With Netherlands and Germany now qualified from this group, it's time to look back on how the group matches went. You can find the Group A round-up here.
Group B
Group B of the Men's Olympic Hockey was never going to be close. Netherlands and Germany were the favourites to ease out of this group with the only real question being, in what order? In the end, it turned out to be far too easy for both of them and while there were some interesting matches, it was all about who wanted to be there and who didn't.
In their opening match, the Netherlands found themselves up against India. This proved to be a fascinating match with both teams initially looking like they could win it. In the end, Netherlands ran out 3-2 winners and that defeat seemed to completely demoralise the India team. In the next game, Netherlands faced off against their close neighbours, Belgium. A 3-1 win but Belgium showed that they were not there to just make up the numbers. Netherlands had to work for this and at the end, it could be argued the scoreline was more than flattering to Netherlands.
New Zealand posed little challenge for Netherlands and the 5-1 scoreline could have been much worse for New Zealand. Netherlands were now hitting their stride and looking to send a message to their key rivals in this group, Germany, who they faced next.
Netherlands vs Germany was an easier game for Netherlands than expected. Germany have yet to really fire on all cylinders in this tournament and found it hard to score past Netherlands goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann, who is very fast for such a big man. The final result was 3-1 to the Netherlands and if Germany are to win this tournament, they have to do better when presented with chances.
In their final group game, Netherlands faced Korea who put up some resistance scoring two goals but the Netherlands were too fast, too strong and too clinical. This fifth win meant that Netherlands men join their Ladies side as the only teams to qualify for the semi-finals with a perfect record.
Germany had hoped to match the Netherlands during qualification but their overall performances looked just a little flat. The finishing was not as sharp as in previous tournaments and at times, they were just a little lucky to get the results they needed.
They opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over Belgium and a 1-0 win over Korea. Neither match was convincing but with no other big teams in their group, they were able to ride their luck and get away with their poor finishing. Against India, Germany finally started to look a table topping contender and although India have disappointed in this tournament, Germany's 5-2 win was comfortable.
Losing 3-1 to Netherlands in the next game was definately not part of the German plan and the team looked sluggish in attack and weak in defence. How much that match took out of Germany we don't know but when the faced New Zealand two days later in an end to end, fast and furious match, they were pulled about all over the pitch. It's fair to say that no-one, including the New Zealand team, would have expected it to end 5-5 and this is far from an ideal semi-final preparation for Germany.
Belgium are one of those mid ranked nations that are very capable of causing an upset. Against both Germany and Netherlands they had the chance to do just that but were unable to take their chances and steal the points. Instead they were beaten 2-1 and 3-1 respectively.
The matches against Korea and New Zealand were much more balanced. These three teams were fairly evenly matched throughout this tournament and Belgium won a hard fought 2-1 victory over Korea and were then held to a 1-1 draw by New Zealand. In their final match against India, Belgium were able to freely pass the ball around, build attacks and take their time. India had, by this time, capitulated.
Korea has done well to climb to world rankings over the last few years and its performances here were creditable although not spectacular. A 2-0 opening win against New Zealand in the first game of the tournament was just what they needed to give them the confidence to take the game to Germany in their next match. They might have lost that game 1-0 but they spurned their chances and that cost them the upset.
A narrow loss 2-1 to Belgium was followed by a comprehensive 4-1 win over India. In their final game they lost to a strong and clinical Netherlands although their two goals against the world ranked number one team, will give them some belief that they can do better in their next tournament.
New Zealand were looking to both improve on past performance at major tournaments and match their ladies team. In the end, they achieved neither although had the mid table battle with Korea and Belgium gone in their favour, they could have put Germany under pressure for second in the group.
A 2-0 loss to Belgium was followed by a 3-1 win over India. If this gave them hope, losing 5-1 to a dominant Netherlands and then drawing 1-1 with Belgium probably extinguished it. But the Olympics is about fighting for every point. Their last match was a 5-5 draw against Germany and as exciting as it was to watch it was all too little, too late.
And that brings us finally to India. This was a nightmare for them. They finished without a single point, the only team in both the Men's and Ladies competition to do so. With the exception of their opening game against Netherlands, there wasn't any point at which India looked likely to cause an upset or even take points of the rest of the group. This is a sad indictment of the state of Indian hockey at the moment and unless something is done quickly and decisively to reverse this sitation, this may be the last we see of India outside of the Commonwealth Games and the Asia Cup.
Semi-finals and beyond
Netherlands look like they are hitting their best form at just the right time although having watched them for several decades, there never seems to be a wrong time for them in major tournaments. Their next opponents are Great Britain and on paper this looks like an easy match to call. Great Britain have struggled in a couple of their games but these two sides know each other very well.
The key will be the crowd. If Great Britain can hook into that Olympic spirit and use it to keep themselves running for the whole 70 minutes, this game could just go either way. Both sides have great proponents of the drag flick at penalty corners and goalkeepers who, on their day, can lift their teams. Ultimately, this will be about a battle in the middle of the pitch and the Netherlands might just have the edge.
