Great Britain and New Zealand face off the bronze medal with both knowing that only a medal will be jsut reward for a good campaign.
In the semi finals, Great Britain were well beaten by Argentina while New Zealand were unlucky to lose in the shoot out to Netherlands. How much those matches and losses will have taken out of these two teams is hard to guess but they will both have put the losses behind them and be ready for this game.
Both of the goalkeepers, Storry and Russell have played out of their skins in this tournament and both had two clean sheets in the group phase. Overall, Russell has probably had the better tournament but there is little between them.
Defences have generally performed well and while Great Britain have given away more chances, due mainly to the disruption caused by injuries in their first game.
In the midfield, the battle will be tight with New Zealand playing five across the middle compared to Great Britain's four. Both sides are starting with two players up front but it will be penalty corners that will make the difference. Here Great Britain has the edge with Cullen one of the most prolific scorers in recent years.
Great Britain will be relying on the talismanic Walsh who will again captain this game despite her jaw injury. They will also be looking for big games from Richardson, Danson and Cullen. New Zealand will be hoping Glynn brings her A game and will be hoping that Sharland, Punt and Flynn play as well as they did against Netherlands.
The weather will have an impact. It is very hot out there and both teams will have to use their substitutions effectively.
First Half
New Zealand have first use of the ball but send a long ball off the back of the pitch. Great Britain go on the charge and had a real chance in the D but the bgall wouldn't go to stick. Another Great Britain attack but they can't get past the New Zealand defence.
New Zealand can now work the ball away but only as far as the half way line but they soon get it back. The first aerial ball comes from New Zealand but is easily cut out.
Danson has another attack but again loses out to a great tackle on the edge of the D. Great Britain waste another attack with a long ball off the side.
Danson moving from wing to wing and that is giving her a lot more room. New Zealand seem unable to contain her in the same way Argentina did and that should create more chance for Great Britain.
NEw Zealand find the Great Britain D but the ball is calmly intercepted and cleared. Great Britain can now come again through Walsh and Twigg. The ball is in the New Zealand D but there is no Great Britain player near enough to make anything of it. White and Cooper have a collision in the 23m and the New Zealand player comes off the worst.
Great Britain winning many of the midfield battles but New Zealand are making the key tackles at the back.
With nine minutes gone, Great Britain have started the more positively.
Some basic skill errors there, you need to stop the ball before you can use it. Walsh is very calm at the back and makes an easy interception as New Zealand look to break.
New Zealand come forward again and Great Britain have some defending to do here. The ball break for Forgesson but is wide of Storry's post.
Against Argentina, Great Britain were guilty of panic and trying the long ball rather than build up play. Today, they are making the short passes, coming back to collect the ball and this is giving them more control over this game.
Long ball forward is collected by Danson but Eshuis makes a great tackle. Great Britain hit outside the D but the ball comes all the way back to the halfway before being hit into Rogers who is well marked. New Zealand can clear and begin to build an attack but Bartlett intercepts and forward come Great Britain again. The ball into the D, however, is poor but some persistent work and great dribbling by Macleod in the D forces Russel into a desperate kick which results in a penalty corner for Great Britain.
Cullen shoots, off Russell and just past the prone Macleod who cannot make the rebound. Away come New Zealand but the long ball is deflected for a corner by Great Britain. Free hit on the edge of the D is taken by Cooper and her hit into the D is cleared by Storry.
Another ball in and this time Storry puts it off the back. Punt trying to get this ball in for New Zealand and she wins a free hit. New Zealand move the ball across the field but Walton intercepts and then loses it again.
Great Britain now have the ball on the sideline and win a free hit but the Richardson can't prevent the ball going off the back line.
Great ball into the D from New Zealand but Great Britain get it away and have their own chance at the far end. New Zealand clear the ball and Danson is brought down by Cooper for the penalty corner.
Cullen fired that in like a rocket but a fantastic dive by Russell and she gets her stick on the ball to deny Great Britain. Some great defending by New Zealand to prevent Great Britain getting another chance on goal and New Zealand can bring the ball away but it comes up off a New Zealand stick and Great Britain make three changes.
Sharland is beginning to assert herself in the middle and New Zealand are beginning to win more of the ball. The final balls into the D, however, are still not going to a New Zealand stick and Great Britain are able to clear easily and put the ball long.
