Day two here in Quilmes at the BDO Champions Trophy saw the field of competitors neatly split in two as yesterday's winners all clinched another victory. Netherlands, Australia, and Argentina are thus on six points, while Japan, Germany, and Spain remain without points.
World Champion Netherlands confirmed their tournament favourite status with a comfortable win over Champions Trophy debutantes Japan. The Hockeyroos had much more difficulty with Olympic champions Germany but eventually managed to turn around a 0:1 halftime disadvantage. The Argentine hosts wrapped up the day with a convincing win over Spain.
In the first match today, Minke Booij celebrated her 200th cap with a 3:0 win over Japan. The Asians had been off to a flying start, defending extremely effectively and mostly shortstopping the Dutch in midfield, but they had trouble in their offensive game and failed to create good scoring opportunities.
The high power start also soon took its toll, and Japan relented while the Netherlands got over their initial stupefaction and slowly took charge of the match. They built a halftime two goal lead late in the first half with a lovely penalty corner goal, Maartje Paumen flicking a lay-off from Booij into the roof of the goal, and a field goal from the ever reliable scorer Kim Lammers as the horn sounded.
Fatima Moreira de Melo added another about ten minutes into the second half, and as Japan fought to get back into the match, the Dutch team dryly brought their three points home without much effort.
In the second encounter of the day, Germany had to line up without veteran captain Fanny Rinne who suffered a complicated fracture of a thumb in yesterday's clash with Argentina and is out for the tournament. After a hard-fought and mostly equal first half, the Olympic champions still managed to clinch a halftime lead with a last minute penalty corner that led to a penalty stroke that was coolly converted by Tina Sch├╝tze with a flick to the top left corner of the goal.
Shortly after the break however, the Hockeyroos levelled the score with a penalty corner goal from Madonna Blyth. Both teams then pushed for the decider in an open and physical game but found themselves mostly in deadlock. Things increasingly heated up, with a yellow card for Eileen Hoffmann, followed by several scoring opportunities on both ends.
Australia had a pair of penalty corners, and used them wisely with Rebecca Sanders landing a bouncy shot in the net. Following the goal, Germany desperately tried to salvage a point from this match and attacked frantically, but the minutes ticked down relentlessly while Australia stonewalled to protect their lead with all 11 players in their 23m area. Germany went all out to avoid defeat in the dying minutes of the encounter but to no avail, and Australia took three points from this match that could have gone either way.
In the day's main event, once more with not an empty seat in a stadium passionately supporting their beloved Leonas, the hosts ascertained their supremacy early with a beautiful goal from Daniela Maloberti dashing into the circle and hitting a low ball to the left of the goal that went over the Spanish goalkeeper's stick. Minutes later, Noel Barrionuevo extended the lead with a penalty corner goal with a bouncy ball into the low left corner of the goal. Carla Rebecchi added another goal late in the first half tipping in a pass across after a beautiful solo run from Lucha Aymar.
The three goal halftime lead was well deserved for Argentina who had dictated play for the entire 35 minutes with Spain busy just trying to keep up.
Shortly after the break, Spain got on the scoreboard with a penalty corner hit straight at the goal from Bonastre that was deflected by Esther Termens. The Spanish subsequently were able to do more for the game and showed a some better hockey but still were no real match for the Leonas even though the hosts relented, seemingly saving energy in a game that was theirs already.
Fifteen minutes from the end, Noel Barrionuevo scored her second goal of the day, converting another penalty corner and making herself the solitary leader of the list of top scorers with three goals from two matches.
Spain worked tirelessly to get another goal but could not, Argentina having had a great first half and having to do no more than hold on in the second half. The match ended 4:1 for Argentina, the horn drowned out by the deafening roar of cheers from the stands. The Leonas thus made themselves joint table leader with the Netherlands, followed by Australia also on three points but with a worse goal difference, while Japan, Germany, and Spain bring up the rear of the table, all with two losses in their two opening matches.
Play continues on Tuesday after tomorrow's rest day with matches between Spain and Australia, Germany and Japan, and the encounter between Argentina and the Netherlands, the latter quite possibly a key factor in determining the participants of next week's final.
BDO Hockey Champions Trophy, Women
Results day 2: Sunday 14 January 2007
Spectators: 5'000
Netherlands : Japan 3:0 (2:0)
28. Maartje Paumen 1:0; 35. Kim Lammers 2:0; 43. Fatima Moreira de Melo 3:0
Australia : Germany 2:1 (0:1)
35. Tina Sch├╝tze 0:1; 39. Madonna Blyth 1:1; 65. Rebecca Sanders 2:1
5. Daniela Maloberti 0:1; 13. Noel Barrionuevo 0:2; 32. Carla Rebecchi 0:3; 37. Esther Termens 1:3; 56. Noel Barrionuevo 1:4
