Missed chances costs South Africa dearly
Germany called on all their big stage international experience to hold off a spirited South Africa attack and, while not producing an altogether convincing performance, the world number five team did enough to secure all three points with a 3-1 win in the opening pool B match of day four at the Kyocera Stadium.
The difference between the two teams was their finishing, with Germany scoring two goals from scrambled situations and a third beautifully taken shot, while the African champions squandered shooting opportunity after shooting opportunity, including an uncharacteristic ‘swing and miss’ from the world’s leading goal-scorer Pietie Coetzee. Speaking after the game, Shelley Russell said that her team were “truly gutted, very disappointed, after failing to score from numerous opportunities.”
While Germany are on a slow burn and improving steadily with each game, South Africa came into this game with clear attacking intentions and looked a different side to the one that defended for large periods of the game against Argentina in their opening match. “We played out game today, and really attacked Germany. Against Argentina that is not so possible but today we really went for it,” said Russell.
Despite the South Africa pressure on Barbara Vogel’s goal, it was Germany who found the net first and, although the shot from Eileen Hoffmann was disallowed, it served as a reminder to the German side’s ability to turn defence into attack. Germany opened their account with a scrambled goal from Marie Mavers (19′) after Jana Teschke hit the ball into the circle.
South Africa refused to be daunted and won a series of penalty corners, but again they failed to make the pressure count. This was something that Cox picked up on in a post-match interview. “We didn’t give away as many corners as we did against Argentina, but we have to make our chances count.”
The second half saw Germany pick up the pace and put the South Africa defence under more pressure and they were rewarded in the 50th minute when Kristina Hillmann was able to pick up a loose ball after Anelle van Deventer in the South Africa goal had saved the initial shot. Shelley Russell kept her team’s hopes alive when she scored in the 64th minute of the game, but the South African’s were floored by a sucker punch goal one minute later as Marie Mavers (65′) scored her second goal – a tremendous reverse stick shot from the edge of the circle – to put the game out of South Africa’s reach.
Julia Muller, the German captain, said the first half had been very tough because of the non-compromising tackling and work-rate of their opponents. Coach Jamilon Mulders was a little more blunt in his assessment: “We were not good in the first half. Obviously we have the three points so I am the only one who cares about that, but I was not happy with our performance in the first 35 minutes.”Official Match Report (PDF)