As another Great Britain attack breaks down, Macleod is down having taken a knock. She is soon back on her feet and stays on the pitch. New Zealand are now beginning to win many of the 50/50 balls in the middle and that has to be a concern for Great Britain.
Crowd are starting to get behind the home team who respond with a move down the right. It soon breaks down and New Zealand are in the 23m and win a long corner. New Zealand force away and the long ball from Eshuis goes harmlessly into the Great Britain goal. There were two attackers who just couldn't get a stick to that ball.
Poor clearance from Great Britain, a chance for New Zealand and who else to stop them but Walsh. The more Walsh can exude confidence, the more the rest of the team can feed off of it.
New Zealand bring the ball away from their D and into the Great Britain 23m but it comes off of Flynn's foot and Great Britain get some relief. 30 minutes gone and despite the lack of goals, there have been chances and the game has been exciting.
Walsh gives the ball away but there is some great recovery running from Great Britain and Cullen puts in a timely tackle. Neither side will want to concede in this last three minutes.
Great Britain attack, Walton to Rogers but the ball in to the D is poor. Richardson gets it back for Great Britain but this time the ball is too close to Russell who gets it away. A quick break for New Zealand and with one minute left in the half, New Zealand win a penalty corner.
Clock is still running so this is going to be the last action of this half. New Zealand try the deflected ball. Ball fired in by Eshuis but Harrison cannot get the deflection on goal
Second Half
Great Britain on the attack right from the whistle but New Zealand are the first to get a chance. The ball into the D comes off Glynn and through the legs of Storry and hits the post. A diving Storry gets the ball clear. That was the closest we have come so far to a goal.
Great Britain break through Richardson and White but the ball is soon recovered by New Zealand. That last attempt will boost New Zealand while Great Britain need to be careful not to go into their shell.
Long corner New Zealand but Great Britain push them back to the halfway line. New Zealand the quicker to get the ball now but Great Britain are on the attack. A poor long ball is cut out and while Great Britain get it back, they make a mess of it.
New Zealand are really pressuring the Great Britain defence and chances are starting to appear. That time the ball is knocked away but New Zealand come again. A bit of end to end play with neither side making the most of the ball.
New Zealand are pressing the Great Britain defence when they try and move the ball around the back. This is resulting in some long speculative passes that are just not going anywhere.
Twigg takes a big hit on the foot by a ball from Forgesson. That will sting.
Long ball gets through to Danson who drives into the D. The defence converge upon her but she just cannot get the ball back to Richardson but Great Britain get second prize, a penalty corner.
Great strike from Walsh, Danson gets the deflection and it's a GOAL!
Great Britain 1 New Zealand 0
New Zealand right back at Great Britain but cannot get a shot off. 24 minutes left in this game and there will be more goals at this rate.
Macleod wins the ball on the edge of the New Zealand D but it is cleared by Russell. The next ball in is too close to Russell who makes a much better clearance this time. Great Britain again unable to convert pressure in the D due to great defending by New Zealand.
A New Zealand drive into the Great Britain D is iniitally called for a penalty corner but Walsh asked for a video review for dangerous play. Ball came up off of Michelson's stick but was on goal, leaving Walsh to get her hand to it to prevent another ball in the face. Team referral overturned and the penalty corner stands.
Strike stopped by Great Britain who had a three on one but fast recovering New Zealand defenders get it away and we stay at 1-0.
The speed of this game shows no sign of slowing. Players from both sides are now having to roll on and off more frequently. Sharland fires the ball wastefully into the D and it goes off the back.
Great Britain attack with Rogers. Feeds the ball to Bartlett who can't get the ball to the players on the far post but she does win another penalty corner. A real mess by Great Britain at the top of the D allows New Zealand to bring the ball away. The missed tackle count for both sides is rising and too many balls are going to the opposition stick. The short passing game of the first half is being slowly replaced by long, hopeful, balls to no-one in particular.
Good attack by New Zealand but they are beginning to snatch at the ball when inside the D. A little more composure from New Zealand could well see the equaliser. It is far too early for panic.
Danson in the D plays the ball to Twigg. Russell out quickly and closing it down but the ball hits a New Zealand foot and its a penalty corner. Drag flick from Cullen and that's the second goal for Great Britain giving them some measure of control over this game.
Great Britain 2 New Zealand 0
New Zealand try hard to strike back immediately but Great Britain defend well and are now back on the attack. That ball into the D could have gone anywhere. Instead New Zealand get it away and start an attack of their own through Sharland. The aerial ball is cut out by Cullen who wins a free hit.
