The South African national women’s hockey team have ended the four-nations ‘Good Luck Beijing’ pre-Olympic international hockey tournament in final position on Monday after losing 2-1 to Argentina in Beijing, but not after the side scored its first goal of the tournament.
A field goal by Shelley Russell in the 20th minute put South Africa on the score-board for the first time in their fourth match, to go 1-0 up against a surprised Argentina, who had white-washed the South Africans 6-0 in their final group-stage match on Saturday.
The feel-good moment didn’t last long though, as a burned Argentina responded with a field goal two minutes later for a one-all score at half-time, and settled the match with a penalty goal in the 52nd minute, to win 2-1 for their bronze medal.
Returning to regular goalkeeper Mariette Rix as the only change from Saturday’s match, South Africa played a much-improved game by claiming a goal, and also by conceding the lowest losing margin against any team in the tournament.
Argentina is currently the world’s second-ranked women’s hockey nation, following the Netherlands which lead the world, while the tournament’s remaining contenders Australia (third-ranked) face hosts and the world’s fifth-ranked China in the tournament’s final, also on Monday.
Speaking after the match, national coach Jenny King said that although her team lost the game, the players did much better than in previous games, but expressed her dissatisfaction at placing last among the four teams.
Following South Africa’s elation at winning the African Olympic qualifier in Kenya three weeks ago (during which no team managed to score a goal against South Africa), this tournament would have been stern warning to the South Africa side.
King and her team will remain confident that they are on the right track, as progress unveiled in the Kenyan qualifier and the team’s recent European tour against Germany, Ireland and Scotland has proved, but that will not stop her from looking for substantial improvement from her girls, in advance of next year’s Olympic show-down.
SPAR SA vs. Argentina – Bronze Medal Match Monday, 13th August 2007
Argentina 2 -1 South Africa
Argentina Goal Scorers: Gabriela Aguirre and Carla Rebecchi
SA Goal Scorers: Shelley Russell
SPAR SA vs. Argentina Saturday, 11th August 2007
Argentina 6 – 0 South Africa
Argentina Goal Scorers: Carla Rebecchi, Daniela Maloberti (2), Alejandra Gulla, Yanina Rojas and Sofia Roman
SPAR SA vs. China Thursday, 9th August 2007
China 3 – 0 South Africa
China Goal Scorers: Ye Ren, Hongxia Li and Chunling Tang
SPAR SA vs. Australia Wednesday, 8th August 2007
Australia 4 – 0 South Africa
Australia Goal Scorers: Rebecca Sanders, Megan Rivers, Kate Hollywood and Nicole Hudson
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