Lucky escape for Black Sticks
For the second match in a row, the NZ women let a twogoal lead slip and had to hang on for a draw.
The desperate scrambling defence and goalkeeping must be applauded but a failure to close out matches is posing the women’s Black Sticks problems as they prepare to play world No 3 Germany at the Champions Trophy in Argentina tomorrow.
Less than 24 hours after blowing a two-goal cushion in their opening match against world No 2 Argentina, New Zealand did exactly the same thing yesterday against South Korea as they recorded a second successive 2-2 draw in Rosario.
The heat was stifling, almost oppressive at 40 degrees Celsius, and it wilted the Kiwis in the second half as the Koreans laid siege on their goal to claw back a 2-0 halftime deficit.
New Zealand had built a handy lead on the back of two brilliant counter-attacking goals, from Cathryn Finlayson and the impressive Katie Glynn, the latter with a fierce reverse stick shot. But in the end they were lucky to hold on as the Asians were denied by a mixture of the woodwork, plain bad luck, desperate defending, some magnificent goalkeeping from in-form Kiwi stopper Bianca Russell, and a controversial late umpiring call.
Korea scored what appeared to be a dramatic match-winner from a penalty corner after the buzzer, but captain Seonok Lee’s strike was reviewed by the umpires to check the ball had travelled outside the defensive D before Lee unleashed her ferocious shot.
The video umpire deemed the ball had been stopped on the line, not outside, before being pushed inside the circle, therefore the goal was disallowed. Replays were inconclusive.
Though pleased they converted early attacks into goals, Black Sticks assistant coach Greg Nicol said they were again disappointed with giving up a two-goal lead and admitted Russell’s stellar showing had ‘‘kept them in the game’’.
The teams were evenly matched in the first half but sixth-ranked New Zealand’s precision build-up play and finishing gave them a deserved halftime lead.
The eighth-ranked Koreans, in good form after winning the Four Nations tournament last week, dominated possession, territory and the shot count in the second stanza, with goals from Okju Kim and Jongeun Kim levelling the scores before Lee’s strike, from their eighth penalty corner, was ruled out.
New Zealand face Germany tomorrow and win, lose or draw they, like the other seven teams, will progress to the quarterfinals.
But the higher they finish in their group, the easier quarterfinal they will have. Argentina currently lead pool B with four points after a 4-2 win over Germany yesterday, while the Germans have three points, New Zealand two and Korea one.