Great Britain have nine minutes to hold on to a 2-0 lead.
Wasted ball into the D from Sharland. Nobody was going to get on the end of that and it relieves the pressure New Zealand were trying to create. Great Britain charge up the pitch, Macleod drives into the D and it's another penalty corner through poor defending from Eshuis.
Walsh hits the ball wide of the post and Thomas is there with the stick on the ground for the deflection. Classic, text book deflection. Record it and teach it to your junior players.
Great Britain 3 New Zealand 0
Under seven minutes left in this match and it would take a complete collapse by Great Britain to let New Zealand in. White drives the ball down the base line but Danson just cannot deflect it in for a fourth goal.
Danson dances down the left sideline and goes through several New Zealand players, eventually winning the free hit. Great Britain not letting up at all. Any thoughts of defending this lead have been forgotten. Great Britain want more goals and so do the crowd.
New Zealand have a chance to get a goal back. Excellent drive into the D by Michelsen and its a penalty corner for New Zealand. The ball is fired low and to the right of Storry by Eshuis and Michelsen gets the final touch to deflect it into the goal.
Great Britain 3 New Zealand 1
Under two minutes and New Zealand come again but this time Great Britain bring the ballaway down the right with Danson. Ball turned over and Punt tries a quick shot from the top of the D but it is a long way over the bar.
Great Britain have the ball with 30 seconds remaining and will use all the time that they can.
Final whistle
Great Britain 3 New Zealand 1
Bronze for Great Britain
Conclusion
That was a busy first half from both teams. Great Britain came out meaning business and took the game to New Zealand. Good pressure from the midfield resulted in attacks on the New Zealand goal. Russell looked tentative at the beginning of this match but was still able to clear the ball and prevent Great Britain taking the lead.
About 20 minutes in, the game started to change. New Zealand were beginning to win more ball in the middle of the pitch but their final ball into the D has been poor. Right at the end of the half, Harrison should have stolen a goal for New Zealand when she was unmarked from the penalty corner but just couldn't deflect the ball into the net.
Both sides came out for the second half looking to take an early lead. New Zealand should have taken the lead but Glynn was unlucky to see the ball come back off of the post. It was Great Britain who were broke the deadlock from a penalty corner. The ball was struck in by Walsh and it was a diving Danson who deflected it past Russell in the New Zealand goal.
New Zealand were determined not to give up and first Michelsen and then Eshuis were denied before Russell made a good save to deny Walton. By now, Great Britain were beginning to turn the screw and had a penalty corner but failed to use it. Harrison then had a chance to equalise but the shot was blocked and within two minutes, Great Britain had another penalty corner and Cullen buried it in the corner.
Now New Zealand were chasing the game and that game Great Britain space to get the ball up the field and four minutes later it was 3-0 when Walsh fired the ball in from a penalty corner and Thomas got the deflection.
It looked like Great Britain could get more. Danson had a great chance but couldn't control the deflection. By now New Zealand were running out of time and although Michelsen scored a late consolation goal from a penalty corner, it was Great Britain who finished the game with the bronze medal.
This was a fast and hard game with both sides showing enterprise but in the end, it was Great Britain who took their chances from penalty corners who won
Showing posts with label New Zealand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Zealand. Show all posts
Friday, August 10, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Netherlands vs New Zealand, Olympics 2012 Hockey Semi-final
Coming into this game Netherlands were unbeaten in their group matches while New Zealand had come through the extremely hard group B in second place. Netherlands were clear favourites before the game started but there were some significant questions over their attack.
First half
Right from the start of this game we saw end to end hockey. Both sides had decided that this was not a match where they should be sitting back letting the other attack first, so they went out with one aim, score!
Both goalkeepers, Sombroek and Russell, were involved in early action making great saves from open field play. At the same time, both defences were having to work hard to contain the opposing forwards.
In the end, it was New Zealand who struck first with a goal from a penalty corner. The ball was pushed out, hit slightly wide of the post and deflected in. 1-0 New Zealand. The response was immediate as Netherlands piled forward looking for a quick response. But as fast as they went forward, they left gaps for New Zealand to exploit and had to chase back and defend.
With neither side able to get past some excellent defensive tackling and good goalkeeping, it looked like New Zealand would go into the half-time break with their lead intact. Netherlands are not a team that is easily beaten and they would have been aware of the psychological advantage that a half time lead would give their opponents. Time and again they attacked the New Zealand goal but each time they were thwarted and found themselves chasing back hard to stop any chance of a breakaway goal.
