenaga Nasional.
This season there is no knockout stage competition because the MHL must be completed in five weeks – well before the Razak Cup is held from Oct 14-21 in Kuantan.
The Star of Malaysia