13 March 2010 / AP, NEW DELHI
Germany is one victory away from a hat-trick of men’s field hockey World Cup titles, while Australia stands in its way, determined to make amends for successive losses in the final.
The third straight title showdown between these nations Saturday will pit the reigning Olympic and world champion Germany’s clinical precision against Australia’s expansive game. Germany defeated European champion England 4-1 in Thursday’s semifinals, while Australia won 2-1 against three-time world champion the Netherlands. Germany’s young team is hoping its big match temperament will see it past Australia, which has received little reward for being among the best teams in the world for the past four decades, winning just one Olympic and one World Cup title. “Our consistency has been a huge factor in this tournament,” said German captain Max Muller, who is among the majority of German players making their first appearance in the World Cup. Matthias Witthaus, Moritz Furste and Jan-Marco Montag are the only players from the 2006 champion team left in Germany’s squad that went on to win the Olympic title at Beijing in 2008. German coach Markaus Weise said the final will be a great challenge.
