Hockey: Black Sticks come up short

The Black Sticks played their best 20 minutes of hockey at the World Cup this morning (NZT) but were still beaten 5-2 by defending champions Germany to come up well short of their target of a top four or, at worst, top six finish.

New Zealand will now play South Africa for 9th-10th on Friday (11.05pm NZT) after any hopes of even reaching the 7th-8th play-off were dashed when Argentina hung on to beat a spirited Canada 3-2 in the last pool game earlier and pip the Black Sticks by one goal on goal difference. Argentina will play India for 7th-8th.

Earlier, upset 2-1 by the Koreans in the second match of the night, the Netherlands suffered their first loss but still progressed to a semifinal against Australia on goal difference leaving Korea to play for 5th-6th against Spain.

Germany ended pool play as the only unbeaten team.

New Zealand had it all to play for in their final pool game but simply, particularly for long periods in the first half, they were well off the pace.

Sloppy, often misdirected, passing led again to a wealth of turnover ball. Forced to play catch-up the Black Sticks seldom looked likely.

"I was not happy with the first half. We were disappointing," coach Shane McLeod said.

"The game, for me, was lost in those first 35 minutes. Our fate was in our hands and we couldn't do what we set out to."

After being 0-2 down at halftime following an opportunist deflected goal from Christoph Menke in the 15th minute and from a second grab at a penalty corner 13 minutes later, the Black Sticks dropped further behind 11 minutes after the break.

Again the goal came from a deflection with Philipe Wiite getting his stick to a ball played into the circle by Jan Phillipe Rabente.

Dispirited but not prepared to concede, New Zealand rallied and for the next 20 minutes took the game to a German team unbeaten in 17 previous matches and now just two from equalling Australia's 20-year-old record of 20 World Cup games without defeat.

From a penalty corner in the 50th minute Shea McAleese, one of the more enterprising Black Sticks, pounced on the loose ball to push home.

Four minutes later it was double delight when Nick Wilson was rewarded with his team's best goal of the tournament as he ran on to a long ball, beat a would-be tackler at the top of the circle and beat goalkeeper Tim Jessulat.

Encouraged, they went in search of more with Blair Hopping continuing to add midfield impetus by pushing forward from his customary defensive post. Two minutes after scoring their second they again unlocked the German defence but just failed to produce a telling shot.

They successfully defended the German's third penalty corner but were then undone by two dubious calls from Scottish umpire Andy Mair who handed telling penalty corners to the world champions.

Germany scored from two of those three late set plays to take the victory by three goals.

- NZPA