This may not the 10 sec barrier in 100m sprint, but still a barrier. No World Cup hockey has so far crossed the 5 goals per match barrier. This has happened now, though we will hear the last word on this only after three days.
Hero Honda World Cup might go to the record books as the best ever – certainly in terms of number of goals scored.
May be the crowd factor or the constant focus on hockey producing more goals, whatever the cause, the result is here.
This Delhi World Cup has so far produced 160 goals in 30 matches.
That works out 5.33 goals per match, which is the maximum for any World Cup.
4.97 goals per match was the highest so far, that came at Utrecht (The Netherlands)
This is first time goals per match crossed the five goals barrier.
This World Cup also produced highest margin of victory, 12, when Australia pounded South Africa in Pool B. South Korea’s nine goal blitzkrieg against Canada, Korea’s best ever, too contributed to the improved tally, but over all goals were not in short supply.
The first World Cup saw least goals scored, just 67 goals in 30 matches. There on goals per edition kept on increasing, though in the 80s again there was a slump.
Ever since television became a deciding factor in sports profile – this started with the 1984 Olympics – hockey rule makers have been constantly striving to see more goals on the turfs. This was further necessitated as European coaches in the 80s went for total hockey, where defending is the doctrine.
Teams scored a goal using penalty corners and then kept on defending. This made their teams collects win but at the cost of the charisma and glamour of the game.
Ever since off side rule taken out, the game has become open, scoring easier, and it even created new vistas of scoring like free hit deflection.
Whatever the way it is obtained, the important is goals, paying public wants more goals, and it has been achieved to large extent in Delhi.