Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Friday, August 10, 2012
Netherlands vs Argentina, Olympics 2012 Women's Hockey Gold medal match
The final of the women's Hockey tournament at the London Olympics 2012 sees the top two ranked nations in the world battle it out for the Gold and Silver medals. A This is the seventh match these two sides will have played in just under two weeks and there will be considerable pressure on both of them.
Earlier, Great Britain and New Zealand played in the Bronze medal match with Great Britain coming out on top 3-1. That game was end to end stuff but all four corners came from penalty corners. Going into the game there was some concern that New Zealand might be a little tired after playing extra time and taking part in the shoot out but there was no evidence of that.
Tonight, we will see two sides who have peaked at the right time. Netherlands come into this game, number one in the world rankings, unbeaten in this tournament and the only side to really push them close to a defeat were New Zealand two days ago in the semi-final. That match went to extra time and eventually to the new shoot out which proved to be extremely entertaining for everyone bar the players and their coaching teams.
Argentina had a very different tournament. They dropped points against Australia, were pushed hard by New Zealand and lost to the USA. In the semi-final against Great Britain, they went through 2-1 at the end of normal time. Tonight they will not get as much time on the ball as Great Britain afforded them and they will find the game running at a much higher pace.
One that may add extra impetus for Argentina is that this is Aymar's birthday and the best player in women's hockey has won everything bar an Olympic medal. What a day it would turn out to be if she fixed that here.
Both sides have key players. For Argentina much will depend on how Aymar in the midfield and Rebecchi up front play. The key for Netherlands will be Paumen in defence and Lammers in attack. the rest of the two sides are fairly evenly matched until we come to penalty corners. Argentina has struggled so far in this tournament but were more successful against Great Britain. Netherlands will expect to score regularly off any penalty corners they are awarded.
First Half
Netherlands get the first long corner of the game and follow that up with a free hit outside the Argentine D. Paumen drives in, gets the ball onto the goalkeeper but Mutio manages to prevent it going in. Netherlands on the attack again and the cut back onto the penalty spot from Van As finds only Argentine players who get the ball clear.
Another Netherlands attack and this time the ball is hit harmlessly off the back line. Argentina are finally getting their tackles in and can now come forward with the ball. Rebecchi can't stop it running off the back line as she gets into the Netherlands 23m.
Van As brings it forward and there is a delightful one-two with Jonker. The ball is in the Argentine D but goes out of play. Argentina to restart. There is a lot of noise in the crowd between the two sets of supporters.
Argentina on the attack now with a free hit outside the Netherlands D. Well defended and its a series of long corners. Argentina try something different and bring the ball around the back. A good run into the D by Habib and then Merino bring a penalty corner chance for Argentina. Good strike by Barrionuevo goes just wide.
Netherlands get a hit outside the Argentine D through De Goede. Paumen on the ball, the cross into the D is easily picked up by Aymar and she gets the free hit. Ball played long, but aimlessly, down to the Netherlands end of the pitch.
Nice build up by Netherlands in the midfield. They seem to be winning the ball far too easily in this part of the pitch. the chance is wasted and Argentina are looking for a long ball to an unmarked Cavallero. the ball comes off her foot, however, and Netherlands take the chance to build another attack.
Van As again in the midfield and Hoog has the ball but wastes it. Another wasted long ball by Argentina. Netherlands are reading these long passes and getting in first on the tackle.
Free hit Argentina but the long pass goes through the D. more wasted ball. If Argentina keep doing this they will just keep letting Netherlands off the hook. Paumen takes a lifted ball on the forearm but she is OK.
Argentine defence at sixes and sevens as Netherlands come on the attack but they manage to scramble the ball clear and can now begin to build an attack of their own but the ball is wastefully played over the side line.
Aymar takes the ball too deep into the D and the shot is easily saved by Sombroek. From the long corner, Argentina just can't make anything happen.
The game seems to be settling into a pattern now. End to end attacking but neither side really doing anything to stress the goalkeeper. This time Rebecchi gets into the D but puts the ball wide and high.
Aerial ball gets through to an unmarked Netherlands player but the pass goes to an Argentine stick.
This is a very nervy start from both teams. Some poor decisions, poor passing and lack of real penetration. Another Argentine attack breaks down without a shot on goal.
Van As brings it forward but is easily dispossessed. Netherlands win it back and look to go down the left. Once again, the tackle is all too easy for the Argentine defense. The ball is played deep into the corner but runs off the end of the pitch.
Big hit in from Netherlands but it is easily kicked away by Mutio. Polkamp drives down the side line and wins the long corner. This time the drive into the D is lost and Argentina reset but waste the chance to create an attack. Ball into the Argentine D from Hoog and Scarone has taken a hit in the face from a stick on the follow through. She has a cut just under the eye. Can Argentina use this to spark themselves into action?
Netherlands have a side line hit. Van As drives into the D and wins a penalty corner from a clumsy stick tackle by Rodriguez Perez. Great running from Rodriguez Perez and the penalty corner doesn't even produce a shot on goal.
Aymar trying to start something from the centre of the Argentine midfield. Netherlands just playing the press and Argentina are going nowhere. Van As has the ball, it is move around the pitch and a great ball in is just cut out by an Argentine stick for a long corner. Netherlands can't do anything with the restart and Argentina has the ball back.
Maccari is tripped by Goderie who is given a green card. Can Argentina take advantage of this two minute power play? The long aerial ball goes out and Netherlands will look to keep the ball as much as possible for the next two minutes. Welten goes down the right but runs into the Argentine defense and losses the ball.
Netherlands soon have the ball back and Van Male runs down the right but has no-one in the D to cross to. Van As now tries and gets the ball into the D but the shot is wasted.
Good cross in but nobody could get on the end of that. Argentina starting to pose problems for the Netherlands defense.
Great running by Van As and Van Male but the interception by the Argentine defense is hit onto a foot. Netherlands have a penalty corner and the hooter has gone. This is the last play of the half and Mutio makes a great glove save from De Goede and then a second with her pads as Van As shoots from the rebound.
Second Half
Scarone has been patched up and starts the second half. Argentina has the ball and the Netherlands content to let them move it around in their half of the pitch. Ball forward by Aymar runs off the side. Netherlands can now look to build something but they give it away. Van Geffen is forced away from the D but gets a side line ball.
Lots of missed tackles and the air rings with the clicking of what sounds like giant knitting needles.
Excellent chance for Netherlands but Van Den Heuvel is unable to keep the ball in play. Argentina win a hit for a challenge on Merino and are inside the Netherlands 23m.
Ball comes away with Van As and Hoog but is lost inside the Argentine 23m
This half seems to have started where the first half left off, too many balls lost too easily when in the opponents 23m. Netherlands trying to up the pace but it's not working. Van Male drives to the D but it is brought away by Aymar. So far Aymar is the best player out there but she is not getting the support she needs from the rest of her team.
Netherlands look like they are content to play on the break. This is normally a dangerous option against Argentina but it does seem to be working here. It's denying Argentina the space in which to run and stopping them getting into the Netherlands D.
While Netherlands sitting deep is nullifying the Argentine attack, it is not making for a very attractive game for the spectators. This is a poor game compared to the Bronze medal match where Great Britain and New Zealand went end-to-end, creating chances.
A mistake gives Jonker an opportunity to run at the Argentine defense. This brings a penalty corner and the Argentine players want a video referral for something that happened in the middle of the field which cannot happen under the rules.
