Both teams were putting up a stellar show at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium on Saturday. Germany’s Malte Hellwig was the goal scorer here with a successful penalty corner strike in the 8th minute, leading to a 1-0 victory for his team. The world champions had made three changes from the side that lost to India on Friday night, and four debutants had joined Australia’s roster for this game. Despite these challenges, the Aussies kept the Germans challenged with some staunch defending and attack-building, winning as many as five penalty corners including four in the last quarter. It was a spirited effort from both sides whose energy put them into contention throughout this marquee matchup which is sure to provide some exciting memories in future.
It seemed like Australia were never going to score against Germany in their World Cup fixture, as the Germasn goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg produced some spectacular saves, especially in the last fifteen minutes of the game. His excellent performance saw him walk (or dive) away with Man of the Match. Fortunately for him, his next match is Monday; he gets a well deserved rest day before then. On the other hand, Australia have to face India on Sunday and considering Germany’s early lead, they would do well to brace themselves for this next battle. Despite starting off strong with two penalty corners which sadly didn’t result in a goal, it was Hellwig that scored from their third and secured victory for Germany.
The final moments of the match between Germany and Argentina were quite memorable. When the Germans seemed to be heading to a draw, a late shot sent by one of their players went into the net for what could have been the winning goal. Surprisingly, though, the on-field umpire failed to make an immediate call. It wasn’t until after Germany requested a referral that replays showed conclusively that the ball had indeed made it in; with only a few minutes remaining, this led to their victory over Argentina. Both teams had put up resilient defences but in this instance, it was Germany that managed to finally break through and grab their well-deserved win.
