A tough ask await’s Marsha Cox’s spirited South Africa women’s hockey side against Group B log-leaders the USA at 2.30pm on Tuesday, in the women’s teams’ final preliminary round match at World Cup 2014 in The Hague, Holland.
The match will be broadcast live on Supersport, and the live video feed be also streamed at the FIH’s Youtube account.
The Investec SA women’s team were desperately unfortunate to be shaded 4-3 by world number seven China in their Group B match on Sunday, a match in which unforced basic errors were punished with relish by the nippy Asians. SA goalscoring opportunities were squandered, too.
There are lies, damned lies and then come statistics, but in this case the numbers tell a story of what might have been.
SA had a massive advantage of 21 entries into the strike zone compared to China’s eight, and 13 shots at goal to China’s seven; the difference was that the winners were on target 85% of the time, to SA’s 46%.
SA had seven penalty corners to the Asians’ five; the difference was that China scored two for an efficiency rate of 40% to SA’s lone goal and a success rate of 14%. Enough said.
Bottom-placed world number three England face a hurting Germany Tuesday, straight after the tournament’s revelation, the world’s 10th-ranked USA, who top Group B, face SA in the 2.30pm clash.
SA need at least draw with the Americans to force England out of the battle for fifth place.
Head coach Giles Bonnet’s SA girls beat Champions Challenge winners USA 2-1 in a preliminary round match at that tournament in Glasgow just a month ago.
There is no doubt that SA can do it. Providing they bring their A-Game to the turf.
FIH Rabobank Hockey World Cup Logs as at 8 June, 2014 (All played 4): Group A: 1. Holland 13GD 12pts 2. Australia 1GD 9pts 3. South Korea 2GD 7pts 4. New Zealand 1GD 6pts 5. Japan -9GD 1pt 6. Belgium -8GD 0pts Group B: 1. USA 9GD 10pts 2. Argentina 7GD 10pts 3. China -1GD 7pts 4. Germany -4GD 4pts 5. South Africa -3GD 3pts 6. England -8GD 0pts The Investec SA Team for the FIH Rabobank Hockey World Cup, from 31 May – 15 June, 2014: Goalkeepers: Anelle van Deventer (North West); Sanani Mangisa (Southern Gauteng) Defenders: Lisa Deetlefs (Southern Gauteng), Marcelle Manson (Border), Nicolene Terblanche (Northern Blues), Quanita Bobbs (Western Province) Midfielders: Marsha Cox, Bernie Coston (both Southern Gauteng); Shelley Russell, Tarryn Bright, Ilse Davids (all Western Province), Kelly Madsen (KZN Coastal Raiders) Strikers: Dirkie Chamberlain (Northern Blues); Kathleen Taylor (Western Province); Celia Evans, Sulette Damons (both North West); Lilian du Plessis (Southern Gauteng); Pietie Coetzee (Southern Gauteng) Investec South Africa Group-Stage Matches: Sunday 1 June: South Africa 1-4 Argentina Tue 3 June: South Africa 1-3 Germany Fri 6 June: South Africa 4-1 England Sun 8 June: South Africa 3-4 China Tue 10 June: South Africa vs the USA
Main Photo Caption: Giles Bonnet’s Investec SA face their final FIH Rabobank Hockey World Cup Group B fixture against log leaders the USA at 2:30pm on Tuesday. Photo: The FIH on Facebook
Video Credits: All videos courtesy FIH hosted on Youtube
(With editing by gsport)
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