Golden goal gives Holland bronze

With just two minutes left on the clock and Korea leading 1-0, Holland staged a remarkable fightback to equalise and then clinch the bronze medal, off a Jaap Buma 'golden goal', in a third place play-off match in the 10th men's hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Saturdaty.

Korea, who scored through Song Seung Tae in the ninth minute, dominated the match and with only two minutes left, conceded the equalizer to Holland, who struck through Sander Weide.

Holland's match-winner was notched up by Jaap Buma in the 73rd minute.

Both teams started strongly, with Korea showing more enthusiasm in their runs and in the midfield. Though it was Korea who made the initial runs into the Dutch striking circle, Holland earned the first penalty-corner, but penalty-corner specialist, the star of the 1998 World Cup when Holland won the title, Bram Lomans, was again off target. His flick went way over the Korean post.

Two minutes later, Korea struck. They had a free-hit outside the Dutch striking circle and Yeo Woo Kon shot towards the goal after trapping the free-hit, but Song Seung-Tae, standing in front of Dutch goalkeeper Guus Vogels, deflected the shot into goal.

Just a minute later, in the 10th minute, Holland earned their second penalty-corner and again they messed it up, this time not able to stop cleanly as the Koreans ran out to clear.

Korea, who led 1-0 at the break, scored off their first penalty-corner on resumption but the umpire disallowed the goal as the stop wasn't clean.

In the 45th minute, Seo Jong Ho picked up the ball in his own half and went all the way till his shot in the Dutch striking circle was stopped by the goalkeeper.

With 15 minutes left in the match, Holland swung into attack, desperate now for the equaliser. The Koreans, now under pressure and protecting their lead, started making errors in the midfield, where Holland pushed very hard through Teun de Nooijer.

Just when it seemed that Korea would walk off winners, Holland scored with only two minutes left on the clock. Off an attack, the ball came to Sander Weide, whose shot deflected off a Korean player into goal for the equaliser.

As the hooter went off for the end of regulation time, dejected Korean players trooped off to get ready for extra-time.

But in just three minutes play in extra-time, Holland broke Korean hearts when they scored the match-winner off a 'golden goal'. Jaap Buma, ineffective throughout the match, was just standing next to the post when the ball came off the Korean goalkeeper off a shot from the middle of the striking circle. All Buma had to do was push his stick in front and tap the ball in for the match-winner.

Mail Sports Editor