Hockey World Cup Day 2

Match 4: Germany vs Japan 3-0 

Germany vs Japan followed a similar pattern to the game that preceded it as the first half saw Japan frustrate the 2-time champions and match them step for step, but a drop in intensity in the second half gave the German’s a foot in the door and they made full use of the opportunity to grab the goals and take all 3 points. 

Gonzalo Peillat was stopped twice in the first half from the penalty corners, so Germany tried an intricate variation in the second half and it unlocked the Japanese defence with captain Mats Grambusch getting the final touch. Germany scored a second on a brilliant counter as a pass by Müller from his own half found Rühr behind the Japanese defence, and he rounded the keeper and put the ball in the back of the goal brilliantly. Some more good work by Ruhr then allowed Prinz to get on the scoresheet to make it 3-0 to Germany in the 49th minute and seal the win. 

Christopher Rühr who scored the second goal and set up the third for Germany was awarded player of the match and said: “My goal was all thanks to quite an intuitive pass by Muller and I just had the keeper to beat, so that was the easy part. It’s great to play in front of 15,000 loud cheering fans in India and I couldn’t feel any better after this win.”