Ranchi: World No.5 and top favourites for clinching one of the three berths to the Paris Olympic Games from here, Germany made a winning start in the Men’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers with a 3-0 win over Chile in a scrappy lung-opener for the event at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium here on Saturday.
Selin Oruz opened the scoring for Germany in the 7th minute with a penalty corner conversion while Jette Fleschütz (10th minute) and Lisa Nolte contributed a goal each in the match dominated by Germany, who enjoyed a lot of possession and earned five penalty corners, converting only one.
Germany started aggressively and earned a PC in the second minute but they had to wait till the seventh minute to open their account when Selin Oruz converted their second penalty corner with a fine drag flick.
They made it 2-0 in the 10th minute when Jette leschutz scored off a field goal off a good attack as Germany, gold medallist at the 2004 Olympics at Athens, led 2-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Unlike expectations, Chile did not camp in their half of the pitch but rather launched some good attacks. They were on target off the first of their two penalty corners they bagged just before the half-time hooter.
Germany scored their third goal in the third quarter when Nolte Lisa converted in the 38th minute following a scramble for the ball close to the goalline on the left side of the goal. Chile challenged the umpire’s decision claiming a foul was committed by a German attacker, but the TV umpire upheld the decision by the one-field official.
They failed to add more goals in the fourth quarter despite earning their fifth and last penalty corner. Valentin Altenburg’s side also had to thank goalkeeper Julia Sonntag for pulling off a couple of good saves to deny Chile.
Sonja Zimmerman excelled for them in the midfield and was adjudged the Player of the Match.
–IANS