Great drag flick from De Goede is met with a good save from Mutio. Unfortunately the ball drops at the feet of Van Den Heuvel who makes no mistake with the rebound.
Netherlands 1 Argentina 0
This should now open up the match as Argentina must come forward and that will create chances for Netherlands.
Argentina win a penalty corner and can strike back quickly. The ball is miss hit and Netherlands quickly push to the other end of the pitch and win a long corner. Ball is cleared by Argentina.
That was a sloppy tackle by Sruoga which give Netherlands another penalty corner. Perhaps a little too intricate from Netherlands but Mutio is up to it and gets the ball clear. Another penalty corner for more sloppy defending.
THAT WAS UNSTOPPABLE. An amazing drag flick from Paumen and there is probably no goalkeeper in the world who could have stopped that.
Netherlands 2 Argentina 0
Argentina need to up the stakes here and Aymar is having to do it all on her own. Argentina need to get into the Netherlands D and force a save from Sombroek. But yet again, the attack breaks down and Netherlands have time to ease the ball out. This time, they make the mistake and Argentina are on the attack.
Great tackle, Netherlands charge forward but the ball is knocked away for a long corner. Just over 12 minutes left to play and Netherlands fancy their chances at getting another goal. They are no longer prepared to sit back and are putting the Argentine defense under pressure. D'Elia picks up a stupid green card at a time when Argentina need everyone on the pitch. Aymar must be furious at her team mates.
With nine minutes left, Argentina are in danger of meltdown if they don't focus on getting back into the game rather than picking arguments with Netherlands and the umpires.
Netherlands in complete control now. When Argentina do get the ball, they lose it too easily or take the wrong option on the pass.
If there were ever any fears that the Netherlands might be tired after their semi-final match against New Zealand, the way they are running and moving at this stage of the game should dispel that. Netherlands come again but cannot control the ball in the D and it is an Argentine hit.
Once again, Argentina get the free hit, bring the ball away and then lose it too easily to Netherlands.Once again, it is Aymar who is trying to make something happen but there is nobody looking for the pass or making themselves available.
There is still time to force two goals and square the match but Argentina don't look like they are going to do that. When they come forward again, the ball is aimlessly hit into the D. The only person who thinks they can do something now is their coach who is urging them on from the side.
Just over one minute, Netherlands have the ball and Argentina are just making up the numbers. The Netherlands supporters in the stadium are applauding their team now. They know the job is done and that's the countdown for the last ten seconds. The Netherlands players are celebrating and rightly so. They were the better not only on the night but throughout the entire tournament.
Conclusion
The first half was a pretty dull affair. Although both teams got into their opponents 23m, the only real quality shots came from Netherlands. Mutio kept Argentina in the match in the first half but nerves seemed to have gotten to both sides. Both sides knew that if they allowed the other to score first, it would be hard to get back into the game.
The second half started very much like the first. Netherlands sat back, invited Argentina forward but picked them off in the midfield and around the edge of the D. The turning point was two penalty corner goals for Netherlands. After the first one, Argentina looked like they were going to come forward and get a goal of their own. But after the second goal went in, Argentine heads went down and it was all over.
Netherlands shut Argentina down and played by far the better hockey. Paumen scored a goal that was worthy of a gold medal match and will probably be player of the match. For Argentina, while Aymar didn't have her best game, it was so much better than the rest of her team who need to take a long hard look at themselves and ask what went wrong
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Argentina vs Great Britain, Olympics 2012 Hockey Semi-final
Argentina and Great Britain come into this match, both on good form. Argentina has come through a very tough group in first place but isn't really firing on all cylinders yet. The best ladies hockey player in the world, Luciana Aymer has yet to really play her best in this tournament but even when not at her best, she is still very dangerous.
For Great Britain, the talismanic Kate Walsh will definitely start despite her surgery a week ago. Crista Cullen, the outstanding penalty corner specialist at this tournament will need to be on her very best if she is to beat Laura del Colle in the Argentine goal.
The last time the majority of these players met, was the Champions Trophy 2011 in Argentina. On that day, Argentina beat England and the English players in this team will be looking to avenge that defeat, especially as they now have home advantage
If the first semi-final was tight and end-to-end stuff, this one will be even more so. Both sides will want to win this in normal time and avoid the lottery of golden goal extra time and the new format shoot out. The winners will be the team that can run for the whole 70 minutes and keep their composure under pressure. The two goalkeepers, Laura del Colle and Beth Storry will have a long hard night and neither of them will be looking forward to the thought of the shoot out at the end of a long evening.
First Half
Great Britain got the first attack in, driving the ball down the right hand side and deep into the Argentine 23m. After a few attempts to get the ball in to the D it finally went off the back line, allowing Argentina to relieve the pressure. Great Britain quickly win the ball back and put in another attack but once again it comes to nothing.
After being muscled off the ball by the USA a few days ago, Argentina started the game with some very physical challenges and were warned by the umpire to calm down. All this with just two minutes of the match gone.
It didn't take long for Argentina to get their first chance at the Great Britain goal. A long ball, fired in that was easily swept away to the sideline. Argentina quickly took the sideline hit, drove into the D and picked up the first penalty corner. on replay, the ball seemed to be lifted but it would have been a hard call to disallow that and it was too early in the game for Great Britain to risk losing its referral to the video umpire
The ball was injected quickly, and Rodriguez Perez had just enough time to get the shot off, just evading the charging Cullen. The ball was low and to the left of Storry in the Great Britain goal and it's 1-0 to Argentina. This was just the start Argentina were looking for. From the restart, Great Britain looked to hit back and although they got the ball down to the Argentine D, they still couldn't do anything with it.
The sticks were beginning to really fly in now and Argentina picked up another warning from the umpires for loose stick play. The ball is back at the Argentine end of the pitch but Great Britain are still unable to get the shot away. Argentina bring the ball away and seem to have plenty of time to play it around the back. Some really loose passes here from both sides and the game goes a little quiet.
A Rebecchi drive into the Great Britain D almost led to a shot on goal but she was dispossessed just before she could get the shot off. Great Britain come away with the ball and Danson looked for room to run but she is being closely marked by as many as three players at times. Great Britain drove into the 23m area and a push in the back on Danson should have brought a penalty corner.
After all that sustained pressure from Great Britain, Argentina finally got a free hit and a chance to bring the ball away. The ball is moved quickly down the Argentine left to a player who is completely unmarked but Walsh got across quickly to make the tackle but instead gives away a free hit just outside the D. Argentina quickly take the hit but Walsh, looking a little intimidating in her face protection, wins the ball back, fairly this time.
Great Britain move the ball from side to side around the back and then go for the long arial down the right side but the whole move goes nowhere. Argentina took the sideline hit quickly but it runs off the far end of the pitch. Danson gets another chance to drive the ball into the Argentine D and wins a sideline hit. Great Britain move the ball around the back until Walsh tried the long forward pass which goes harmlessly off the end of the pitch.
Cullen went up in support of the attack as Great Britain tried to pin Argentina into their own D. The heavy marking on Danson should be creating much more room for other players. Unfortunately, Great Britain aren't taking advantage of this. A mistake by Great Britain allowed Argentina to launch forward into the Great Britain 23m area. Good defending from Great Britain but the clearance went back to Argentina who win a free hit.
Composure will be the key to this game and at the moment, Argentina look the more composed when on the ball, both in attack and defence.
