K. ARUMUGAM
In the 80s, South Korea in Asia and before that a select few top hockey powers in Europe set the benchmark in the art of penalty corner conversion, making it a trump for success formula. This led to abolition of off-side rule so that field goals can regain its pride of place. Super specialty in the penalty corner area helped likes of South Korea scale high in the global hockey hierarchy. From nowhere it unseated both giants India and Pakistan from top. Asian Games history in these two decades would vouchsafe for this. The Netherlands did the same to other powers.
This was how Netherlands won the 1990 World Cup 2-1, converting two out of three penalty corners in the final.
The same Korea is here, but on a different milieu. After two matches completed for each of the 16 teams here in Bhubaneswar/Rourkela, South Korea is one of the three nations that did not score any goal from penalty corners!
South Korea have earned as many as 13 PCs but converted nil. The former Asian power was not the only team to show poor results in the vital area of the game. Germany has earned the lowest, just 3, even leaving analysis of its prowess a tough affair!
Only Australia that has a reasonable record here: 4 goals out of 10.
The lowest conversation rate goes to England: 2 out of 20.
Though its early to say anything definitive at this stage of the tournament, the trend is unmistakable. PCs are not going to be deciding factors in the outcome.
Japan earned three PCs in the dying seconds, two after hooter, yet those were successfully defended by the Korean for their 2-1 win. Korean earlier struck through field maneuvers.
Earning a few penalty corners or not getting it all has not decided the match outcome. Cases of Germany and The Netherlands stand out. We have already seen the Germany’s case. It has got just 3 PCs in 2 matches but has not lost matches: has a draw and a win. The case of Netherlands too is also similar.
The Dutch has got so far just 5 PCs in two matches but has beaten both Malaysia and New Zealand on identical scoreline of 4-0.
Is it then ok to say the role of penalty corners are increasingly getting reduced. We need to wait for more data before anything is conclusively said.
Other Penalty Corner numbers
The 16 matches so far have seen 150 PCs generated, but only 19 were converted for a poor 12 percent success rate.
Every pool generated almost same number of PCs: A 36, B 37, C 38 D 39. Interesting to note from A to D, each pool got 1 more than the other.
Of the seven Europeans here, six have scored at least a penalty corner goal, over all 9. Only Wales is yet to strike through PC.
Except South Korea, other three Asians have a token conversion to their credit.
New Zealand, South Korea and Wales are the just three teams yet to score through PC.