Field Hockey - Fih Pro League 2020-21

Discussion in 'General Football & Other Sport' started by Bwood_Horn, Oct 28, 2020.

  1. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Making breakfast before we sat down for the hockey we learnt (from R4) the mystery of the coverage. For previous 'digital age' Olympics (London, Rio) the beeb bought access (broadcast rights) directly giving them a feed of 5000 (that's five thousand) hours per day broadcast over all their platforms (at least one dedicated terrestrial, BBC2, red button and 5 digital slots). For these games US giant Discovery (owner of Eurosport) bought the global rights which they resold in 'packages'. The beeb's package was 200 hours of feed per day and only two live feeds.

    Back to the hockey then: GB's men made a real meal (1 goal from 6 penalty corners) of beating a, frankly woeful, Canadian side 3-1 pretty much guaranteeing a slot in the knockout stages - it'll be nice to see if they can gain a scalp from one of hte sides with a superior world ranking in their pool (Germany, Belgium and Holland). Full match here (just over na hour in after the women's street skateboarding):

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09pjzbn/olympics-day-3-red-button-archery

    Some nice upsets coming from the other pool with the Ozzies tanking the highly fancied India 7-1 and a bit of a shock coming from the women's group with the 'alright' (but nothing special) Kiwis (Black Sticks) beating Argentina 3-0.

    The GB girls face the Saffers in about 3/4 hour and should get a result.
     
  2. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Struggling a bit atm sadly .
     
  3. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Never in doubt mate. The Saffer goal from the PC was more a GK (Hinch!*) howler than a good routine. The girls done good with a 4-1 pummelling of the Saffers.

    Full match here (about 2 hoiurs in after the rugby 7's):

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09pjzbn/olympics-day-3-red-button-boxing

    They're back in action tomorrow at 02h00 in what should by another 'bye' against India.

    *Hinch was the best GK in the world, alas no more. Something I find odd is the Simon Mason (the commentator ex-GK) keeps describing the team as "...Great Britain and Northern Ireland..." - I wish it were true as Ayeisha McFerran, the Ireland GK is from Norn Iron as she is going to be one of the great GK's. It's a shame she went to play for Ireland not GB.
     
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  4. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    And as if by magic...
     
  5. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    The guys played their first 'proper' match against a very, very good German squad and got a 5-1 hiding. GB started well for the first two quarters playing at warp speed but after the half time break the Germans' superb skills and game management (at one stage Germany had only 9 on-field players due to cards and GB couldn't capitalise on it).

    Full game about 90 mins in after the women's swimming:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09pxv85/olympics-swimming-mens-200m-freestyle-final

    They've got a rest day tomorrow before facing the Dutch. Be nice to see whether they can get a scalp from either Belgium or Holland - but they should qualify for the quarters (due to Canada and South Africa being not very good).
     
  6. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Odd today we didn't get full coverage of the the match(es). The highlights package(s) first showed the Irish Women in action against the Germans (a totally expected defeat of 4-2 - but interesting that the two Irish goals came from PCs) - the highlights weren't very flattering towards Ayeisha McFerran...

    The other expected result (and alas just shown as highlights) was the earlier game of GB Girls' hammering 4-1 of India (who were the supposed team to 'watch'). Three of GB's goals came from open play but getting none form PC's (I think I heard they had seven) is still not good enough.

    Highlights here (about 2 hrs in after the women's judo and before the mixed doubles badminton):

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09pjzgd/olympics-day-5-red-button-boxing

    Interesting what GB can pull out of the bag when they face the all-conquering Dutch tomorrow (11h00 BST).

    The boys are also in action against the Dutch tomorrow earlier (04h15 BST).
     
  7. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Couldn't see the GB boys come back from 0-2 to tie with the Dutch 2-2 but the girls are on the pitch in their half of 'Double Dutch' in 20 mins...
     
  8. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Saw the highlights of the boys against the Cloggies - to equalise in the final quarter takes some doing. But result of the day has to be the Germans getting beat by the Saffers 4-3. They've done enough to make it to the knockout stages and are in action tomorrow (13h15 BST) against the Red Sticks.

    The girls, due to a very harsh penalty stroke decision in the towards to end of the first quarter, lost 1-0 to the Dutch. They put on a fantastic defensive display but that doesn't win matches. But they did enough as the Dutch had 10 PCs with nothing to show for it. Nice to watch a match with no cards.

