FIH Pro-League: Germany collect first win of season with gritty victory over Dutch men

Germany claimed their first victory of the brand new FIH Hockey Professional League Season on Saturday, incomes a hard-fought win over hosts, the Netherlands in Amsterdam.

The Germans did properly to rally from a shootout loss to the Dutch of their event opener final weekend and a defeat by the hands of Belgium just a few days later.

(Males’s) Netherlands 2 – 3 Germany

Germany have been environment friendly with their alternatives as they emerged 3-2 winners over their Dutch hosts.

German keeper Jean-Paul Danneberg was introduced into motion within the second minute, getting his angles proper to smother Koen Bijen’s deflection from open play. The Germans then shut down a harmful circle entry from the Dutch within the ninth minute earlier than successful a penalty nook of their very own for Benedikt Schwarzhaupt to launch them forward along with his first senior worldwide objective, the one hundred and fiftieth objective between these groups up to now 11 years. The Dutch then got here shut with a PC as Johannes Große made a superb low save on the submit, and the primary quarter ran down with half probabilities at each ends of the pitch.

Gonzalo Peillat prolonged Germany’s lead with a low drag flick within the seventeenth minute, and so they went on to regulate possession deep into the second quarter. The Dutch created a few good circle entries from the scraps they have been dwelling off and got here shut within the twenty sixth minute, a first-time reverse strike clattering into the submit earlier than Danneberg saved the following rebound. Floris Wortelboer then stepped up rapidly to intercept a German outlet and launch a late assault, however the defence managed to scramble to retain their 2-0 lead at half-time.

The hosts upped the depth to boss the third quarter, Danneberg holding out a Jip Janssen drag flick earlier than being crushed by his penalty stroke within the thirty seventh. The Dutch surged ahead again and again as they began to dominate play, however it was Germany who took benefit of their solely assault within the forty third minute when Thies Prinz scrambled one in to make it 3-1 heading into the ultimate quarter.

The Dutch continued to assault via the ultimate interval and Danneberg was stored busy saving an acute deflection from Miles Bukkens earlier than making double save off Thierry Brinkman and Tjep Hoedemakers. Germany practically took the sport away within the fiftieth minute with Prinz putting the submit and Floris Middendorp scrambling into the objective bravely to save lots of Malte Hellwig’s rebound try. The Dutch recovered to threaten repeatedly because the clock ran down, however Thierry Brinkman’s 58th-minute area objective deflection got here too late as they suffered their first defeat of the competitors.

Germany’s Jean-Paul Danneberg was awarded the Participant of the Match and mentioned: “It was a tricky recreation underneath powerful circumstances. It rained on a regular basis and it’s very chilly, however on the finish, I’m very happy with my staff that we managed it very properly on the finish.”

Present Hero Prime Scorers:

Ladies – Vanessa Blockmans (3 objectives)

Males –Tom Boon (BEL) (3 objectives)

To see the present standings within the FIH Hockey Professional League, click on right here.

FIH Hockey Professional League – 7 December 2024

Wagener Stadion, Amsterdam (NED)

MEN

End result: Match 4 (M)

Netherlands 2 – 3 Germany

Participant of the match: Jean-Paul Danneberg (GER)

Umpires: Dan Barstow (ENG), Ivona Makar (CRO), Bruce Bale (ENG-video)