Germany set to roll over Canada

New Delhi, March 2: A rude wake-up call by the Koreans in their opening match on Monday promises trouble for Canada as they line up against defending champions Germany in a Pool A encounter on Wednesday in the FIH Hockey World Cup here.

Going by the form book, the Germans are expected to roll over the Canadian challenge in their second outing, but given Canada’s performance against New Zealand on Monday, the Germans can ill afford to take it easy. The Canadians showed power and pace despite their 2-3 loss to the Kiwis.

The Germans on the other hand have a lot to worry about. Their penalty corner takers were off the mark in the 2-2 draw against Korea with the formidable duo of Moritz Furste and Jan Marco Montag hitting the ball wide on most occasions.

The forward line too needs to co-ordinate better to put some goals on the scoreboard. Against the Koreans on Monday, the German forwards seemed clueless once they entered the striking circle, a concern they will need to address immediately.

When Argentina take on Korea in another match, the South Americans need to come prepared with answers for the Asian powerhouse’s lightening speed and pace on the pitch. Although the Koreans themselves suffer from the midfield blues and slack tactics, their crowding strategies may prove tough for Argentina to counter.

Though the Netherlands earned three full points with their 3-0 win over Argentina on Monday, their performance left a lot to be desired in the 70 minutes of the game.
While the forwardline showed tendency to play to the corner, their overdependence on dragflicker Taeke Taekema to score and goalkeeper Guss Vogels to safeguard the goal post may prove to be a major deterrent.

In their second outing, this time against New Zealand, the Dutch will have to plug the holes in their defence and address the issue of their midfield going astray.
After the match Taekema himself admitted his team did not play to their potential.

Manuja Veerappa