TERRASSA, July 25: Holland sent Pakistan spinning to a record 9-2 defeat at the Champions Trophy here Tuesday.
The Dutch scored at will as they avenged a 3-2 loss to Pakistan at the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia earlier this year, leaving the south Asians shellshocked.
“This has never happened before to Pakistan and as the coach and the head of the team and on behalf of the whole team we are all ashamed of this performance,” said Asif Bajwa, Pakistan's coach.
“We will try our best and try hard to come back again in this tournament and make amends for this performance,” said Bajwa before refusing to take questions from the media.
Roelant Oltmans, Holland coach, was the coach of Pakistan for a year leading up to the 2004 Athens Olympics.
“It was an advantage for me to have coached Pakistan because I know a little of the way they play and the spaces they leave on the field and we discussed that before the game,” Oltmans said.
“Nevertheless we did not expect to win with a margin like this,” Oltmans added.
“In the first half we played outstandingly good hockey without conceding any penalty corners or shots on goal and we created a lot of opportunities — a lot more than we scored,” Oltmans said.
Oltmans reading of Pakistan's structure was evident in the holes Holland found out wide and in the centre of the midfield.
Matthias Brouwer scored 35 seconds into the match, followed by Floris Evers, Robert Reckers then Ronald Brouwer who carved their way into Pakistan's circle to score with easy shots on goal in the first half.
Bajwa laid the blame at the feet of goalkeeper Salman Akbar whom he replaced with Nasir Ahmed after the fourth goal, 30 minutes into the first half.
Holland scored five more times in the second half.
Teun de Nooijer scored early in the second half and a minute later Shakeel Abassi made a deflection goal from a free hit outside the circle for Holland to lead 5-1.
Pakistan gained some composure through the third quarter with Adnan Zakir rebounding in a penalty corner, flicked by Sohail Abbas on to the glove of Guus Vogels and down for Zakir to make half volley into goal.
Holland came back with three more easy goals to Ronald Brouwer and a penalty corner conversion to Taeke Taekema to make the record 9-2 scoreline. Spain and Australia meet in the match of the day and Germany takes on Argentina.—AFP
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