Hockey: Routed
It seemed like the World Champions were gifted a club-like opposition – Pakistan fell behind against Australia in the second minute and there was no respite for them until the 70th.
The 7-0 rout sealed Australia’s progress to the semi-finals and condemned Pakistan to a position match, the haplessness visible on their faces and minds as they trudged off the field after their biggest Olympics defeat.
Australia scored four goals in the first half and added three more ahead of their knockout clash against Germany. Chris Ciriello was the chief tormentor with a brace, while M Knowles, J Dwyer, R Ford, G Turner and L De Young were the other goal scorers. It was a poor performance from Pakistan who, despite creating a couple of chances, failed to pose any real threat.
Goal-keeper Imran Shah, preferred over the experienced Salman Akbar, had a day to forget as Pakistan concluded the group stage conceding 16 goals in five matches. Pakistan also failed to take a single penalty-corner in the important clash.
Blunders caused heavy defeat: Junaid
Pakistan coach Khwaja Junaid said his players displayed a below-par performance in the match.
“They did not play up to their potential,” Junaid told The Express Tribune from the Riverbank Arena in London after the loss. “They failed to execute the plan and kept on repeating their mistakes. You can’t expect mercy from the world champions by making things easy for them. We failed in proper passing that cost us heavily. We failed in all departments.
“It’s possible that the team failed to sustain the pressure of the crunch game against the world champions.”
However, Junaid hoped for a better finish from his team than the last Olympics. Pakistan are to play a classification match, a situation that will get clear after the match against Spain and Great Britain which was due to start later on Tuesday.
‘Defence let us down’
Meanwhile, after conceding seven goals in the final game, chief selector and Olympian Hanif Khan stated the obvious – blaming the ‘fallen defence’.
“It was total humiliation,” said Khan. “This defeat has ruined the team’s overall satisfactory show in the event. It all happened because of poor defence and lack of planning from the team management. All we needed was to contain Australia till the opening quarter through solid defence. This is what I was yelling about before the match.”
Dutch top pool
Meanwhile, the Netherlands defeated South Korea 4-2 to top their pool with a fifth successive win which also allowed defending champions Germany to enter the semi-finals.
Netherlands, assured of a semi-final spot before Tuesday’s game, spiked a late rally from Asia Cup holders South Korea to complete an all-win record in the preliminary round-robin league. The Dutch emulated their women’s team, which on Monday stormed into the semi-finals by winning all five matches.
Netherlands finished with 15 points, while the defeat shattered South Korea’s hopes of staying in contention. The Koreans finished on six points from five matches. South Korea’s loss meant Germany, who have nine points from four games, will finish second in the group irrespective of the result in their last pool match against New Zealand. (with additional input from AFP)
Hanif Khan
“This defeat against Australia has ruined the team’s overall satisfactory performance in the Olympics. It all happened because of poor defence and lack of planning from the team management.”
Khwaja Junaid
“The team did not play up to their true potential, they failed to execute their plans and you cannot expect mercy from world champions Australia by making things easier for them.”
View a slideshow of the match here.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 8th, 2012.
COMMENTS (19)
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@Maverick: I have not forgotten anything but simply loved the Aussies thrashing the Pakistani team. They were hapless!
@Adnan: Indeed it's a game & hence the joy of victory.
The head of the Pakistan Olympic Association is a retired military general. What else was to be expected? If Pakistan has to strengthen its soft image by gaining fame at events like the Olympics it must cut back its expenditure on the military and redirect those resources to the advancement of the youth of the country.
@Wollstonecraft:
suspect gene pool......
@Wollstonecraft:
Grow up, dude: its just a game!
@Ch. Allah Daad: You hit nail on the head. Main issue is culture of participation in physical activity from general population young and old alike. When we do probability of finding world class talent will greatly increase and we will be competitive in many sports. You look at any sporting superpowers (US, Aus etc)it is all about active community participation, and at grass roots level talk is only about enjoying and self improving for more serious minded ones the goal is to eventually get into university team and therefore get scholarship. Olympic or professional dream hardly comes into picture until very late. But the robust process and active participation from all takes care of medals
@Wollstonecraft:
Stop gloating and get a life, mate. Have you forgotten about all the years YOU were humiliated by Pakistan?
@THE: When a lot more on both sides of the border start thinking like you maybe there will be hope for all of us. May your tribe grow.
@jagjit sidhoo: Believe me when I say that to the common Pakistani India loosing or winning doesn't mean much. We don't celebrate when India is fighting for 11 or 12 position, only the Green shirts are relevent and they haven't performed well in this last game, that's what matters.
I quite honestly feel that the reason for our demise is our veteran hockey players. Seriously. They are old school, not that it is bad but modern hockey is not just what they used to do. We need prrofessional coaches and when we do get that, the same old lot of 'olympians' comes out and starts the campaign that even we can do the same stuff. Just to get the the positions in Pakistan Hockey Federation. Pakistan team needs a foreign coach for at least 5 years. Stick with him - or her! Mould the selction, preapration (physical fitness) and coaching based on European team formats. Or perhaps we already have done that but are plain losers.
To all my Pakistani brothers i would like to tell you that India is fighting for 11 or 12 position, it might give you some relief i know it normally does . We have our own side competitions let anyone else take the medals.
Why should they apologize, they were preparing for the world cup. In case they lose the world cup which surely they then they will say they were preparing for the Asia cup. So there is no end to the lousy picture of Pakistan hockey.@Ijaz Mir:
The day Hockey officially DIED in Pakistan!
Asian style of hockey is dead.pakistani team should not be blamed.Indiia is worse.
Pakistani brothers, I share in your grief. My tears are not out of joy.
If you have immature leading the immature you get these kind of results. They fired the only coach who had brought them some hope to this outfit....there is a difference why some professionals demands millions and others even if they work for free are not worth hiring. Australians players had a plan and they executed it with perfection. Pakistan had no plan and they too executed it with perfection...humiliation of the worst kind for the players and for the whole nation. This team of players and coach have no plan and no pride. What were scared for that they will lose? I would salute them all if they all behave like adults for a change, admit their abject failure and apologize to nation and design. Hanif Khan should be immediately sacked as he has proven time and again that he is clueless selector.
@Ijaz Mir:
What are you talking about. No one apologises in our nation. And self respect, leave it for another day.
Mother of all sports is track and field. Any nation which has no outstanding track and field athletes cannot perform well in most of the sports. Our biggest problem is that as a nation our physical fitness level has deteriorated in last twenty to thirty years. In Punjab villages, which were nursery of athletics, hocky, Football, Kabadi, wrestling and vollyball. Now we hardly see anyone playing these sports. When field hocky was at its prime, track and field athletes were also doing fine, esp. in Asian games. Its a shame for whole nation that women athletes of other countries can run faster than our fastest men. Cricket, TV, movies, Internet and Gup Shup have become our main activities.
Pakistan hockey team officials,selectors and couches They should apologise to the nation, no lame excuses and if they have any self respect must resign.
Loved every minute of the humiliation.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi.