Saturday, September 23, 2000
Newspaper Article

Australia look certain to qualify for quarter-finals

Australia survived tense last seconds to beat Argentina 2-1 and stay on top of group B in the Olympic men's hockey tournament under floodlights. With a point advantage over India, they will be assured of a semi-final place with victory over Korea in their final group match on Tuesday.

Argentina forced their one and only corner of the match in the last half minute. They had in their captain, Jorge Lombi, a corner specialist feared by all teams. Lombi got in a drag flick but the ball whistled narrowly past a post and a relieved Australia were sure of their second victory.

Australia dominated the match, once hit the post, but could not get the ball past Argentina's 28-year-old goalkeeper Mariano Chao who made a string of astonishing saves. Against the run of play Lombi put Argentina ahead in the 54th minute. His shot was deflected off Australian Daniel Sproule's stick, leaving the Australian goalkeeper stranded.

It was Sproule who came to Australia's rescue as he put the finishing touch at the left post to Australia's ninth corner two minutes later. Australia then went ahead from their tenth corner, with an almost identical drill, the scorer being Michael Brennan who had shot against a post earlier.

Earlier India, who lost 2-0 to Korea in their previous match, went a long way to ensuring a semi-final place themselves with a 3-2 group B victory over Spain, the current Olympic and World Cup silver medallists.

India now need to win their final group match, against Poland on Tuesday, to be sure of making the top four. They have not been in an Olympic semi-final since 1972.

Defeat for Spain left them at the bottom of the group with just two points from four games and ended their chances of returning to the rostrum.

India were generally in the driving seat after Baljit Singh Dhillon expertly converted a 16th minute penalty corner. Xavier Ribas levelled from a penalty corner after 22 minutes but Dilip Turkey added India's second following up his own shot at a corner four seconds before half-time.

When Dhillon added his second goal with a drag flicked corner shot seven minutes into the second half, Spain were chasing the game. Pep Sanchez swivelled to add their second goal on 48 minutes but Spain failed to snap up several other chances after that.

European champions Germany came back from two down with two brilliant goals to draw 2-2 with the Netherlands, the Olympic and World Cup champions, in their group A match.

If both teams win their final group matches on Tuesday, they will be the two semi-final qualifiers from their section. They have a two point advantage over Pakistan, the only other team that can still qualify from their group. Netherlands have a final pool match against Pakistan which will be played ahead of Germany's last pool match, with Britain.

The Dutch seemed to have last night's game under control when they moved smoothly into a 2-0 lead with a 3rd minute penalty stroke conversion by their captain Stephan Veen and an opportunist reverse stick goal by Teun de Nooiyer in the 20th minute.

The Germans rallied in the last five minutes of the first half. Dirk Michel got behind the Dutch goalkeeper at a free hit to touch in on 31 minutes and three seconds before half-time, Christian Wein, wide right, picked out Ulrich Moissl racing into the circle and Moissl went full length to equalise.

The second half was a more dour affair with Marten Eikelboom shooting against a post for the Dutch and the German captain Christian Mayherhofer being denied by a great save by the Dutch goalkeeper Ronald Jansen with 70 seconds remaining.

Earlier Malaysia were denied what would have been only their second win in 60 matches against Pakistan when Pakistani corner expert Sohail Abbas converted a corner with a direct hit 30 seconds from the end of their group A match.

Malaysia whose only previous victory was at the 1986 Asian Games, were twice in the lead with goals by 20-year-old Ibrahim Suhaimi. He steered a cross from the right into the far corner of the Pakistan goal in the 21st minute for his first goal. Pakistan hit back to level within three minutes. The Malaysian goalkeeper saved a shot by Mohammad Sarwar but lost control of the ball and Atif Bashir helped it into goal.

Suhaimi's second goal came from a corner seven minutes from time. Corner specialist Kuhan Shanmuganathan passed to the right post instead of shooting and Ibrahim touched in.

PAT ROWLEY
Sunday Times