New Zealand had a great opportunity for a second goal towards the end of the first half but the penalty corner strike was poor. This gave Netherlands a chance to push forward and win their own penalty corner. Surprisingly for a Netherlands side, penalty corners have not yielded the number of goals at these Olympics that we have come to expect from them. There was no mistake this time as Paumen hammered the ball home and the game went into half-time all tied at 1-1.
The first half was probably just shaded by New Zealand in terms of possession and creativity but they were unable to properly exploit that and take a solid lead into the half-time break. Having fought back into this match, Netherlands would have wanted to start dominating play in the second half.
Second Half
The second half opened with the same flowing, end-to-end hockey that we'd seen in the first half. Both sides had the chance to score from open play but neither was able to put the ball away and Netherlands were the first to win a penalty corner but Paumen wasted it high over the bar. New Zealand poured forward looking for their own penalty corner but Netherlands were ready for them.
For a while, we had stalemate in the middle of the field with both sides losing the ball a little too easily. Balls didn't go to sticks, tackles were missed and the game looked like it could get messy. However, a quick Netherlands attack lead to a shot from the top of the D drew a good clearance kick from Russell.
In the ensuing melee, as Netherlands looked for another shot, Glynn came in from the wrong side and took a real crack on the top of the head. For those who saw the match on TV, it really was a hard hit but these are hockey players, not footballers and there was no pushing, shoving, mobbing the umpire or demanding a player sent off. Play was stopped for a while as Glynn was treated and the pitch was cleaned to remove the blood spill.
When the game got underway again, New Zealand found it hard to get into the Netherlands end of the pitch. The Netherlands, in turn, were getting into the New Zealand D reasonably easily but just couldn't get the ball to a stick in order to get a shot away. A quick New Zealand break and Forgesson who had just come on was unmarked in the Netherlands D. Shot was on target and the ball is in the back of the net. Good work from New Zealand, good strike from Forgesson but awful goalkeeping from Sombroek who got just about everything wrong. 2-1 New Zealand.
As the match restarted, there was some aggressive recovery tackling from Netherlands which was just on the right side of legal. This seemed to unsettle one or two of the New Zealand players. After driving into the New Zealand D, Netherlands got a penalty corner courtesy of the video referral. A fantastic, unstoppable drag flick from Paumen resulted in an absolute peach of a goal. High, right in the top corner and beyond the reach of Russell. Match tied at 2-2.
Within a minute, New Zealand got a penalty corner at the other end but were unable to convert it. Back came Netherlands and immediately won another penalty corner. This time, instead of the drag flick they tried to be a little too elaborate and Paumen made a complete mess of it.
Going into the last 10 minutes, this game was well poised although New Zealand were turning the ball over just a little too easily. Netherlands, by comparison, were so focused on going forward that they were beginning to miss tackles at the back. Anything could happen and Glynn, having been stitched up, returned to the pitch.
As both sides struggled for the winner in normal time, gaps started to appear. Netherlands had a real opportunity when New Zealand failed to pick up the striker but the ball went wide. Taking the ball up the other end, New Zealand failed to win a penalty corner, after a long delay for a video referral but it wasn't long before they did win a penalty corner with just over four minutes left.
The first shot was not only just too high but well saved by Sombroek. Netherlands drove the ball back up field and should have had a penalty corner but a miscommunication between the umpires denied them. With just a minute to go, Netherlands should have scored the winner but twice, in the last minute, they failed to convert their chances, allowing New Zealand to see out the clock and take the match to extra time.
The second half in this game was much more hotly contested than the first with chances galore for both sides. Only a combination of poor finishing and some good goalkeeping took this match to golden goal extra time.
Extra Time
Netherlands were the first to attack in search of the golden goal but New Zealand got the ball clear. With both sides feeling the pressure, it was no surprise that there were a lot of missed tackles and speculative long passes. With just a minute left of the first period, New Zealand drove the entire length of the field but were unable to get a goal.
Right at the start of the second period of extra time New Zealand had a great opportunity but the ball refused to go to a stick. Flynn was then shown a yellow card meaning she would be off until the last minute. The question now was, could the Netherlands take advantage of the extra player advantage? They immediately drove into the New Zealand D and won a penalty corner.
