SA’s hockey women tie Uruguay 1-1
ON a very hot day in Valencia, Spain, yesterday, the South Africa women’s hockey team dominated their World League semifinal tournament match against Uruguay, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw. The score was 0-0 at halftime. South Africa made the breakthrough in the 37th minute from a well-worked penalty corner variation that saw Celia Evans apply the finishing touch. But Uruguay equalised in the 58th, just two minutes from full time, when Manuela Vilar del Valle made the most of a disputed PC award.
For 29th-ranked Uruguay the 1-1 draw was a morale boost against a team ranked 18 places higher. In a worst-case scenario, an SA defeat by more than five goals in tomorrow’s 5pm final Pool B clash with Germany (SuperSport 7) would end their quarter-final hopes and favour Uruguay.
South Africa dominated Uruguay but struggled to turn that advantage into goal shots, while the Uruguayans made more from fewer chances.
Florencia Norbis drove into the strike zone in the second minute and got off a shot that SA keeper Sanani Mangisa saved comfortably. It was a good start for the South Americans and they picked off turnovers when South Africa went down the middle.
In the 19th, SA’s Shelley Russell got into a scoring position but in-form Agustine Nieto made a superb defensive intervention. Then Jade Mayne showed her 3D skills in making inroads before firing off a shot the keeper did exceptionally well to deflect. SA continued to dominate statistically, but Uruguay won three PCs before halftime.
After the teams changed ends, Illse Davids was unlucky not to earn a PC before Dirkie Chamberlain made a threatening run, but a revitalised South Africa continued to battle in making goal shots.
At the other end, Mangisa made a double save before Bernie Coston took advantage of Terblanche’s pass to win the girls in green and gold’s first PC. An accurate, well-synchronised PC variation to the left from Lisa Deetlefs to Chamberlain was deflected between the posts by corner injector and final receiver Evans and South Africa were 1-0 up after 37 minutes.
After South Africa’s second PC, persistence from Davids set up Chamberlain but outstanding defender Federica Kempner blocked the shot. With two minutes left Uruguay won a disputed fifth PC and Manuela Vilar del Valle nailed down the equaliser in the 58th minute (1-1).
It was Uruguay’s fourth and last Pool B match, having earlier lost 8-0 to world No 6 Germany, 2-0 to world five USA and 3-2 to world 14 Ireland.
The Uruguay clash was South Africa’s third match. South Africa lost 4-1 to Ireland on Wednesday. On Saturday, Chamberlain had put the African champions 1-0 up in the 4-1 defeat by the USA.