New Indian Express: Dutch women ready for quarters challenge after beating Germany
RIO DE JANEIRO: Olympic women’s titleholder the Netherlands defeated Germany 2-0 on Saturday to reach the field hockey quarterfinals unbeaten and with a familiar foe on the horizon.
The Dutch could line up against Argentina in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup on Monday.
They played for the gold medal at the 2012 London Games, and were predicted to repeat that in Rio de Janeiro, but Argentina surprisingly struggled in its pool, losing to the United States and Britain, and scrambled to beat Australia 1-0 on Thursday to stay in the medal hunt. The Argentines saw off India 5-0 on Saturday and eliminated India and Japan from advancing from the pool stage.
If Australia beats Japan later Saturday, Argentina will finish fourth in Pool B, and face Pool A winner the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
The Dutch were chastened after drawing with New Zealand 1-1 on Friday, the only goal they conceded in the pool stage.
“Yesterday, we under-performed. We didn’t work as hard as we should have, don’t think we played as a team. New Zealand could have won the game so we had a big lesson yesterday,” Netherlands coach Alyson Annan-Thate said.
“When you start a tournament you’re very focused because it’s the first game and you’re excited and there’s a lot of nerves about it. We just lost the focus, and we got together yesterday and we talked about that, and the focus is back, hopefully.”
The Dutch were into their stride quickly, the ball reaching an unmarked Xan de Waard in front of goal in the fifth minute. Her reverse flick didn’t give Germany goalkeeper Kristina Reynolds a chance.
Reynolds was kept busy through a scoreless second quarter, and the Dutch made certain of victory at the end of the third when Lidewij Welten dribbled into the circle, bamboozled two defenders, and laid off to an unmarked Kitty van Male, whom Reynolds reacted too late to.
Victory assured, the Netherlands sat back, rested some stars, and its defense handled the Germans comfortably the rest of the way.
Argentina, always dominant against India, settled down after Martina Cavallero opened the scoring hitting in a rebound off a penalty corner in the 16th minute.
When defender Maria Granatto weaved in from outside the circle, beat two defenders, shot, and put in the rebound for a brilliant solo score, the Indians collapsed. Argentina scored four times in six minutes.
Maria Barrionueva laid off behind her at a penalty corner and Carla Rebecchi fired it home, Agustina Albertarrio’s cross was accidentally put in by an India defender, and Cavallero swept in her second goal from a Delfina Merino pass through a defender’s legs.
Up 5-0 at halftime, Argentina eased off.
The Indian women were appearing in their first Olympics since the 1980 Moscow Games, and coach Neil Hawgood, an Olympian in 1988 with Australia, said this team’s achievement was to reach the Olympics, and the experience would be wasted if they didn’t qualify for 2020.
In the evening session, the last quarterfinal spot was going to either Spain, playing South Korea, or China, playing New Zealand.