A spate of missed tackles by Great Britain left them perilously close to the umpires reaching for their green cards. Too many of the Great Britain clearances are now going straight to Argentine sticks. As a result, the ball keeps coming back and back. Great Britain are also slow on the ball, which has allowed Argentina to win the ball in key areas of the pitch.
Not only are Great Britain having a problem clearing the ball from their 23m but Richardson is getting very animated out there, shouting at her own team mates and needs to calm down and keep her head. Thomas came back to collect the ball, drove it forward to the Argentine 23m and then shot it into the D where it was deflected off the back line. Argentina are constantly getting everyone behind the ball to prevent any Great Britain shot and eventually they get a free hit and clear the ball.
Great Britain intercept and drive the ball back in again but they just cannot find a telling ball into the D and get anyone on it. Attack after attack from Great Britain ends in a free hit to Argentina. Great Britain are lucky not to have lost a player to a yellow card when a stick is lifted into the face of Habif. Argentina are quickly back on the attack first down the left, then the right and then back down the left. Finally they get some room on the Great Britain right but Walsh comes away with the ball.
With just over 6 minutes to go, Argentina came forward looking for a second goal but Aymar is denied by some great work from Storry. Although she is able to get the rebound, it goes harmlessly over the bar. Great Britain quickly get the ball to the Argentine end of the pitch and under extreme pressure, Danson manages to manufacture a shot from nothing, which just goes wide of the post.
Argentina's response was to get the ball forward through an arial ball but it goes nowhere and Great Britain turn it around and go back on that attack. The problem is that the ball once again goes to a player who tries to run through the entire Argentine defence giving away the ball in the processes.
Great Britain are now missing tackle after tackle and have allowed Rebecchi to take the ball to the back line and drive into the D. Storry comes to make the tackle but a fabulous bit of skill from Rebecchi moves the ball beyond Storry and then she just rolls it into the goal. 2-0 Argentina. The two recovering Great Britain defenders were just too slow to react and prevent the ball going over the line.
Great Britain players are arguing with umpire Roach about an offence which cannot be reviewed and if they are not careful, somebody is going to be sent off.
From the restart, Great Britain get the ball into the Argentine area but just can't create a scoring opportunity. Argentina bring the ball away and Great Britain just need to see out the last few seconds of this half and get into the changing room and reset their minds.
Despite the possession that Great Britain had in the first half, they were unable to turn it into any meaningful attack or shot on goal. As the half went on, play got more an more animated and composure went out of the window. If Great Britain are to get back into this match, they need to find a quick goal at the start of the second half and then contain Argentina.
Second Half
Great Britain started the second half in the same manner as the first half. Long ball into the Argentine 23m area but it rolls off the back line, allowing Argentina to get it clear. Great Britain intercepted the ball from the restart and moved it across the pitch to Danson who drove in to the D, winning a free hit.
The ball goes into the D and although Great Britain once again failed to get off a decent shot, they did win a penalty corner. Cullen steps up, the ball is injected, stopped and brave running from an Argentine defender forced the ball out of play at the sideline. Danson has taken the hit quickly but made a mess of it, allowing Argentina to take their time and get the ball away.
The relieving ball sails into the crowd and Great Britain have taken the free hit and driven themselves back into the Argentine 23m area. Thomas is once again isolated with the ball and this has happened all too often. Whenever Great Britain have had possession, the Argentine defence has isolated the player on the ball and nobody has made a post run to help them find a route out.
Thomas is winning free hit after free hit but she has nowhere to go, Eventually the ball goes over the back line and Argentina get a chance to put the ball in the Great Britain half. It was a poor clearance and Great Britain have once again driven the ball toward the Argentine D but there is nobody able to get a shot onto the goalkeeper.
The game has now settled into a pattern. Great Britain put Argentina under pressure in their half of the pitch, run out of options and Argentina hit the ball long and off the Great Britain back line. This forces Great Britain to turn around, collect the ball and start again. It might not be pretty hockey but it is effective and it is eating up the time.
Walsh is working very hard, feeding the ball forward to the midfield who are trying to get the ball into Danson or Richardsen but the final balls are just not coming off. Danson gets the ball again, drives through two Argentine players and wins another free hit just outside the D. The hit is taken, the ball fired in but it is easily cleared by the massed Argentine defence. Once again, a Great Britain player has the ball and finds themself surrounded by three Argentine defenders who win the free hit.
So far, this half has seen a huge improvement in effort by Great Britain but they just can't seem to get any reward for all their hard work.
Argentina finally have some respite and have driven the ball into the Great Britain 23m. Solid defending by Great Britain forces Argentina to bring the ball back out to the midfield and after a short exchange of tackles and some misjudged passes by both sides, Great Britain are once again on the attack, Danson has made her way into the Argentine D but the shot is weak, right at the goalkeeper and she takes her time and just kicks it clear to the sideline.
Argentina come away with the ball down their left but it has been put out for a long corner. After some good defending from Great Britain, they win a sideline hit and can once again drive down to the Argentine end of the pitch. Argentina are once again tackling aggressively and eventually win the ball back. Back chat from the Great Britain forwards sees the umpire move the free hit up 10 metres. Great Britain in danger of losing their composure again.
There are just 19 minutes left in this game and both teams have put in a huge amount of running so far and it will soon begin to tell on player fitness. Great Britain have another opportunity in the Argentine D but the attacker is too slow getting the shot off and the defender has time to just steal the ball off of their stick.
Argentina mount a rare attack in this half and it was Walsh, again, doing the hard work at the back to make the tackle and bring the ball forward. Argentina have lost a player to a green card and Great Britain need to take advantage of the power play. They can't. Argentina just stand there, calm, unruffled and refused to be pressured into a mistake.
This is where Argentina's recent experiences in major competitions is paying off. They know they have a comfortable lead and that it is up to Great Britain to do all the work. All they need to do is stand strong and not make any silly mistakes.
A real chance for Great Britain saw the ball fall to Richardsen. She has all the time in the world to get off a shot but snatches at it and top edges the ball. That's the best chance Great Britain has created and it has been wasted. With less than 15 minutes left on the clock, that could be a game changer.
If Great Britain are to get anything out of this game it has to come from Cullen, Danson and Richardson. At the back, Walsh is giving it everything she can while Storry has had nothing to do so far in this half.
Great Britain are now beginning to lose the battle for the 50/50 balls in the centre but the umpires intervene and Argentina have Aymar sent off on a green card. Another two minutes for Great Britain to try and create chances. Argentine defenders put in some fantastic tackles, forcing their opponents to once again go down a blind alley. Any Great Britain player on the ball is finding it increasingly hard to see their team mates.
Argentina bring the ball away and Aymar is now back on the pitch. With seven minutes to go, Argentina are down the Great Britain end of the pitch. Great Britain desperately need to get the ball downt the other end of the pitch and get shots on goal. They've had plenty of possession but not in the D where it counts.
Great Britain win another free hit outside the Argentine D, the ball is fired across and it's tipped into the net by who else but Danson. The score is 2-1 and there is still just enough time for Great Britain to salvage something here.
The goal has woken the crowd up and they are getting behind the home side. Argentina are trying to slow the game down and eventually get a warning off of the umpires about wasting time. Great Britain are mounting more desperate attacks on the Argentine goal but it just isn't happening. A quick break by Argentina and there is a threat to the Great Britain goal but Storry is out and down very quickly to snuff it out.
The hooter goes and Argentina have won this hard fought match 2-1. They were unquestionably the better side on the night although Great Britain have played themselves to a virtual standstill.
