Day One: 29.11.2007

Spectacle worthy, beautiful field goals marked the opening day of the 29th Champions Trophy in KL. Barring two, rest of the 17 goals the first day witnessed were field goals, making the day merrier for the small crowd which braved the rains to be there at the picturesque Bukit Jalil National Hockey stadium in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

Not whole unexpected hockey’s most enduring and exciting player Teun de Nooijer set the tune for the day, with a peach of a field goal in the very second minute against the sedate British. Then on, Ronald Brouwer banged one before Rob Reckers wrecked whatever hopes the British side nurtured for revival, with a brace of goals between 50th and 64th minutes.

GB got four penalty corners, but were of no avail.

A hailstorm hindered for about an hour for the remaining matches to commence. Once the rains gods relented, both Germany-Pakistan in the main pitch and Korea-Spain on the other started simultaneously. The best match of the day should go to Korea-Spain encounter. The nippy Koreans who were agile and faster, outwitted the Spanish in the second half and came close to walk away with full three points. Spain, resting players like Pol Amat, struggled to maintain pace, and let go two goal advantage it forked up within first 20 minutes. Korean goals came in the 34th and 48th minutes.

At the main pitch, despite initial enthusiasm and energetic run downs, Pakistan proved no match for Markus Weiss’ Germany. The tune for the run away victory for the German was set by Florian Keller, whose astute pass inside the circle helped his side add another to the first goal. Then he on his own scored from a scorcher of a shot from top of the circle to make it 3-0 within 22 minutes. Three points for them at that point appeared, and later it was proved so, a mere formality.

School children were behind them, egging on endlessly, but that was not enough for the home side to do anything. Clinical Australians, subdued though, posted a goal apiece in each half and appeared satisfied at that. As a proof of their aggression and the field domination, the Aussies earned as many as eight penalty corners, but could not convert any. May be the trumps are reserved for another day, another occasion.