Throughout this competition, Paumen has had real problems getting the ball on target and this time she missed the goal to her left. A player down, New Zealand had to take a chance and go on the attack but that meant leaving space at the back for Netherlands to exploit. Although New Zealand had several chances to get the golden goal, they just couldn't find a way through a strong Netherlands defence.
With less than a minute to play and both sides back to full strength, it was Netherlands on the attack and New Zealand clinging on. The whistle blew and that was it. No golden goal and it was time for the shoot out.
Shoot Out
Netherlands won the toss and elected to go first.
Van As went at the keeper, moved to her left and Russell followed her. A quick reverse of the stick and Van As was round Russel. 1-0
Next up was Sharland for New Zealand. Trying the direct approch she went straight at Sombroek who cleared the ball off of her pads. 1-0
Paumen tried to get around Russell who made a great save. 1-0
Michelsen pulled Sombroek to the side, darted back and slipped the ball just inside the post 1-1
De Goede decided that the direct approach was best. Picked up the ball, drove to the top of the D and unleashed a fearsome strike that beat Russell. 2-1
Flynn now had a chance to equalise but went too close to Sombroek making it easy for the keeper to save. 2-1
Van Geffen looked like she was going to emulate De Goede but Russell was off her line like a whippet and cleared the ball. 2-1
Punt tried to pull Sombroek wide but went too wide allowing the keeper to close down the angle and make an easy save 2-1.
With just one player from each team to go it was down to Hoog to win it for Netherlands. In she came, faked to shoot, down went Russell and Hoog took her time to put the ball in the back of the net. 3-1 Netherlands and they advance to the final, leaving New Zealand to play for bronze.
This shootout format is definately much better than penalty strokes and gives the GK more chance while making it more entertaining for the spectators.
If you want all the stats from the game you can find them here
First half
Right from the start of this game we saw end to end hockey. Both sides had decided that this was not a match where they should be sitting back letting the other attack first, so they went out with one aim, score!
Both goalkeepers, Sombroek and Russell, were involved in early action making great saves from open field play. At the same time, both defences were having to work hard to contain the opposing forwards.
In the end, it was New Zealand who struck first with a goal from a penalty corner. The ball was pushed out, hit slightly wide of the post and deflected in. 1-0 New Zealand. The response was immediate as Netherlands piled forward looking for a quick response. But as fast as they went forward, they left gaps for New Zealand to exploit and had to chase back and defend.
With neither side able to get past some excellent defensive tackling and good goalkeeping, it looked like New Zealand would go into the half-time break with their lead intact. Netherlands are not a team that is easily beaten and they would have been aware of the psychological advantage that a half time lead would give their opponents. Time and again they attacked the New Zealand goal but each time they were thwarted and found themselves chasing back hard to stop any chance of a breakaway goal.
New Zealand had a great opportunity for a second goal towards the end of the first half but the penalty corner strike was poor. This gave Netherlands a chance to push forward and win their own penalty corner. Surprisingly for a Netherlands side, penalty corners have not yielded the number of goals at these Olympics that we have come to expect from them. There was no mistake this time as Paumen hammered the ball home and the game went into half-time all tied at 1-1.
The first half was probably just shaded by New Zealand in terms of possession and creativity but they were unable to properly exploit that and take a solid lead into the half-time break. Having fought back into this match, Netherlands would have wanted to start dominating play in the second half.
Second Half
The second half opened with the same flowing, end-to-end hockey that we'd seen in the first half. Both sides had the chance to score from open play but neither was able to put the ball away and Netherlands were the first to win a penalty corner but Paumen wasted it high over the bar. New Zealand poured forward looking for their own penalty corner but Netherlands were ready for them.
For a while, we had stalemate in the middle of the field with both sides losing the ball a little too easily. Balls didn't go to sticks, tackles were missed and the game looked like it could get messy. However, a quick Netherlands attack lead to a shot from the top of the D drew a good clearance kick from Russell.
In the ensuing melee, as Netherlands looked for another shot, Glynn came in from the wrong side and took a real crack on the top of the head. For those who saw the match on TV, it really was a hard hit but these are hockey players, not footballers and there was no pushing, shoving, mobbing the umpire or demanding a player sent off. Play was stopped for a while as Glynn was treated and the pitch was cleaned to remove the blood spill.
