We had picked out Germany’s Harvestehuder
as the side most likely to succeed in this season’s Euro Hockey League, but 53
minutes into their semi-final match against Racing Club Bruxelles the bronze
medal play-off match beckoned.
After a week of bright but chilly days, it
was warm sunshine in Eindhoven for the last four. And it was a bright morning for Racing Club
Bruxelles’ fans as their number 13, Jonathan Beckers, found the net from two
first half penalty corners. For most of
the half, and indeed the second half, Racing Club looked much the more
promising of the two sides. But there is
something in the German DNA which tells them never to give up, and they didn’t.
It was another number 13 and another
penalty corner that got Harvestehuder back into the game. This time it was the
FIH Player of the Year, Tobias Hauke.
The Germans wasted no time to build on this, with a Xaver Hasum field
goal two minutes later.
With the match looking as if it were
heading for a shoot-out, Michael Korper scored the winner six minutes from
time.
Attendances, which have been disappointing
in Eindhoven, took a turn for the better when the host club, Oranje Zwart, took
on KHC Dragons. The Dragons have a noisy
and passionate group of fans, whilst the Dutch were playing on their own
ground.
For some reason KHC Dragons usual
blitzkrieg tactics did not seem to work against Oranje Zwart, who managerd to
play a far more measured and controlled style of hockey. However, it took the
Dutch an entire first half before they could find the net, just before the
hooter. The scorer, Jelle Galema.
Although the domination was not absolute,
it was apparent that Oranje Zwart were getting the better chances and they were
rewarded with a Mink van der Weerden goal six minutes into the second half.
Gabriel Dabanch put the game beyond doubt by scoring their third 12 minutes
later. And that was how the match ended, 0-3 to Oranje Zwart.
Spare a thought for the Belgians. When the Euro Hockey League started seven
seasons ago, the Belgians were regarded as outsiders with only two teams in the
league. They now have three, two of
which met each other in the last eight, and now with two sides were in the last
four. It is, by any measure, a
remarkable achievement.
