AMSTERDAM, June 27: Germany thrashed Pakistan 6-0 in the first match of the men's 4-nation field hockey tournament here on Saturday. It was Germany's fourth win over Pakistan in two weeks, having won in Test matches in Berlin and in Hamburg last Sunday.

Sohail Abbas failed to convert four penalty corners and a penalty stroke while Germany took full advantage of defensive lapses by Pakistan to convert a high percentage of its scoring chances.

"There was a total lack of organisation in the team and the team did not play according to the game plan," Pakistan's coach Roelant Oltmans said.

"There was a total lack of defensive structure," Oltmans said, refusing to lay the blame solely on the goalkeeper.

Pakistan had three open chances in the first half and Sohail had a chance to even the match at 1-1 with the penalty stroke in the 13th minute, two minutes after Mathias Witthaus scored Germany's first goal.

Germany substituted Clemens Arnold in goal with Christian Schulte, a specialist in defending penalty strokes, to defend the penalty stroke. Sohail went high to the right and Schulte deflected the stroke wide with his stick.

Bjorn Michel scored a field goal and converted a penalty corner to have Germany ahead 3-0 at the break from only four shots on goal in the first half.

Florian Kunz for Germany and Sohail each failed with penalty corner attempts early in the second half but it was Kunz who found form with two penalty corner conversions in the 52nd and 57th minutes to have Pakistan reeling at 5-0.

With Pakistan's defence reeling, Christoph Bechmann sealed the rout, scoring Germany's sixth goal three minutes from time.

Meanwhile, hosts Netherlands started their campaign on a bright note with a 2-0 victory over India on Sunday. They led 1-0 at half-time through de Nooijer's goal in the 30th minute. R. Brouwer doubled the tally four minutes after resumption.-AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Canal politics
Updated 20 Apr, 2025

Canal politics

The consequences of the state taking decisions without regard for its people can be seen yet again in the form of widespread restlessness and anger.
Lesser citizens
20 Apr, 2025

Lesser citizens

CAN the state ever turn the dream of communal harmony into reality? A slew of injustices torment Pakistan’s...
Winning spree
20 Apr, 2025

Winning spree

AFTER sealing qualification for the ICC Women’s World Cup, Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana immediately set her sights...
Deadlocked
Updated 19 Apr, 2025

Deadlocked

Politicians’ refusal to talk to each other and resolve issues has created space for a different type of rulership to take over.
Trump vs Harvard
19 Apr, 2025

Trump vs Harvard

AMONGST the ‘enemies of the people’ in Trumpian America are elite universities seen as the bastions of liberal...
External account stability
19 Apr, 2025

External account stability

DRIVEN by a major spike in workers’ remittances last month, the country’s current account posted a record ...