Despite a barrage of shooting opportunities for England, precision of Chinese claims three points
A moment of individual brilliance by Peng Yang and a precisely-struck penalty corner took all three points as number seven seeds China beat third-ranked England in their second Pool B match at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup in The Hague. The result leaves England standing on ‘the edge of a precipice’ said coach Jason Lee after the game, with the world number 3 team on zero points.
On a day that Alex Danson had hoped to celebrate her 150th international cap with a goal and three points, it was actually a lack of fire-power in front of goal that let the England team down. China soaked up the pressure for vast swathes of the first half as England peppered the goal. Li Dongxiao was outstanding as she stopped ball after ball and the statistics of efficiency in front of goal will make depressing reading for coach Jason Lee and his coaching staff. With Maddie Hinch in the England goal not touching the ball for the first 15 minutes of the game, this is a result that China will be delighted with.
The Chinese also used their video referrals well, getting four penalty corner decisions over-turned successfully during the course of the match.
The closest England came to breaking down the China defence was through the industrious Lily Owsley. A relative newcomer to the team, Owsley saw her shot ricochet off the post after Li had made yet another reaction save.
The second half saw China come out in a far more attacking mode. England’s defence found themselves under pressure and the space they and enjoyed in the first half was quickly closed down. The breakthrough came via a fabulously taken goal from Peng Yang (42′), as she latched onto a pass from Xi Xiayun and fired it past Hinch.
Meiyu Liang made it 2-0 in the 55th minute and England began to play like a team desperately seeking a solution. With five minutes left on the clock, England brought on an extra field player and replaced the ‘keeper in a last ditch effort to grab a goal back. the tactic backfired within seconds as Peng Yang took her second goal of the day and put the game well beyond England’s reach.
England coach Jason Lee explained that as the match progressed and the goals weren’t going in his players became increasingly nervous. Captain Kate Richardson-Walsh added: “The players are absolutely gutted. It is time we all started playing as if we are England players.”
Lee added: “There is nothing more scary than standing at the edge of a precipice and we are unmistakably at the edge of a precipice. In hockey terms it doesn’t get much worse than this.”
By contrast, the China coach You Baodong said: “This was a young squad and a good performance against a much higher ranked side.”