The Orange squad did not play its best match, but the mutual duels with the Germans are rarely if ever easy. Mülders will undoubtedly have learned lessons from a real World Cup match, because that was the derby with the eastern neighbors. The other group opponents Chile and Ireland, already treated to a 5-1 defeat on Saturday, belong to the second set of women’s hockey.
Quarter final
The victory over the eastern neighbors most likely means that the Orange squad qualifies directly for the quarterfinals. A draw against hockey toddler Chile is enough for a place in the knockout phase.
The four group winners are automatically assured of the quarterfinals. The other four tickets can be picked up by the numbers in the so-called intermediate round, in which the numbers two of the four groups can compete against the numbers three.
Goal Keepers
The opening was for Orange, which settled twice with . three weeks ago in Hamburg that danas† Maria Verschoor fired impetuously over with her trademark backhand, a tip-in from Lidewij Welten lacked momentum and Felice Albers shot centimeters wide of the wrong side of Julia Sonntag’s goal.
Nevertheless, the team of Jamilon Mülders, the Düsseldorf-born Orange coach who sang the German national anthem with all his heart prior to the neighbor dispute, deservedly took the lead. Marloes Keetels, who had recovered from a hamstring injury just before the World Cup, tricked a few German players over the left back line and fumbled the ball behind Sonntag.
Indoor Hockey Player
Even before the end of the second quarter, it could and should have been 2-0, when Laurien Leurink was custom-served by Welten and was able to score from about seven meters without an opponent nearby. Hitting isn’t the best part of the former indoor hockey world champion’s game.
That miss turned out to be the starting signal for a strong German phase in the second quarter, in which Hanna Granitzki was close to equalizing, after a nice attack by Selin Oruz and Lena Micheel. At the first German penalty corner, Josine Koning had to come in handy to prevent the equalizer.
100 times Matla
Tension mounted on both sides in the second half. Germany gradually began to believe in a stunt and the Netherlands knew that a goal would provide much-needed rest. The home team got one penalty corner in the third quarter, with jubilee and specialist Frédérique Matla just missing out on the field. Matla played her hundredth international match.
The German forces began to flow slowly from the tired bodies in the fourth quarter, and Orange smelled blood. Yibbi Jansen shot hard at Sonntag from the turn and Freeke Moes pushed past a German stick from a corner variant. Moes was able to beat herself in the head, but barely a minute later she was the celebrated half when she reacted alertly at a scrimmage in front of the German goal and struck out hard: 2-0. Two minutes later, Maria Verschoor gave the guests the final blow at the far post: 3-0. The goal from Nike Lorenz was nice for the stats.