All over the pitch, there are Great Britain players on their knees and in tears. On another day, they might have made more of their chances but now they have to pick themselves up and get ready for the bronze medal match against New Zealand in two days time.
For Argentina. this was a competent performance and they will be looking forward to what promises to be a cracking match against Netherlands for the gold medal
For Great Britain, the talismanic Kate Walsh will definitely start despite her surgery a week ago. Crista Cullen, the outstanding penalty corner specialist at this tournament will need to be on her very best if she is to beat Laura del Colle in the Argentine goal.
The last time the majority of these players met, was the Champions Trophy 2011 in Argentina. On that day, Argentina beat England and the English players in this team will be looking to avenge that defeat, especially as they now have home advantage
If the first semi-final was tight and end-to-end stuff, this one will be even more so. Both sides will want to win this in normal time and avoid the lottery of golden goal extra time and the new format shoot out. The winners will be the team that can run for the whole 70 minutes and keep their composure under pressure. The two goalkeepers, Laura del Colle and Beth Storry will have a long hard night and neither of them will be looking forward to the thought of the shoot out at the end of a long evening.
First Half
Great Britain got the first attack in, driving the ball down the right hand side and deep into the Argentine 23m. After a few attempts to get the ball in to the D it finally went off the back line, allowing Argentina to relieve the pressure. Great Britain quickly win the ball back and put in another attack but once again it comes to nothing.
After being muscled off the ball by the USA a few days ago, Argentina started the game with some very physical challenges and were warned by the umpire to calm down. All this with just two minutes of the match gone.
It didn't take long for Argentina to get their first chance at the Great Britain goal. A long ball, fired in that was easily swept away to the sideline. Argentina quickly took the sideline hit, drove into the D and picked up the first penalty corner. on replay, the ball seemed to be lifted but it would have been a hard call to disallow that and it was too early in the game for Great Britain to risk losing its referral to the video umpire
The ball was injected quickly, and Rodriguez Perez had just enough time to get the shot off, just evading the charging Cullen. The ball was low and to the left of Storry in the Great Britain goal and it's 1-0 to Argentina. This was just the start Argentina were looking for. From the restart, Great Britain looked to hit back and although they got the ball down to the Argentine D, they still couldn't do anything with it.
The sticks were beginning to really fly in now and Argentina picked up another warning from the umpires for loose stick play. The ball is back at the Argentine end of the pitch but Great Britain are still unable to get the shot away. Argentina bring the ball away and seem to have plenty of time to play it around the back. Some really loose passes here from both sides and the game goes a little quiet.
A Rebecchi drive into the Great Britain D almost led to a shot on goal but she was dispossessed just before she could get the shot off. Great Britain come away with the ball and Danson looked for room to run but she is being closely marked by as many as three players at times. Great Britain drove into the 23m area and a push in the back on Danson should have brought a penalty corner.
After all that sustained pressure from Great Britain, Argentina finally got a free hit and a chance to bring the ball away. The ball is moved quickly down the Argentine left to a player who is completely unmarked but Walsh got across quickly to make the tackle but instead gives away a free hit just outside the D. Argentina quickly take the hit but Walsh, looking a little intimidating in her face protection, wins the ball back, fairly this time.
Great Britain move the ball from side to side around the back and then go for the long arial down the right side but the whole move goes nowhere. Argentina took the sideline hit quickly but it runs off the far end of the pitch. Danson gets another chance to drive the ball into the Argentine D and wins a sideline hit. Great Britain move the ball around the back until Walsh tried the long forward pass which goes harmlessly off the end of the pitch.
Cullen went up in support of the attack as Great Britain tried to pin Argentina into their own D. The heavy marking on Danson should be creating much more room for other players. Unfortunately, Great Britain aren't taking advantage of this. A mistake by Great Britain allowed Argentina to launch forward into the Great Britain 23m area. Good defending from Great Britain but the clearance went back to Argentina who win a free hit.
Composure will be the key to this game and at the moment, Argentina look the more composed when on the ball, both in attack and defence.
A spate of missed tackles by Great Britain left them perilously close to the umpires reaching for their green cards. Too many of the Great Britain clearances are now going straight to Argentine sticks. As a result, the ball keeps coming back and back. Great Britain are also slow on the ball, which has allowed Argentina to win the ball in key areas of the pitch.
Not only are Great Britain having a problem clearing the ball from their 23m but Richardson is getting very animated out there, shouting at her own team mates and needs to calm down and keep her head. Thomas came back to collect the ball, drove it forward to the Argentine 23m and then shot it into the D where it was deflected off the back line. Argentina are constantly getting everyone behind the ball to prevent any Great Britain shot and eventually they get a free hit and clear the ball.
Great Britain intercept and drive the ball back in again but they just cannot find a telling ball into the D and get anyone on it. Attack after attack from Great Britain ends in a free hit to Argentina. Great Britain are lucky not to have lost a player to a yellow card when a stick is lifted into the face of Habif. Argentina are quickly back on the attack first down the left, then the right and then back down the left. Finally they get some room on the Great Britain right but Walsh comes away with the ball.
With just over 6 minutes to go, Argentina came forward looking for a second goal but Aymar is denied by some great work from Storry. Although she is able to get the rebound, it goes harmlessly over the bar. Great Britain quickly get the ball to the Argentine end of the pitch and under extreme pressure, Danson manages to manufacture a shot from nothing, which just goes wide of the post.
Argentina's response was to get the ball forward through an arial ball but it goes nowhere and Great Britain turn it around and go back on that attack. The problem is that the ball once again goes to a player who tries to run through the entire Argentine defence giving away the ball in the processes.
Great Britain are now missing tackle after tackle and have allowed Rebecchi to take the ball to the back line and drive into the D. Storry comes to make the tackle but a fabulous bit of skill from Rebecchi moves the ball beyond Storry and then she just rolls it into the goal. 2-0 Argentina. The two recovering Great Britain defenders were just too slow to react and prevent the ball going over the line.
Great Britain players are arguing with umpire Roach about an offence which cannot be reviewed and if they are not careful, somebody is going to be sent off.
From the restart, Great Britain get the ball into the Argentine area but just can't create a scoring opportunity. Argentina bring the ball away and Great Britain just need to see out the last few seconds of this half and get into the changing room and reset their minds.
Despite the possession that Great Britain had in the first half, they were unable to turn it into any meaningful attack or shot on goal. As the half went on, play got more an more animated and composure went out of the window. If Great Britain are to get back into this match, they need to find a quick goal at the start of the second half and then contain Argentina.
Second Half
Great Britain started the second half in the same manner as the first half. Long ball into the Argentine 23m area but it rolls off the back line, allowing Argentina to get it clear. Great Britain intercepted the ball from the restart and moved it across the pitch to Danson who drove in to the D, winning a free hit.
The ball goes into the D and although Great Britain once again failed to get off a decent shot, they did win a penalty corner. Cullen steps up, the ball is injected, stopped and brave running from an Argentine defender forced the ball out of play at the sideline. Danson has taken the hit quickly but made a mess of it, allowing Argentina to take their time and get the ball away.
The relieving ball sails into the crowd and Great Britain have taken the free hit and driven themselves back into the Argentine 23m area. Thomas is once again isolated with the ball and this has happened all too often. Whenever Great Britain have had possession, the Argentine defence has isolated the player on the ball and nobody has made a post run to help them find a route out.
