Team GB women’s hockey suffer second group defeat in Tokyo as Frederique Matla scores from penalty stroke to extend Netherlands’ unbeaten record and frustrate toothless Olympic champions
Team GB women have suffered their second defeat at Tokyo as the Netherlands got one over their old rivals in field hockey on Thursday.
The 2016 gold medallists got their title defence back on track earlier this week with wins over South Africa and India, and faced another real test against the silver medallists from Rio.
The Olympic champions were forced on the back foot in the opening 15 minutes with the Dutch seizing the initiative, but Maddy Hinch was on hand to parry away a testing shot from a penalty corner.
Team GB suffered their second defeat at the Olympics this summer, against the Netherlands
Frederique Matla scored the only goal of the game with a penalty stroke in the first quarter
The penalty corners kept coming for the Netherlands and Team GB handedly dealt with everything thrown at them, with Hinch – 2016’s penalty hero – standing tall to keep the ball out of her net.
However, the Netherlands finally broke the deadlock before the end of the first quarter after Frédérique Matla scored a penalty stroke following a foul from Team GB captain Hollie Pearne-Webb.
The referee’s decision was reviewed by the British but they failed to get the penalty stroke overturned, thereby losing their one and only referral in the game. Matla’s strike turned out to be the only goal of the game.
More to follow.
The Olympic champions struggled to find a way through and were left frustrated by their rivals
The Dutch’s win leaves them top of their group, having already qualified for the knockouts
Team GB goalkeeper Maddie Hinch watches on as the Olympic champions were felled again