    Watching the girls match is complicated: the first half was of the BB1 live feed the 2nd on the red button feed.

    The girls are playing tomorrow but face Ireland on Saturday and need points to guarantee a place in the knockout stages (push back 12h45 BST).
     
  9. Timbers

    Timbers Apeman

    I turned in with a few minutes left and us 2 nil down. The commentator mentioned we seem to be pushing it a bit and then we suddenly get the 2 great goals. The end was ridiculous as well with all the penalty corners, great keeping from the GB keeper.
     
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  10. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    It looks like the GB boys will be facing the highly fancied India in the QF. In India's group (A) it looks like the surprise flops of the tournament are Argentina. They need to beat, the not very good, New Zealand to progress further (meaning the winner will face the all-conquering Belgium in the QF). The already qualified GB boys are in action against the Red Lions today at 13h15 BST - they get any result today AND if Germany get something against the Dutch it could mean they get an 'easier' draw in the QF.
     
  11. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Disallowed good goal for GB, a Belgium team that at times looked like they wouldn't get out of third gear and the World's no. 1 team spending the final 4.5 mins of the match practising their passing. I can only imagine that setting up the Oranje with a QF match with the Kookaburras was just too tempting for the Red Lions (I suppose they fancied facing a woeful Spain). GB face India in the QF.
     
  12. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Seems both teams played for a draw .

    Will that work out ?!
     
  13. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    GB will have almost not wanted the Ozzies in the QF... First half they were both going for it, 3rd quarter less so and both gave up in the final quarter.
     
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  14. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    GB Girls are through after a very straight-forward 0-2 victory over, the frankly woeful, Ireland. They face the, very beatable, Spain on Sunday.
     
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  15. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    I hadn't watched hockey since the last Olympics, the ref with the constant talking coming through the TV broadcast is a little off putting to the viewer
     
  16. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    GB Boys in action at 13h00 BST. In the other QFs: Germany beat Argentina 3-1 but it loos like the Ozzies versus the Dutch was a cracking match (2-2) and Australia won the penalty shot out 3-0. SF's on Tuesday.
     
  17. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    ***fixed***
     
  18. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    A couple of defensive howlers are the start of the first two quarters meant that GB 'made their own bed and had to lie in it'. TBF to India their stick work from the aerials and attacking from the break was a technique the beat GB three times to make it 3-1 - I wonder if they use those tactics against Belgium?

    All eyes on the girls tomorrow 13h00 BST.
     
  19. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Both Argentina teams men and women are missing quite a few first choices. Seems some like Gonzalo Peillat have fallen out with the coach or the Argentine Federation. Not one overseas based player in Las Leonas and not a great mix with some very old veterans like Barrioneuvo and Succi mixed with just a couple of rising stars like Jankunas and teenager Raposo. If they move abroad will they also not be selected.

    Frankly both the mens and womens associations have shot themselves badly in the foot. A theme we discussed with Bwood that applies to several Argentine team sports.
     
  20. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Both Argentina teams men and women are missing quite a few first choices. Seems some like Gonzalo Peillat have fallen out with the coach or the Argentine Federation. Not one overseas based player in Las Leonas and not a great mix with some very old veterans like Barrioneuvo and Succi mixed with just a couple of rising stars like Jankunas and teenager Raposo. If they move abroad will they also not be selected.

    Frankly both the mens and womens associations have shot themselves badly in the foot. A theme we discussed with Bwood that applies to several Argentine team sports.
     
  21. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Australia and Germany out of the ladies hockey.

    Surprises there ?


    Good luck to GB.
     
  22. Timbers

    Timbers Apeman

    Great game just now, Hinch the hero again with the pens, even after the retake.
     
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  23. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    That shoot-out is so much better than penalties in football. I also like the idea that the five specialists continue if it goes to sudden death.
     
  24. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Think they that style in the MLS a while back ?
     
  25. Timbers

    Timbers Apeman

    Some of us of a certain age would have done this at the Vic for our schools in the half time shoot out in the late 80s and early 90s.

    It didn't really work in MLS, think it only lasted a season or 2 but it was for every drawn game so there was an actual winner
     
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  26. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    What I meant was that in the hockey shoot-out it seemed quite difficult to score - maybe no better than 50-50? So there’s not the huge pressure there is in football where a competent player really should score a penalty 9 times out of 10. The fact that they don’t must be down to that very pressure and you end up with a devastated player, who is sometimes an inexperienced sub who wasn’t expecting to take one.