Thomas is winning free hit after free hit but she has nowhere to go, Eventually the ball goes over the back line and Argentina get a chance to put the ball in the Great Britain half. It was a poor clearance and Great Britain have once again driven the ball toward the Argentine D but there is nobody able to get a shot onto the goalkeeper.
The game has now settled into a pattern. Great Britain put Argentina under pressure in their half of the pitch, run out of options and Argentina hit the ball long and off the Great Britain back line. This forces Great Britain to turn around, collect the ball and start again. It might not be pretty hockey but it is effective and it is eating up the time.
Walsh is working very hard, feeding the ball forward to the midfield who are trying to get the ball into Danson or Richardsen but the final balls are just not coming off. Danson gets the ball again, drives through two Argentine players and wins another free hit just outside the D. The hit is taken, the ball fired in but it is easily cleared by the massed Argentine defence. Once again, a Great Britain player has the ball and finds themself surrounded by three Argentine defenders who win the free hit.
So far, this half has seen a huge improvement in effort by Great Britain but they just can't seem to get any reward for all their hard work.
Argentina finally have some respite and have driven the ball into the Great Britain 23m. Solid defending by Great Britain forces Argentina to bring the ball back out to the midfield and after a short exchange of tackles and some misjudged passes by both sides, Great Britain are once again on the attack, Danson has made her way into the Argentine D but the shot is weak, right at the goalkeeper and she takes her time and just kicks it clear to the sideline.
Argentina come away with the ball down their left but it has been put out for a long corner. After some good defending from Great Britain, they win a sideline hit and can once again drive down to the Argentine end of the pitch. Argentina are once again tackling aggressively and eventually win the ball back. Back chat from the Great Britain forwards sees the umpire move the free hit up 10 metres. Great Britain in danger of losing their composure again.
There are just 19 minutes left in this game and both teams have put in a huge amount of running so far and it will soon begin to tell on player fitness. Great Britain have another opportunity in the Argentine D but the attacker is too slow getting the shot off and the defender has time to just steal the ball off of their stick.
Argentina mount a rare attack in this half and it was Walsh, again, doing the hard work at the back to make the tackle and bring the ball forward. Argentina have lost a player to a green card and Great Britain need to take advantage of the power play. They can't. Argentina just stand there, calm, unruffled and refused to be pressured into a mistake.
This is where Argentina's recent experiences in major competitions is paying off. They know they have a comfortable lead and that it is up to Great Britain to do all the work. All they need to do is stand strong and not make any silly mistakes.
A real chance for Great Britain saw the ball fall to Richardsen. She has all the time in the world to get off a shot but snatches at it and top edges the ball. That's the best chance Great Britain has created and it has been wasted. With less than 15 minutes left on the clock, that could be a game changer.
If Great Britain are to get anything out of this game it has to come from Cullen, Danson and Richardson. At the back, Walsh is giving it everything she can while Storry has had nothing to do so far in this half.
Great Britain are now beginning to lose the battle for the 50/50 balls in the centre but the umpires intervene and Argentina have Aymar sent off on a green card. Another two minutes for Great Britain to try and create chances. Argentine defenders put in some fantastic tackles, forcing their opponents to once again go down a blind alley. Any Great Britain player on the ball is finding it increasingly hard to see their team mates.
Argentina bring the ball away and Aymar is now back on the pitch. With seven minutes to go, Argentina are down the Great Britain end of the pitch. Great Britain desperately need to get the ball downt the other end of the pitch and get shots on goal. They've had plenty of possession but not in the D where it counts.
Great Britain win another free hit outside the Argentine D, the ball is fired across and it's tipped into the net by who else but Danson. The score is 2-1 and there is still just enough time for Great Britain to salvage something here.
The goal has woken the crowd up and they are getting behind the home side. Argentina are trying to slow the game down and eventually get a warning off of the umpires about wasting time. Great Britain are mounting more desperate attacks on the Argentine goal but it just isn't happening. A quick break by Argentina and there is a threat to the Great Britain goal but Storry is out and down very quickly to snuff it out.
The hooter goes and Argentina have won this hard fought match 2-1. They were unquestionably the better side on the night although Great Britain have played themselves to a virtual standstill.
All over the pitch, there are Great Britain players on their knees and in tears. On another day, they might have made more of their chances but now they have to pick themselves up and get ready for the bronze medal match against New Zealand in two days time.
For Argentina. this was a competent performance and they will be looking forward to what promises to be a cracking match against Netherlands for the gold medal
Olympic Hockey 2012 - Men's Group A round-up
With Australia and Great Britain now qualified from this group, it's time to look back on how the group matches went. You can find the Group B round-up here.
Group A
At first glance, this was never going to be a group where Australia would have expected to fail. For Great Britain, however, it was less clear. They haven't made an Olympic final since 1988 and there was massive pressure from the crowd and the hockey community to fix this at their home Olympics. Great Britains know Spain are never an easy team to beat and Pakistan came here as an unknown quantity. In the end, the two top ranked teams have gone through to the next stage so how did everyone do.
Australia opened their campaign with a 6-0 thrashing of South Africa. This game wasn't as completely one-sided as the score suggests but Australia were at their imperious best and looking to send a message to everyone in the group. In case that message went unheaded, it was followed by a 5-0 win over Spain. This one was not quite as fluid as the game against South Africe but it was clinical and controlled.
Then it all stalled. Argentina came out, determined not to be overawed and got a 2-2 draw. Australia looked a little flat during this game and seemed unprepared for the way Argentina fought for each ball. It got even worse in the match against Great Britiain. Australia were 3-0 up and looking like they were going to cruise into the semi-finals. What they didn't count on was Great Britain fighting back and being prepared to throw everything they had at Australia in order to get a 3-3 draw. At the end of that game, it could have easily been 4-3 to either side.
In the final game of the group, knowing that a win or a draw would be good enough for the semi-finals, Australia came up against Pakistan. This was not a make-weight match as a loss to Pakistan would have put them through to the semi-finals. Australia were in no mood to take chances. They ripped into a Pakistan side that looked like they were content to sit back and try and win on the break. Sadly, as the game progressed, Pakistan ceased competing and Australia strolled to a 7-0 win and a place in the semi-finals against Germany.
Unlike Australia, Great Britain made hard work of their qualification for the the semi-finals. A 4-1 win over Argentina was a great start but a stuttering 2-2 draw with South Africa left Great Britain with a lot of work to do.
In their next match against the misfiring Pakistan, Great Britain got their campaign back on track with a 4-1 win. The key to this victory was the speed of the Great Britain breaks and the continued pressure they placed on Pakistan who wilted as the game went on.
The draw against South Africa put a lot of pressure on Great Britain ahead of the game against Australia. The game started slowly for Great Britain and Australia were 3-0 ahead midway through the second half. But Jason Lee has built this side to be resilient and it was clear that they were determined not to go out with a wimper. Instead of accepting defeat, they tore into Australia and pulled the match back to 3-3 and in the last minutes, either side could have taken it 4-3.
With Pakistan hot on their heels, Great Britain knew the last match, against Spain, would be tough. It was not only tough but very nervy, although much of the pressure on Great Britain was self inflicted. Earlier in the day Great Britain had seen Pakistan beaten by Australia and knew that a win or draw here would be enough to send them through to face Netherlands. In the end, it was a 1-1 draw and that was enough, much to the relief of the Great Britain supporters and their coaching staff.
