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.
Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)