When the game got underway again, New Zealand found it hard to get into the Netherlands end of the pitch. The Netherlands, in turn, were getting into the New Zealand D reasonably easily but just couldn't get the ball to a stick in order to get a shot away. A quick New Zealand break and Forgesson who had just come on was unmarked in the Netherlands D. Shot was on target and the ball is in the back of the net. Good work from New Zealand, good strike from Forgesson but awful goalkeeping from Sombroek who got just about everything wrong. 2-1 New Zealand.
As the match restarted, there was some aggressive recovery tackling from Netherlands which was just on the right side of legal. This seemed to unsettle one or two of the New Zealand players. After driving into the New Zealand D, Netherlands got a penalty corner courtesy of the video referral. A fantastic, unstoppable drag flick from Paumen resulted in an absolute peach of a goal. High, right in the top corner and beyond the reach of Russell. Match tied at 2-2.
Within a minute, New Zealand got a penalty corner at the other end but were unable to convert it. Back came Netherlands and immediately won another penalty corner. This time, instead of the drag flick they tried to be a little too elaborate and Paumen made a complete mess of it.
Going into the last 10 minutes, this game was well poised although New Zealand were turning the ball over just a little too easily. Netherlands, by comparison, were so focused on going forward that they were beginning to miss tackles at the back. Anything could happen and Glynn, having been stitched up, returned to the pitch.
As both sides struggled for the winner in normal time, gaps started to appear. Netherlands had a real opportunity when New Zealand failed to pick up the striker but the ball went wide. Taking the ball up the other end, New Zealand failed to win a penalty corner, after a long delay for a video referral but it wasn't long before they did win a penalty corner with just over four minutes left.
The first shot was not only just too high but well saved by Sombroek. Netherlands drove the ball back up field and should have had a penalty corner but a miscommunication between the umpires denied them. With just a minute to go, Netherlands should have scored the winner but twice, in the last minute, they failed to convert their chances, allowing New Zealand to see out the clock and take the match to extra time.
The second half in this game was much more hotly contested than the first with chances galore for both sides. Only a combination of poor finishing and some good goalkeeping took this match to golden goal extra time.
Extra Time
Netherlands were the first to attack in search of the golden goal but New Zealand got the ball clear. With both sides feeling the pressure, it was no surprise that there were a lot of missed tackles and speculative long passes. With just a minute left of the first period, New Zealand drove the entire length of the field but were unable to get a goal.
Right at the start of the second period of extra time New Zealand had a great opportunity but the ball refused to go to a stick. Flynn was then shown a yellow card meaning she would be off until the last minute. The question now was, could the Netherlands take advantage of the extra player advantage? They immediately drove into the New Zealand D and won a penalty corner.
Throughout this competition, Paumen has had real problems getting the ball on target and this time she missed the goal to her left. A player down, New Zealand had to take a chance and go on the attack but that meant leaving space at the back for Netherlands to exploit. Although New Zealand had several chances to get the golden goal, they just couldn't find a way through a strong Netherlands defence.
With less than a minute to play and both sides back to full strength, it was Netherlands on the attack and New Zealand clinging on. The whistle blew and that was it. No golden goal and it was time for the shoot out.
Shoot Out
Netherlands won the toss and elected to go first.
Van As went at the keeper, moved to her left and Russell followed her. A quick reverse of the stick and Van As was round Russel. 1-0
Next up was Sharland for New Zealand. Trying the direct approch she went straight at Sombroek who cleared the ball off of her pads. 1-0
Paumen tried to get around Russell who made a great save. 1-0
Michelsen pulled Sombroek to the side, darted back and slipped the ball just inside the post 1-1
De Goede decided that the direct approach was best. Picked up the ball, drove to the top of the D and unleashed a fearsome strike that beat Russell. 2-1
Flynn now had a chance to equalise but went too close to Sombroek making it easy for the keeper to save. 2-1
Van Geffen looked like she was going to emulate De Goede but Russell was off her line like a whippet and cleared the ball. 2-1
Punt tried to pull Sombroek wide but went too wide allowing the keeper to close down the angle and make an easy save 2-1.
With just one player from each team to go it was down to Hoog to win it for Netherlands. In she came, faked to shoot, down went Russell and Hoog took her time to put the ball in the back of the net. 3-1 Netherlands and they advance to the final, leaving New Zealand to play for bronze.
This shootout format is definately much better than penalty strokes and gives the GK more chance while making it more entertaining for the spectators.
If you want all the stats from the game you can find them here
Olympic Hockey 2012 - Men's Group B round-up
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.
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.
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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