Only in the last round of matches did Spain get themselves into third position in this group but will be rueing their failure to beat Great Britain and the points they dropped elsewhere. It started badly for them with the broken arm to Santiago Freixa, although he seemed to shrug it off and carry on playing. That first match against Pakistan was tough for both sides but neither side took their chances to win it.
Against Australia, Spain was outclassed and never looked like getting anything. Although Spain won their next match 3-2 against South Africa, they really didn't look the fluid passing team we've seen over the last decade and in some respects, were lucky not to drop points. The match against Argentina was also difficult even though it was a 3-1 win and at this point Spain were still in with a chance to go to the semi-finals.
Sadly, they were unable to overcome a very nervy Great Britain and make it to the semi-finals. They did leap frog Pakistan in the table but only due to the rout handed to Pakistan by Australia.
Pakistan came here with high hopes and left under a cloud. An opening game against Spain resulted in a 1-1 draw and a good opportunity for the team to get to the speed of the pitch and competition. In beating Argentina 2-0 in the next match, Pakistan were beginning to look the real deal and a serious threat to Great Britain and Australia.
Against Great Britain, however, Pakistan were exposed by fast breaks and contined pressure in the 23m area. Great Britain pressured Pakistan and ran out comfortable winners 4-1. At this point, Pakistan could have been forgiven for settling for third in the group but they didn't. They bounced back with an unconvincing 5-4 win over South Africa which kept them in contention for a semi-final berth after Great Britain fought to a 3-3 draw with Australia.
The final group match game Pakistan hope that they could pull off a shock but that was until the game actually started. They shipped two early goals, but despite making some forays into the Australian end of the pitch, they just couldn't get their shots away. By the end of the first half, Australia were 4-0 ahead and in the second half, as the lead was extended to 5-0, Pakistan stopped competing. By the end of the match, it was a very sorry looking Pakistan who found themselves on the end of a 7-0 rout by a very dominant Australia.
Nobody really expected much of Argentina and South Africa, bar the chance of the odd upset against the more established sides. Sadly for Argentina it started badly with a 4-1 loss to Great Britain followed by a 2-0 loss to Pakistan. They then almost pulled off the shock all the Great Britain supporters were hoping for against Australia but eventually had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Against Spain they played well but the Spanish class told out and they lost 3-1. All they had left was pride to play for against South Africa and in a match that went from end to end, it all came down to who could actually score. Argentina won this 6-3 although it was only due to some strange goalkeeping by South Africa that made it look easy at the end.
South Africa has come a long way in the last decade. Look around London and other large European cities and you will see players from South Africa in many of the large clubs. In this tournament, however, they were sadly outclassed. The highlight of their competition was a 2-2 draw with Great Britain as they looked to inflict a shock defeat but they just couldn't find a way through for the win.
Semi-finals and beyond
With Australia and Great Britain now heading off to face Germany and Netherlands respectively we have the top four ranked teams in the world in the Olympic finals. In any sport, it is generally rare for the ranking system to work so well and there were scares for Great Britain and Germany as the tournament progressed.
Great Britain look to have a very tough task in taking on Netherlands but if there is one thing that Jason Lee has instilled in his team, it's belief. While it may have been lacking in a nervy last group game against Spain, this is winner takes all hockey with a home crowd. The expectation will be palpable around the stadium and Great Britain need to draw on that energy in the same way other gold medalists, such as Jessica Ennis, have already done.
Australia have no easy task in facing Germany although Germany have misfired so far this tournament. Both sides know what it is like to get to semi-finals in the major competitions and to lift trophies. This is a match that will go all the way to the final whistle. If Australia show the weakness they showed against Great Britain, throwing away a three goal lead, Germany will make them pay dearly.
Whoever wins the semi-finals, we can count on the final four games to deliver fast, skillful and exciting hockey as befits this Olympic tournament.
Group A
At first glance, this was never going to be a group where Australia would have expected to fail. For Great Britain, however, it was less clear. They haven't made an Olympic final since 1988 and there was massive pressure from the crowd and the hockey community to fix this at their home Olympics. Great Britains know Spain are never an easy team to beat and Pakistan came here as an unknown quantity. In the end, the two top ranked teams have gone through to the next stage so how did everyone do.
Australia opened their campaign with a 6-0 thrashing of South Africa. This game wasn't as completely one-sided as the score suggests but Australia were at their imperious best and looking to send a message to everyone in the group. In case that message went unheaded, it was followed by a 5-0 win over Spain. This one was not quite as fluid as the game against South Africe but it was clinical and controlled.
Then it all stalled. Argentina came out, determined not to be overawed and got a 2-2 draw. Australia looked a little flat during this game and seemed unprepared for the way Argentina fought for each ball. It got even worse in the match against Great Britiain. Australia were 3-0 up and looking like they were going to cruise into the semi-finals. What they didn't count on was Great Britain fighting back and being prepared to throw everything they had at Australia in order to get a 3-3 draw. At the end of that game, it could have easily been 4-3 to either side.
In the final game of the group, knowing that a win or a draw would be good enough for the semi-finals, Australia came up against Pakistan. This was not a make-weight match as a loss to Pakistan would have put them through to the semi-finals. Australia were in no mood to take chances. They ripped into a Pakistan side that looked like they were content to sit back and try and win on the break. Sadly, as the game progressed, Pakistan ceased competing and Australia strolled to a 7-0 win and a place in the semi-finals against Germany.
Unlike Australia, Great Britain made hard work of their qualification for the the semi-finals. A 4-1 win over Argentina was a great start but a stuttering 2-2 draw with South Africa left Great Britain with a lot of work to do.
In their next match against the misfiring Pakistan, Great Britain got their campaign back on track with a 4-1 win. The key to this victory was the speed of the Great Britain breaks and the continued pressure they placed on Pakistan who wilted as the game went on.
The draw against South Africa put a lot of pressure on Great Britain ahead of the game against Australia. The game started slowly for Great Britain and Australia were 3-0 ahead midway through the second half. But Jason Lee has built this side to be resilient and it was clear that they were determined not to go out with a wimper. Instead of accepting defeat, they tore into Australia and pulled the match back to 3-3 and in the last minutes, either side could have taken it 4-3.
With Pakistan hot on their heels, Great Britain knew the last match, against Spain, would be tough. It was not only tough but very nervy, although much of the pressure on Great Britain was self inflicted. Earlier in the day Great Britain had seen Pakistan beaten by Australia and knew that a win or draw here would be enough to send them through to face Netherlands. In the end, it was a 1-1 draw and that was enough, much to the relief of the Great Britain supporters and their coaching staff.
Only in the last round of matches did Spain get themselves into third position in this group but will be rueing their failure to beat Great Britain and the points they dropped elsewhere. It started badly for them with the broken arm to Santiago Freixa, although he seemed to shrug it off and carry on playing. That first match against Pakistan was tough for both sides but neither side took their chances to win it.
Against Australia, Spain was outclassed and never looked like getting anything. Although Spain won their next match 3-2 against South Africa, they really didn't look the fluid passing team we've seen over the last decade and in some respects, were lucky not to drop points. The match against Argentina was also difficult even though it was a 3-1 win and at this point Spain were still in with a chance to go to the semi-finals.
Sadly, they were unable to overcome a very nervy Great Britain and make it to the semi-finals. They did leap frog Pakistan in the table but only due to the rout handed to Pakistan by Australia.
Pakistan came here with high hopes and left under a cloud. An opening game against Spain resulted in a 1-1 draw and a good opportunity for the team to get to the speed of the pitch and competition. In beating Argentina 2-0 in the next match, Pakistan were beginning to look the real deal and a serious threat to Great Britain and Australia.
