Men’s hockey starts 7-1 over Canada

Hit twice at the start: Lukas Windfeder.
AFP via Getty Images

German hockey men got off to a successful start at the Olympic tournament in Tokyo with an expected mandatory victory. National coach Qais Al Saadi’s team beat Canada on Saturday 7:1 (4:1) and in the end also did something for the goal difference. Lukas Weinwidder and Christopher Rohr (both 2) as well as Martin Hahner, Niklas Poserhof and Mats Grambusch (all 1) scored the goals for the clearly superior DHB selection, which was evident on Monday (2.30AM/CEST) in the second group game. It will require more against world champion Belgium. The Rio runner-up beat the Netherlands 3-1 at the start of the European Championship.

“That was what we imagined today,” said top scorer Boserhoff contentedly, while the Saadi coach, despite the smooth success, saw “room for improvement.” However, the DHB team, which traveled to Japan with nine Olympic bronze medals, did not give the Canadians a chance in the opening match, who were sponsored by Germany’s Andre Henning.

Keegan Pereira’s 1-1 equalizer (16th minute) with one of the few shots on the German goal caused confusion for a short period. Federer with two penalty kicks and Rohr, who could barely be stopped in the first half, set the stage for an early victory with two goals each. In the end, this could have been more in the Germans’ favour.

DHB women enter Olympic events for the first time this Sunday (2.30 a.m./CEST). Xavier Reckinger’s first opponent is Team Great Britain.