Germany 5 defeated Korea 1
Goals: GER – Nadine Ernsting-Krienke FG 5m, Silke Muller FG 16m, Maike Stokel FG 50m, Kerstin Hoyer FG 52m, Natascha Keller 59m; KOR – Mi Hyun Park FG 38m
Germany has thrashed Korea 5-1 to finish fifth at the 2005 Samsung Champions Trophy, but the score line definitely didn’t reflect the match.
As has been the case all week, Korea couldn’t convert a weight of possession and field position on the scoreboard, while Germany converted almost every opportunity they had.
The loss for Korea, their sixth straight for the week, means they will not attend the 2006 Rabo Hockey Champions Trophy in Amstelveen, Holland, with New Zealand taking their place after winning the Rabo Bank Champions Challenge earlier in the year.
There were six different scorers in the match, with the majority of Germany’s goals coming in a ten minute spell midway through the second half.
The stats show a fair indication of Korea’s inability to score goals, having seven penalty corners to the Germans nil, and 36 circle penetrations to 24. From those 36 circle penetrations Korea only managed nine shots, a sign perhaps they should pull the trigger and shoot more often.
Germany’s goalkeeper, Yvonne Frank, was one of their best throughout the match.
Stats
Goal Shots
GER 13; KOR 9
Penalty Corners
GER 0; KOR 7
Circle Penetrations
GER 24; KOR 36
China 2 defeated Argentina 2 (China won penalty strokes 9-8)
Goals: CHN – Lihua Gao FG 46m, Yibo Ma PC 67m; ARG – Mercedes Margalot PS 7m, Alejandra Gulla FG 24m
China have comeback from two goals down in regulation time to beat Argentina and claim the bronze medal 9-8 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
85 minutes of hockey couldn’t split the two sides, so a dreaded penalty shoot-out was required to split the teams.
Goals from Mercedes Margalot and Alejandra Gulla gave Argentina a 2-0 lead at halftime, but second half goals from Lihua Gao and Yibo Ma, the later scoring with four minutes remaining, sent the match into extra time.
The match ended when Margalot’s third penalty in the shoot-out was saved by China’s goalkeeper, Yimen Zhang, and then Ma fired her third into the top left hand corner of the net.
The result must have been devastating for Argentina, who only missed out on playing for the gold medal on goal difference.
Stats
Goal Shots
CHN 8; ARG 12
Penalty Corners
CHN 5; ARG 3
Circle Penetrations
CHN 19; ARG 23
Netherlands 0 defeated Australia 0 (Netherlands won penalty strokes 5-4)
The Netherlands have defended the Champions Trophy by beating Australia 5-4 in a penalty shoot out, after neither side was able to score in regulation or extra time.
In a high quality final, neither team was able to crack the stubborn defences, with both goalkeepers, Rachel Imison for Australia and Lisanne De Roever for the Netherlands, playing particularly well.
Unfortunately for home town hero Nicole Arrold it was no fairytale finish as her penalty stroke in sudden death strokes was brilliantly saved by De Roever, sending the Dutch into celebrations.
The Netherlands thought they had won the match in the second period of extra time when Janneke Schopman slapped in a penalty corner and the goal was awarded. However celebrations were cut short when the umpires conferred and disallowed the goal for being too high.
The Dutch win, which was thoroughly deserved with great performances throughout the tournament, confirms their ranking as the world’s number one team.
Stats
Goal Shots
NED 6; AUS 7
Penalty Corners
NED 6; AUS 2
Circle Penetrations
NED 31; AUS 19
