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GC Herren 1 - Cup: Awesome performance without a prize - GC-RWW 0:1

The preconditions of the match could not be more suitable and challenging for the GC team; a match against the current Swiss champion, who three weeks before in the regular league struggled in their own field against our boys during most of 70 minutes (even though the final result didn’t reflect it), in a cup match where everything is possible. 

It’s been also a routine in the last matches that the team always does the best performances against the toughest opponents. That was not an exception, and GC made a gift to the few fans who dared to come to see the match in this rainy and cold afternoon, with a very serious and elaborated hockey match, full of chances in both areas constantly blocked by the defense of both teams, whose actions made the difference at the very end. It was necessary, in fact, just one goal, a self-deflection from a penalty corner, to decide the match for the visitors.

As said, until then was the work from the team very serious and constant and the match was almost always under control. With a 3-2-3-2 formation GC filled the midfield with many players and cut the spine from passes of RWW, who had to use very much the sidelines. The skills of the opponent players were however one time after another counteracted with the effort of the locals, who constantly forced 2-against-1-situations and recovered the ball. Just one short corner against was the balance of the first quarter, as a sign of the concentration of the defense. In the local’s side there were very few chances, like a long crossed-ball who couldn’t be caught from any attacker.

The second quarter kept its intensity, with GC defending fiercely and RWW trying to score as soon as possible but instead receiving green and yellow cards, as they were becoming more and more nervous. During the third quarter the team lost a bit its structure, midfield was broken and the team was not as compact as before. The match became a bit hectic both on the back, where the team got three short corners against, and in the front, where long balls where not properly controlled from the attackers or the passes where lacking accuracy. With the whistle of the end of the quarter came a goal from RWW, which was fortunately invalidated as it was out of time.

The last quarter kept this frenetic rhythm, with quick actions on both areas and many ball losses.  It could have been the moment of GC, but somehow our boys felt the pressure and rushed decisions which led to many imprecisions. They managed to get the first  short corner which could unfortunately not be seized and in another action a ball deflection from Benjamin ran close from the post. The definitive occasion could have come from each of the sides, but unfortunately it was RWW who took the chance and with the last short corner of the match managed to get the only and necessary goal.

Man of the match: Jasper van Tilburg