    I wouldn’t advocate the MLS style shoot-out because again the odds are stacked in favour of the attacker who should really always be able to beat a goalkeeper.
     
  27. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    When GK's start training for 'shuffles' (U14) an awful lot of work is put into 'reading' what the penalty taker is going do (eyes, feet, stick position etc). The current training mantra for GKs is out early, commit and dominate. The elite level GKs will be given show-reels of what the opposition has done in previous 'shuffles' (Maddie Hinch has it written on a large plaster on her water bottle). For the penalty taker they 'only' have 8 secs to get it past the heavily armoured GK charging towards them, my son says that the 'shuffles' appear to happen in slow motion. It's the only time that my son's coach 'allows' them to use their stick. They're fairly recent innovations the FIH only sanctioned them in 2011 and they claimed that shuffles "better replicate real game situations and tend to require more skill".
     
  28. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    GB boys '4th' and the girls Bronze. Will they be happy with those? I don't think those are the questions to be really asked. Both teams were virtually guaranteed getting through to the KO stages due to the two 'donkeys' in both groups (who were beaten by both squads actually their only victories in the group stages lower ranked teams).

    So it looks like 'game management' becomes a big issue: the boys appeared to be bamboozled by the Indian tactic of a long aerial pass to a lone striker in the circle (normally the mark of a lack of depth in attack) not once but twice (actually thrice but it was to an open goal and the game was clearly already lost). The lightest of touches (but it was still a touch) on die Dana's stick earned them the penalty stroke the lead to their victory - but the GB girls were incapable of utilising the one player advantage over them for most of the final quarter where something should have been salvaged (although that might have backfired due to us playing Las Leonas in the QF but would put-off meeting Dutch till the final.

    For all of the praise of GK Maddie Hinch for her shuffles against India (and TBF she's still probably best in the world at those) she didn't half drop some clangers.

    I think the question has to be asked of Bloomsberry St and Bisham Abbey are you happy with the results?

    Perhaps the breaking up of the squads for the next couple of years to appear as England in preparation for the Commonwealth Games will do them the world of good.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2021
  29. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Cracker of a game tonight as the all dominating Dutch (World, Pro-League and Olympic Champions) take on the Red Panthers (who are very much living in the shadow of their male counterparts).

    So Pro League 2021-2022 starts tonight (England will be appearing later no GB as it's not being used as an Olympic qualifier). Two countries have already pulled out due the COVID: the Aussies and the Kiwis.

    Push back at 17h00 full coverage on BT Sport.
     
  30. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    ...and the Dutch score in under 20 secs.
     
  31. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    The managerless Lions (with 5 players making their debut) took to the pitch this morning in Valencia against a highly experienced Spanish side in this year's Pro-League and ended up battering them 1-6! Many of the English eyes were closely watching Ollie Payne stepping up to the first choice GK position with the retirement of the long serving (14 years!) George Pinner.

    The Lions are in action tomorrow (against Spain), pushback at 13h00, with full coverage on BT sport.

    They'll be no team GB action for the next 18 months as there are no Olympics.

    The home nations will be using this year's Pro League competition (France will be fielding teams for the first time with the Ozzies, Kiwis and Canadians withdrawing) as training for next year's world cup in India and the Brexit commonwealth games in (India recently announced it will now be sending a team) Brum this summer.
     
  32. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    What a difference a panelling and 24 hours make. The Red Sticks came out all guns blazing and were unlucky not to be leading going into the second quarter but went into the second half losing 1-2. Spain equalised in the final quarter but in the dying seconds of the match, with two players in the sin-bin, the Lions scored the winning goal from a penalty corner.

    Next stop Argentina in a fortnight with the Lions and the Lionesses in action.
     
  33. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    And it's back! As we were continually told it has been 939 days since we had international hockey at the Lee Valley stadium. Very odd ProLeague this year ('21-'22) as there's nothing to play for (usually the ProLeague positions guarantee qualification for Olympics, World Cups or Eurohockey Championships) so it's basically a series of warm-up games. RSA will be warming up for the Brexit Commonwealth games (NZ and Oz dropped out of this year's PL and were replaced at short notice by the French men and Chinese girls) and the girls' European big guns (BEL, GER, NDL, ESP and ENG) for July's World Cup in Holland and Spain). So it's basically a series of glorified friendlies with teams trying out new players/tactics. Usually it's team GB at the PL - but this year it's England playing for the first time.