Against Great Britain, however, Pakistan were exposed by fast breaks and contined pressure in the 23m area. Great Britain pressured Pakistan and ran out comfortable winners 4-1. At this point, Pakistan could have been forgiven for settling for third in the group but they didn't. They bounced back with an unconvincing 5-4 win over South Africa which kept them in contention for a semi-final berth after Great Britain fought to a 3-3 draw with Australia.
The final group match game Pakistan hope that they could pull off a shock but that was until the game actually started. They shipped two early goals, but despite making some forays into the Australian end of the pitch, they just couldn't get their shots away. By the end of the first half, Australia were 4-0 ahead and in the second half, as the lead was extended to 5-0, Pakistan stopped competing. By the end of the match, it was a very sorry looking Pakistan who found themselves on the end of a 7-0 rout by a very dominant Australia.
Nobody really expected much of Argentina and South Africa, bar the chance of the odd upset against the more established sides. Sadly for Argentina it started badly with a 4-1 loss to Great Britain followed by a 2-0 loss to Pakistan. They then almost pulled off the shock all the Great Britain supporters were hoping for against Australia but eventually had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Against Spain they played well but the Spanish class told out and they lost 3-1. All they had left was pride to play for against South Africa and in a match that went from end to end, it all came down to who could actually score. Argentina won this 6-3 although it was only due to some strange goalkeeping by South Africa that made it look easy at the end.
South Africa has come a long way in the last decade. Look around London and other large European cities and you will see players from South Africa in many of the large clubs. In this tournament, however, they were sadly outclassed. The highlight of their competition was a 2-2 draw with Great Britain as they looked to inflict a shock defeat but they just couldn't find a way through for the win.
Semi-finals and beyond
With Australia and Great Britain now heading off to face Germany and Netherlands respectively we have the top four ranked teams in the world in the Olympic finals. In any sport, it is generally rare for the ranking system to work so well and there were scares for Great Britain and Germany as the tournament progressed.
Great Britain look to have a very tough task in taking on Netherlands but if there is one thing that Jason Lee has instilled in his team, it's belief. While it may have been lacking in a nervy last group game against Spain, this is winner takes all hockey with a home crowd. The expectation will be palpable around the stadium and Great Britain need to draw on that energy in the same way other gold medalists, such as Jessica Ennis, have already done.
Australia have no easy task in facing Germany although Germany have misfired so far this tournament. Both sides know what it is like to get to semi-finals in the major competitions and to lift trophies. This is a match that will go all the way to the final whistle. If Australia show the weakness they showed against Great Britain, throwing away a three goal lead, Germany will make them pay dearly.
Whoever wins the semi-finals, we can count on the final four games to deliver fast, skillful and exciting hockey as befits this Olympic tournament.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Olympic Hockey - Ladies Group B round-up
With the group stage now over and the battle for the medals about to start, it's time to take a look back on the two groups in the Ladies competition and see how things have turned out. You can find Group A here.
Group B
This group was rightly labelled the 'group of death' when it was announced and nothing that happened during the Olympics changed that. It was, without question, the more compelling group to watch with three countries expected to be fighting for the semi-final places. The two favourites, Australia and Germany both failed to make it out of the group and this will raise some eyebrows in the committee rooms of national hockey associations.
Argentina are ranked number two in the world, play a brand of fast but physical hockey but are a team that can sometimes be inconsistent. That inconsistency was shown last year when they were shocked by the USA in the hockey final at the Pan American games. Since that defeat, Argentina have won the Champions Trophy and been on a roll.
A 7-1 thrashing of South Africa signalled Argentina's intent to take no prisoners in winning this group. Unfortunately, two days later, their campaign was derailed when the USA repeated their Pan American Games result by causing the second major shock result of these games, the first being New Zealand beating Australia.
Argentina were then tentative in their next game against a very dangerous New Zealand but managed to run out 2-1 winners and then took on Germany for a 3-1 win. They finished their group campaign with a scoreless draw against Australia. This was a thrilling game with end to end action where Argentina knew that a draw or win would send them through to the semi-finals while a loss would send Australia through and leave Argentina in the 5th place playoff.
New Zealand are the big shock in this group. They finished second through some solid and creditable performances. They are currently ranked world number six and, to the surprise of many, are ahead of their much more famous Australian neighbours who are ranked seventh. The New Zealand campaign got off to a great start when in the first match of the Olympics they beat Australia 1-0 for the first time in an Olympic competition.
A 4-1 win against South Africa followed and although New Zealand then lost to Argentina 2-1, it was a very close game. This left New Zealand needing just a draw against Germany which they comfortably achieved. In fact, it looked for a while, as if they would get the win and top the group but it was not to be.
Australia were probably the side that most people expected to qualify for the semi-finals. Despite having slipped to a world ranking of seven, Australia are a side that everyone expects to deliver in big tournaments and they don't come any bigger than the Olympics. In the opening game, against New Zealand, Australia seemed unprepared for the consistency of their opponents attack and the ease by which they were able to get shots on goal. Yet right up until the final whistle, this game could have gone either way.
In their next games Australia bounced back with a 3-1 win over Germany, scrambled a 1-0 win over the USA who could so easily have won and then seemed to struggle in beating South Africa 1-0. However, they went into the last round of matches needing just a win over Argentina to still qualify for the semi-finals and at the top of the group. It didn't happen and a scoreless draw meant no medal in hockey for Australia.
Germany, along with Netherlands, have dominated European hockey for almost as long as I can remember. Yet at the end of the group stages they found themselves back in fourth place and looking pretty forlorn. Without a doubt, this is not the Germany we are used to seeing and their inability to score goals and dominate their opponents was a surprise.
Their campaign got off to a solid start with a 2-1 win over USA but they were then beaten 3-1 by Australia. In this game, Germany looked to be struggling but there was still time to pull it back together. A good 2-0 win over South Africa seemed to put them back on track but when Argentina beat them 3-1 in the penultimate group match, it was clear that it was all over for Germany.
In their last game against New Zealand, Germany did manage a scoreless draw and could have won. Unfortunately, they would have needed a big win in order to go through as their goal difference would not have allowed them to advance.
That brings us to South Africa and the USA. This was never going to be a group that either could expect to advance from and, in the end, it came as no surprise to see them at the bottom. But this was not about making up the numbers. Both teams had one outstanding win and in most of their other games, made their opponents work hard.
South Africa are ranked twelfth in the world and were determined to prove that they were better than that. Anyone following their performances pre the Olympics would have been expecting them to cause some upsets but it is one thing playing warm-up games and another competing on the big world stage. A 7-1 hammering by Argentina was hardly the best of platforms on which to build a campaign and it only got worse when New Zealand beat them 4-1.
In their defeats to Germany 2-0 and Australia 1-0, South Africa could have caused an upset. They had chances to grab a draw or even a win in both games but were unable to really take them. Their best performance, however, was reserved for a 7-0 demolition of the USA in a game where the USA were as poor as South Africa were dominant. There is a lot of potential in this South African side but they need a little more belief and experience on the international stage in order to achieve it.
The USA looked like they could be the dark horses of this group. Although they lost their first game 2-1 to Germany, they were not out muscled or, for periods, outmatched. They have brought a very aggressive style of play to hockey and provided it is tempered with skills and ability, is one that will cause many teams to take them seriously.
