From: sudhama@engin.umich.edu (Sudhama Gopalan)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey.field
Subject: Re: test matches
Date: 25 Jul 1992 16:32:17 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

In article <1992Jul24.092505.28869@fwi.uva.nl>, dam@fwi.uva.nl (Joris van Dam) w
rites:
>
> MEN
> England - Holland : 2 - 2
> England took an early lead in the first half and kept it until halftime. In th
e

  Just look at the Dutch form. They couldn't even beat the English side.
  I wonder how one can put Holland on top? An eye opener for Dutch supporters.

> 39st minute Bovenlander (who else ?) equalized. Once again, England took
> the lead, 2-1, but Bovenlander kept Holland alive in the 69st minute. I
> am afraid that the Dutch are counting to much on Bovenlander. They have
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

  True. That's why I call Netherlands a "one man's show".

> a lot of talent in their group, but the talent seems to be paralized and
> restricted to forcing penalty corners. Together with their rather weak defence
,
> it is time the Dutch woke up
>
  Sorry!!  Too late now. Olympics are starting today.

> NOTES
> While the Dutch were training penalty corners, Bovenlander missed his target
> but rocketed the Dutch coach, Jorritsma, who had some trouble walking thereaft
er

  Good News for other teams. Bouvelander DOES miss his targets sometimes.

> The training was followed with interest by Carsten Fischer and a New Zeeland
> Cameraman. Since the taping of trainings is not allowed the cameraman was aske
d
> to leave. He responded he was tapin Bovenlander for the youngsters at
> the school in his home town. Jorritsma proclaimed they came up with some
                               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> very interesting corners, unknown to anyone outside the squad. Wonder where
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> they practiced those ?
>
> Joris

  Is that the secret weapon of the Dutch side? Or is it just a psychological
  propaganda? Even if they have found a good corner conversion technique
  their current field performance is not worth entitling them any major
  victory.

                 Rizwan.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 Never underestimate the Dutch. They were the best team on display in the 1990
World Cup - despite all pre-tornament predictions about it being a three-horse
race (Australia, Pakistan and Germany). If Floris Jan Bovelander says he has a
few more weapons up his sleeve - I'd sit up and listen - never before in the 
history of hockey (as in World Cup '90) did anybody exihit such lethal prowess
at goal-scoring. You'd have to be extremely naive to call the Dutch a one-man
team. Marc Delissen was (IMHO) the player of the World Cup '90 - I think he is
the best schemer-distributor (of course, Shahbaz is still the best ball handler)
in the game; if Delissen is back -watch out.
 We are in a day and age in hockey when it would be too much to expect a single
team to beat all the other 11. I'd expect each team to win/draw at least one 
game; also, I'd bet on no team emerging with an all-win record. In a nutshell,
you can't dismiss a Dutch team on the basis of a 2-2 draw against a "weak"
British (WC'86 finalists - remember WC '86 when the Asian giants vied for the
wooden spoon - neither had a "weak" side) side. 

Sudhama
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey.field