    Visiting this weekend were the French men and Chinese women. Now the French have a very 'odd' relationship to hockey they were up there 'powerhouses' of the game up until the 90's (appearing in WC, Euro and Olympic finals) but disappeared off the scene and were obviously getting a team together for next year's Olympics - the virtually the entire squad plays club hockey in Belgium. As the Lions scored two field goals within the opening seven minutes in their game against France it looked like the reason for the French vanishing from hockey's top table was on display but what a comeback! A penalty corner (PC) and a field goal in reply in the 2nd quarter gave us a two-all draw going into the 2nd half. A single goal for each in the third quarter eased us into a very tense final quarter. The French opened the scoring from a PC (3-4) and was answered by two English PCs in quick session giving a final score of 5-4. The game was an excellent advert for the game as several of the security/ground staff who had never seen a game before remarked how entertaining it was.

    Come the rematch on Sunday I was expecting the more of the same. Q1 was fairly pedestrian stuff and in the 2nd quarter England scored 2 PCs leading to an exceptionally bad-tempered 2nd half (team GB never dealt with 'gamesmanship' particularly well). Q3 saw lots of French 'gobbiness' and fouls (shades of Les Coqs in rugby*) causing Scott Peter to retaliate (earning a yellow card) and in Q4 the Lions sealed the game with a PC (quickly answered by a French goal) and the final nail in the coffin was Sam Ward slotting home a penalty stroke 4 minutes from full-time enraging the visitors. France's performance was slightly marred by the sight of (the very tall) Victor Charlet squaring up with the (not very tall) masked Sam Ward in the dying seconds.

    Video highlights here in a 'couple' of days.

    *In the frog's defence - I watched a few 'Les crunches' in the company of a lot of French in Vilnius (they were doing their 'service' working for the embassy on various projects although when it was decided that Lithuanian was part of la Francophonie** they were teaching the cops French) I said how I loved watching French rugby but couldn't understand why such a talented team always resorted to 'gamesmanship' when they were losing they were very surprised as they said that the same thing was always said of the Roses...

    **It's not.
     
  34. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Onto the Chinese girls. The last time I saw the at Lee Valley they were...terrible - limited skills and tactics. Come the retirement of Alyson Annan* (previous coach of the superb Oranjes) she was obviously given an offer she couldn't refuse to take over the Chinese. Possibly the Lionesses were expecting an easy first match. Their play might not have been very '美丽' (pretty) but the Chinese held England at bay for two quarters. Towards the end of Q3, Martha Taylor scored her first ever goal for England, shortly after China equalised from a penalty corner and neither side could take the advantage before full time so it went to (the GK's favourite) 'shuffles' (a shootout). Two of the Lionesses' most experienced players missed theirs and the screams from the Chinese girls as they won their first ever point in the ProLeague was amazing.

    Come the second match on Sunday China displayed the tactic of "...if it ain't broke don't fix it..." superbly closing the Lionesses down and stifling their attacks (with very fortunate use of the video umpire in successfully appealing quite a few of England's penalty decisions). England's only goal came from a very early penalty corner China's first goal came from a penalty stroke after the England GK (Sabbie Heesh presumably standing in for the unstoppable Maddie Hinch) made a very ugly tackle on the Chinese attacker (Heesh laughingly claimed she was going for her stick which is also illegal). Although the Chinese play style was very 'industrial', China's 2nd goal in Q3 was stunning and caused the tiny Chinese support to become very vociferous (quite a few England fans also joined in). Come China's third and final goal the Chinese support (I'm assuming diplomatic staff) were roaring their support with chants of (Xian! China!..).

    Not trying to discredit the Chinese victory but it is a new squad (England haven't played together for over 4 years) with a new coach and you could see that they were trying some new routines and tactics.

    BBC reports of the two Saturday games here and the Sunday games here.

    RSA men and ESP women face the Lions/Lionesses next week.
     
  35. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Highlights of last week's games against the French boys (the first match got a lot of the staff working at Lee Valley, who had never seen a game of hockey, interested in the sport):



     

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