That aggression almost boiled over in their second game against Argentina. Having beaten them last year in the Pan American Games, the USA knew they had an opportunity and they wasted no time in taking it. They bumped Argentina off the ball, got in their faces, upset their rhythm and won the match. It was probably the biggest shock result of the group stages as everyone, bar the USA, expected Argentina to just cruise through.
After that, however, it all fell apart. They could have taken points off of Australia and even New Zealand but having fallen behind in both games, they lacked consistency and at time composure on the ball. That cost them badly. Yet when they went into their last game against South Africa, they were not bottom of the table and held a considerable goal difference over their opponents. Unfortunately, this was the game where the USA decided to collapse completely. South Africa monstered them, scoring 7 unanswered goals in as one sided a game as I've seen at international level.
Despite the money and effort that the USA has been putting into field hockey over the last decade, there is still a long way to go if they are to be considered a serious challenger for any major international honour outside of the Pan American Games.
Semi-finals and beyond
While they have topped the group, Argentina look vulnerable. Aymer is the world's best ladies player at the moment but she has failed to be player of the match in most of Argentina's games. The team and coaching staff will be hoping that now they are into the semi-finals, they can concentrate on unleashing their full range of skills which will be needed if they are to fight off Great Britain who will be looking to avenge their Champions Trophy loss.
New Zealand go into the semi-finals on a serious high but know that the Netherlands are a team that will take some beating. If they control the ball with the same degree of efficiency that gave them the win over Australia, they could cause a serious upset against Netherlands who have been far from their imperious best so far.
Group B
This group was rightly labelled the 'group of death' when it was announced and nothing that happened during the Olympics changed that. It was, without question, the more compelling group to watch with three countries expected to be fighting for the semi-final places. The two favourites, Australia and Germany both failed to make it out of the group and this will raise some eyebrows in the committee rooms of national hockey associations.
Argentina are ranked number two in the world, play a brand of fast but physical hockey but are a team that can sometimes be inconsistent. That inconsistency was shown last year when they were shocked by the USA in the hockey final at the Pan American games. Since that defeat, Argentina have won the Champions Trophy and been on a roll.
A 7-1 thrashing of South Africa signalled Argentina's intent to take no prisoners in winning this group. Unfortunately, two days later, their campaign was derailed when the USA repeated their Pan American Games result by causing the second major shock result of these games, the first being New Zealand beating Australia.
Argentina were then tentative in their next game against a very dangerous New Zealand but managed to run out 2-1 winners and then took on Germany for a 3-1 win. They finished their group campaign with a scoreless draw against Australia. This was a thrilling game with end to end action where Argentina knew that a draw or win would send them through to the semi-finals while a loss would send Australia through and leave Argentina in the 5th place playoff.
New Zealand are the big shock in this group. They finished second through some solid and creditable performances. They are currently ranked world number six and, to the surprise of many, are ahead of their much more famous Australian neighbours who are ranked seventh. The New Zealand campaign got off to a great start when in the first match of the Olympics they beat Australia 1-0 for the first time in an Olympic competition.
A 4-1 win against South Africa followed and although New Zealand then lost to Argentina 2-1, it was a very close game. This left New Zealand needing just a draw against Germany which they comfortably achieved. In fact, it looked for a while, as if they would get the win and top the group but it was not to be.
Australia were probably the side that most people expected to qualify for the semi-finals. Despite having slipped to a world ranking of seven, Australia are a side that everyone expects to deliver in big tournaments and they don't come any bigger than the Olympics. In the opening game, against New Zealand, Australia seemed unprepared for the consistency of their opponents attack and the ease by which they were able to get shots on goal. Yet right up until the final whistle, this game could have gone either way.
In their next games Australia bounced back with a 3-1 win over Germany, scrambled a 1-0 win over the USA who could so easily have won and then seemed to struggle in beating South Africa 1-0. However, they went into the last round of matches needing just a win over Argentina to still qualify for the semi-finals and at the top of the group. It didn't happen and a scoreless draw meant no medal in hockey for Australia.
Germany, along with Netherlands, have dominated European hockey for almost as long as I can remember. Yet at the end of the group stages they found themselves back in fourth place and looking pretty forlorn. Without a doubt, this is not the Germany we are used to seeing and their inability to score goals and dominate their opponents was a surprise.
Their campaign got off to a solid start with a 2-1 win over USA but they were then beaten 3-1 by Australia. In this game, Germany looked to be struggling but there was still time to pull it back together. A good 2-0 win over South Africa seemed to put them back on track but when Argentina beat them 3-1 in the penultimate group match, it was clear that it was all over for Germany.
In their last game against New Zealand, Germany did manage a scoreless draw and could have won. Unfortunately, they would have needed a big win in order to go through as their goal difference would not have allowed them to advance.
That brings us to South Africa and the USA. This was never going to be a group that either could expect to advance from and, in the end, it came as no surprise to see them at the bottom. But this was not about making up the numbers. Both teams had one outstanding win and in most of their other games, made their opponents work hard.
South Africa are ranked twelfth in the world and were determined to prove that they were better than that. Anyone following their performances pre the Olympics would have been expecting them to cause some upsets but it is one thing playing warm-up games and another competing on the big world stage. A 7-1 hammering by Argentina was hardly the best of platforms on which to build a campaign and it only got worse when New Zealand beat them 4-1.
In their defeats to Germany 2-0 and Australia 1-0, South Africa could have caused an upset. They had chances to grab a draw or even a win in both games but were unable to really take them. Their best performance, however, was reserved for a 7-0 demolition of the USA in a game where the USA were as poor as South Africa were dominant. There is a lot of potential in this South African side but they need a little more belief and experience on the international stage in order to achieve it.
The USA looked like they could be the dark horses of this group. Although they lost their first game 2-1 to Germany, they were not out muscled or, for periods, outmatched. They have brought a very aggressive style of play to hockey and provided it is tempered with skills and ability, is one that will cause many teams to take them seriously.
That aggression almost boiled over in their second game against Argentina. Having beaten them last year in the Pan American Games, the USA knew they had an opportunity and they wasted no time in taking it. They bumped Argentina off the ball, got in their faces, upset their rhythm and won the match. It was probably the biggest shock result of the group stages as everyone, bar the USA, expected Argentina to just cruise through.
After that, however, it all fell apart. They could have taken points off of Australia and even New Zealand but having fallen behind in both games, they lacked consistency and at time composure on the ball. That cost them badly. Yet when they went into their last game against South Africa, they were not bottom of the table and held a considerable goal difference over their opponents. Unfortunately, this was the game where the USA decided to collapse completely. South Africa monstered them, scoring 7 unanswered goals in as one sided a game as I've seen at international level.
Despite the money and effort that the USA has been putting into field hockey over the last decade, there is still a long way to go if they are to be considered a serious challenger for any major international honour outside of the Pan American Games.
Semi-finals and beyond
While they have topped the group, Argentina look vulnerable. Aymer is the world's best ladies player at the moment but she has failed to be player of the match in most of Argentina's games. The team and coaching staff will be hoping that now they are into the semi-finals, they can concentrate on unleashing their full range of skills which will be needed if they are to fight off Great Britain who will be looking to avenge their Champions Trophy loss.
New Zealand go into the semi-finals on a serious high but know that the Netherlands are a team that will take some beating. If they control the ball with the same degree of efficiency that gave them the win over Australia, they could cause a serious upset against Netherlands who have been far from their imperious best so far.
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