The other semi-final will see a misfiring Germany face a strong and dominant Australia who have been scoring at will throughout this tournament. Both sides have weaknesses but Germany have been the more hesitant and facing a side that has scored 23 goals, they may just have to settle for the bronze medal match.
Showing posts with label Korea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Korea. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Olympic Hockey - Ladies Group A 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 B here.
Group A
On paper, this always looked the easiest group to qualify from with Netherlands and Great Britain the pre tournament favourites to get through to the semi-finals. As it turned out, however, it wasn't quite as easy as it might have been.
In the last major tournament before this Olympics, the Argentina FIH Champions Trophy, England had finished runners-up to hosts Argentina. They were in the same group as Netherlands, China and Japan and had drawn with Netherlands in the group stages. England are ranked fourth in the world and while they compete under the Great Britain banner in the Olympics, this has made little difference to selection.
Despite being held to a draw by England in Argentina and finishing third in the Champions Trophy, Netherlands are still ranked number 1 in the world. They would have come into this group expecting to emerge victorious. Drawing on their experience in Argentina, Great Britain would still have hoped to beat Netherlands in order to get, hopefully, an easier draw in the semi-finals, but at this level, there is no such thing as an easy game in the latter stages of a tournament.
As it turned out, Netherlands went through the group without a single dropped point. Starting with a 3-0 victory in their first game against Belgium, the Netherlands proceeded to do just enough in their other games to win and collect the points. None of their games seemed particularly easy and apart from that first game the winning margin was never more than a single goal and they failed to keep a clean sheet.
Unlike previous great Netherlands sides, this one seems to lack a charismatic leader and go-to player. Too often they broke down in the D when through on goal and their conversion rate for penalty corners was awful. Defensively, when under real pressure, they were able to scramble the ball away but the fact that they failed to record just a single convincing win suggests that they lack confidence.
Great Britain, by comparison, made qualification hard for themselves. They initially started very strongly against Japan with a 4-0 win but key injuries, not least to the talismanic Kate Walsh (broken jaw), cause significant concern. The impact of Walsh on the team should not be underestimated. Despite having surgery to insert a metal plate, Walsh was back in the tournament a few days later and leading from the front.
Further wins against Korea 5-3 and Belgium 3-0 meant that with two games left, GB were leading the table and barring any disaster, were on course for a semi-final. That disaster, however, soon appeared. In a lacklustre game, GB went down 2-1 against China, throwing the whole semi-final into question. Despite this, they still went into their last game against Netherlands, knowing that a win would leave them topping the group on goal difference. It was not to be but even with a 2-1 loss, GB still managed to qualify for the semi-finals.
But what about the other four nations in this group - China, Korea, Japan and Belgium?
China are not a hockey nation anyone should take lightly. They finished bottom of the last FIH Champions Trophy in Argentia but are ranked fifth in the world based on ability. They comprehensively beat Korea 4-0 and beat GB 2-1 but these were the highlights of their campaign.
A scoreless draw with Belgium and 1-0 losses to both Japan and Netherlands, meant that eventually, they just were not good enough to challenge for a semi-final place. While this tournament may not have turned out as China wanted, they are improving steadily and it is only a matter of time before they find themselves in the semi-finals of a major event at the expense of one or more of the big nations ranked above them.
Korea are ranked eight in the world and got to these Olympics after some hard work and having done well over the last decade. Wins against Belgium 3-1 and Japan 1-0 meant that Korea finshed in a very credible fourth place in Group A. It could, however, have been much better. In their game against Netherlands, they might have lost 3-2 but it could so easily have been a draw or even a win and they were the only team to score 3 goals against GB.
Japan, while ninth in the world, lack the power and skill to qualify for the semi-finals of a major tournament like this. They are a very good side to watch and move the ball quickly and efficiently but to be a top ranked competitor, you also need to score goals. Japan managed just four goals in five games although two of those came against the Netherlands in a game that many thought they might have drawn.
Belgium, sadly, looked completely out of their class in these Olympics and that was a surprise. Before the tournament, I expected them to be able to finish fourth in this group, not last. They have some great club sides and some of their players regularly compete with and against, the best ladies players in Europe. Where they go from here is difficult to say. The skills are there but the fitness levels, tactical awareness and ability of the coaching staff to extract the right performances are lacking.
Semi-finals and beyond
Netherlands will play New Zealand and Great Britain will play Argentina in the semi-finals. Both teams have great chances of progressing and making the final although the Netherlands will be more confident than Great Britain.
That said, Netherlands will need to play with a higher energy level and be much more clinical around the goal than they have been so far in this competition. If they fail to take all the chances that come their way, New Zealand have the players and ability to beat them and cause yet another major upset at these Olympics.
