Olympia 2021: German hockey disgrace – “Stumbling from A to Z”

Status: 9:59 a.m.| Reading time: 3 minutes

Kais al Saadi was obviously served. It worked for the national coach while he was waiting for the reporters’ questions after the game. After the clear win against Great Britain, he confidently spoke of the quarter-finals. After the game against South Africa, however, al Saadi had to explain the poor performance of his hockey men.

The trainer chose clear words: “With such a stumble from A to Z, as we got it on the record today, the quarter-finals are of course not possible.” You know that yourself. “We take the hatred and anger with us for that Play tomorrow. It sure won’t get any easier. “

South Africa’s players had run through the mixed zone a few minutes earlier and could hardly believe their luck after the 4: 3 (2: 3) against the German selection. Some clapped their hands over their faces in disbelief, otherwise many smiling faces. For Germany, on the other hand, it won’t get any easier at the Olympic hockey tournament. After the second bankruptcy in the fourth group game, the European champions are also waiting on Friday.

One-two blow from the South Africans

In the scorching heat of the Oi Hockey Stadium, the sprinklers were in constant use to keep the field wet. During the warm-up, the players also gratefully accepted the cooling from the jets. Despite temperatures of a good 30 degrees in the shade, the Germans got off to a good start in the game. Timm Herzbruch put Germany in the lead after a penalty corner (8th). But the joy about the 1-0 was short-lived, because the Africans turned the game within four minutes with goals from Matthew Guise-Brown and Keenan Craig Horne.

“We weren’t good enough in any way to win the Olympics. We lost too many tackles. If you can’t get anywhere in all areas, then you will be punished, ”analyzed Tobias Hauke. The captain announced honest words within the team.

The German hockey players demonstrated their strength of character, at least for a short time, in the second quarter, as they did in the victory against the British. With a double punch. Only Lukas Windfeder completed – again after a penalty corner – to equalize (22nd), before Constantin Staib scored the first goal out of the game two minutes later (24th) With the 3-2 it went into the break.

German players practice tough self-criticism

But instead of adding up against the South Africans who were still without a win at the Olympics, Germany conceded the equalizer. Nicholas Balfour Spooner used a moment of confusion in the German defense and scored to 3: 3 (45th). And it got worse: Niklas Bosserhoff spiked the ball into his own goal after a sharp cross from the right side to the South African lead. 4: 3 for the underdog. Germany had twelve minutes to save at least a draw. But in the end the South Africans cheered exuberantly on the blue field.

“Inexplicable what happened today. This is unacceptable. Not only did we lose, but the way. It starts at the front and ends at the back, ”emphasized Florian Fuchs after the game. Nevertheless, one does not want to paint the devil on the wall. “We have come back several times after hard defeats.”

The German team does not have much time to review. The duel with the Netherlands is already waiting on Friday. Germany’s men had only contested the European Championship final against their rivals from the neighboring country in June. At that time, al Saadi’s men were only defeated 1: 4 in the penalty shoot-out and had to be content with the silver medal.

Despite the setback, Germany runs little risk of missing the knockout round even if they lose another group final. Because in the event of a possible equality of points with South Africa, the lost direct comparison would initially not be decisive, but the goal difference. And there the cushion on the rival is 15 hits.

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