South Africa squashes ‘Calypso Stickmen’ hopes

T&T’s hopes of advancing as one of the top two teams from the Second Round of FIH World Hockey League qualifiers was ended yesterday after they suffered a come-from-behind 10-2 mauling to world 12th ranked South Africa at the Deodoro Field Hockey Centre, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, yesterday. 

The 34th world ranked “Calypso Stickmen” led by 28-year-old Darren Cowie entered the match with a 0-2 record after losses to   Argentina, 9-2 and Chile 4-0 on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. 

South Africa, meanwhile had registered comprehensive victories over host Brazil (9-0) and USA (6-1) led by Clint Panther and Lloyd Norris-Jones with four goals each in their first two matches.

However, playing for survival in the tournament, the Glen  “Fido” Francis-coached T&T stunned South Africa when Marcus James  opened the scoring in the fourth minute. But two minutes later, Norris-Jones drew South Africa level when he nailed a rocket reverse-stick rocket shot from an acute angle for a 51st goal in his 100th Test match past goalkeeper Andrey Rocke

In the tenth minute Jean-Pierre de Voux slapped into the net for his maiden goal and two minutes later Norris-Jones made a superb strike for a 3-1 advantage as South AFrica continued to switch the ball at pace. Then in the 14th minute midfielder Clint Panther finished off from close range for 4-1 cushion. 

The match evened out somewhat in the over the next ten minutes until a De Voux snap-flicked in a fifth in the 24th minute before Timothy Drummond breached the hardworking T&T defence in the 27th minute for 6-1 at half-time score.

Four minutes into the second half Julian Hykes smashed in a first-time backhand for 7-1 lead after which T&T created an opening from a penalty-corner in the 45th minute which goalkeeper Rassie Pieterse did well to deny Atiba Whittington’s, with the rebound being cleared by Drummond off the line.

Replacement keeper Gowan Jones also made a brilliant save in this match when he replaced Pieterse before South Africa resumed its scoring via Matthew Guise-Brown, with a converted penalty stroke (54th), Miguel da Graca (55th) and Hykes, a minute later while  

Christopher Scipio got a second for T&T in the 57th for a 10-2 final scoreline. With the win, South Africa improved to nine points from three matches, the same as Argentina which crushed Chile 6-0 to lead the six-team round-robin table on goal-difference. In the other match, USA blanked host Brazil 5-0 to get its first points in three matches with William Holt scoring twice.

Today, T&T will go after its first points of the tournament when it faces 29th ranked USA in the opening match from 8am while top-two South Africa and Argentina square off from 10am followed by Brazil and Chile at 11.30 pm.

Tomorrow, the tournament will conclude, with Chile versus South Africa, Argentina against USA and T&T coming up against host and 33rd ranked Brazil from 1.30pm. At the end of the series, the top two teams will advance to the Third Round or the  World League men’s semi-finals, which will take place in Rotterdam, Holland from June 13 to 23, and in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from June 29-July 7.

Yesterday’s Results

USA 5 (William Holt 13th, 35th, Tyler Ronald Sundeen 11th, Manuel Alan Martinez 17th, Mohan Aron Gandhi 41st) vs Brazil 0
South Africa 10 (Lloyd Norris-Jones 6th, 12th, Jean-Pierre De Voux 10th, 24th, Julian Hykes 39th, 56th, Clinton Panther 14th, Timothy Drummond 27th, Matthew Guise-Brown 54th pen, Miguel Da Graca 55th) vs T&T 2 (Marcus James 4th, Christopher Scipio 57th)
Argentina 6 (Matias Paredes 48th, 53rd, 65th, Nahuel Salis 20th, Lucas Rafael Ross 37th, Augustin Mazzilli 63rd) vs Chile 0 

Standings

Teams    P    W    D    L    F    A    Pts
Argentina    3    3    0    0    25    2    9
South Africa    3    3    0    0    24    3    9
Chile    3    2    0    1    5    6    6
USA    3    1    0    2    6    7    3
T&T    3    0    0    3    4    23    0
Brazil    3    0    0    3    0    24    0

Today’s Matches
USA vs T&T, 8 am
South Africa vs Argentina, 10 am
Brazil vs Chile, 12.30 pm