GB has a much tought task. It needs to overcome a team that is capable of winning major tournaments, is ranked second in the world and is the reigning Champions Trophy holders. If Walsh and Cullen are on fire for GB, then they have every chance of winning that match and making the final. What they cannot afford to do, is play like they did against China. That game has to be set aside as a complete aberation and I have no doubt that the GB management will have done their bit to ensure no repeat of that lacklustre performance.
Group A
On paper, this always looked the easiest group to qualify from with Netherlands and Great Britain the pre tournament favourites to get through to the semi-finals. As it turned out, however, it wasn't quite as easy as it might have been.
In the last major tournament before this Olympics, the Argentina FIH Champions Trophy, England had finished runners-up to hosts Argentina. They were in the same group as Netherlands, China and Japan and had drawn with Netherlands in the group stages. England are ranked fourth in the world and while they compete under the Great Britain banner in the Olympics, this has made little difference to selection.
Despite being held to a draw by England in Argentina and finishing third in the Champions Trophy, Netherlands are still ranked number 1 in the world. They would have come into this group expecting to emerge victorious. Drawing on their experience in Argentina, Great Britain would still have hoped to beat Netherlands in order to get, hopefully, an easier draw in the semi-finals, but at this level, there is no such thing as an easy game in the latter stages of a tournament.
As it turned out, Netherlands went through the group without a single dropped point. Starting with a 3-0 victory in their first game against Belgium, the Netherlands proceeded to do just enough in their other games to win and collect the points. None of their games seemed particularly easy and apart from that first game the winning margin was never more than a single goal and they failed to keep a clean sheet.
Unlike previous great Netherlands sides, this one seems to lack a charismatic leader and go-to player. Too often they broke down in the D when through on goal and their conversion rate for penalty corners was awful. Defensively, when under real pressure, they were able to scramble the ball away but the fact that they failed to record just a single convincing win suggests that they lack confidence.
Great Britain, by comparison, made qualification hard for themselves. They initially started very strongly against Japan with a 4-0 win but key injuries, not least to the talismanic Kate Walsh (broken jaw), cause significant concern. The impact of Walsh on the team should not be underestimated. Despite having surgery to insert a metal plate, Walsh was back in the tournament a few days later and leading from the front.
Further wins against Korea 5-3 and Belgium 3-0 meant that with two games left, GB were leading the table and barring any disaster, were on course for a semi-final. That disaster, however, soon appeared. In a lacklustre game, GB went down 2-1 against China, throwing the whole semi-final into question. Despite this, they still went into their last game against Netherlands, knowing that a win would leave them topping the group on goal difference. It was not to be but even with a 2-1 loss, GB still managed to qualify for the semi-finals.
But what about the other four nations in this group - China, Korea, Japan and Belgium?
China are not a hockey nation anyone should take lightly. They finished bottom of the last FIH Champions Trophy in Argentia but are ranked fifth in the world based on ability. They comprehensively beat Korea 4-0 and beat GB 2-1 but these were the highlights of their campaign.
A scoreless draw with Belgium and 1-0 losses to both Japan and Netherlands, meant that eventually, they just were not good enough to challenge for a semi-final place. While this tournament may not have turned out as China wanted, they are improving steadily and it is only a matter of time before they find themselves in the semi-finals of a major event at the expense of one or more of the big nations ranked above them.
Korea are ranked eight in the world and got to these Olympics after some hard work and having done well over the last decade. Wins against Belgium 3-1 and Japan 1-0 meant that Korea finshed in a very credible fourth place in Group A. It could, however, have been much better. In their game against Netherlands, they might have lost 3-2 but it could so easily have been a draw or even a win and they were the only team to score 3 goals against GB.
Japan, while ninth in the world, lack the power and skill to qualify for the semi-finals of a major tournament like this. They are a very good side to watch and move the ball quickly and efficiently but to be a top ranked competitor, you also need to score goals. Japan managed just four goals in five games although two of those came against the Netherlands in a game that many thought they might have drawn.
Belgium, sadly, looked completely out of their class in these Olympics and that was a surprise. Before the tournament, I expected them to be able to finish fourth in this group, not last. They have some great club sides and some of their players regularly compete with and against, the best ladies players in Europe. Where they go from here is difficult to say. The skills are there but the fitness levels, tactical awareness and ability of the coaching staff to extract the right performances are lacking.
Semi-finals and beyond
Netherlands will play New Zealand and Great Britain will play Argentina in the semi-finals. Both teams have great chances of progressing and making the final although the Netherlands will be more confident than Great Britain.
That said, Netherlands will need to play with a higher energy level and be much more clinical around the goal than they have been so far in this competition. If they fail to take all the chances that come their way, New Zealand have the players and ability to beat them and cause yet another major upset at these Olympics.
GB has a much tought task. It needs to overcome a team that is capable of winning major tournaments, is ranked second in the world and is the reigning Champions Trophy holders. If Walsh and Cullen are on fire for GB, then they have every chance of winning that match and making the final. What they cannot afford to do, is play like they did against China. That game has to be set aside as a complete aberation and I have no doubt that the GB management will have done their bit to ensure no repeat of that lacklustre performance.
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