Dutch indoor hockey qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s World Cup. Homeland South Africa didn’t look like a rival for long, but it almost struggled in the final quarter. In the end, the Oranges won 6-3.
South Africa enjoyed plenty of possession in the first minutes of the quarterfinals, but moments of carelessness were brutally punished by the Oranges. Boris Burkhardt scored the opening goal in the second minute: He was found with a great pass from behind and finished cleanly (on the second event).
South Africa also held up very well in the next stage, but things went fast after Wiegert Schut made the score 2-0 (after a nice solo from the left). Before the end of the second quarter, national coach Robbert Tigges team Joep Troost again beat Burkhardt and Jochem Bakker to reach 5:0.
South African Awakening
Still, South Africa, playing in front of its own audience, showed resistance in the last quarter. Three goals were scored within minutes, and then hope returned in the hearts of South African indoor hockey. Hidde Brink saved a penalty at this stage.
However, the Netherlands finally got a warning after these three goals and limited the damage. In the final stage, Jochem Bakker determined the quarter-finals and led Orange team to the semi-finals with a corner kick.
United States of America in the semifinals. The other semi-final will be played between Austria and Iran.
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
