GERMANY medal ChanCe: 4
olympic
World ranking: 2 tournament ranking: 2 player to WatCh: Teun de Nooijer
• Nearly didn’t make it to Beijing after Three time World Hockey Player of the Year,
being forced to play in the qualification de Nooijer is one of the greatest hockey
tournament thanks to an embarrassing players ever to grace the pitch – quick,
special
defeat to Belgium. skilful and with an eye for goal.
• Have a world class spine, from Ulrich
Bubolz in goal to captain Timo Wess NEW ZEALAND
in defence and on to the likes of Tibor World ranking: 11 tournament ranking: 8
Weissenborn in midfield and Matthias • With a good mixture of up and coming
Witthaus. young players the Blacksticks seem to
medal ChanCe: 4 have the potential to cause an upset to the
player to WatCh: Matthias Witthaus three higher ranked teams in their pool.
At 16 he became the youngster ever medal ChanCe: 3
goalscorer for Germany. Since then he’s player to WatCh: Simon Child
gone on to score over 100 more times for the Top scorer during qualification, Child is the
national team. youngest ever Blackstick, making his debut
at just 16 in 2005.
GREAT BRITAIN
World ranking: 8 tournament ranking: 7 PAKISTAN
• Their progress over the past 12 months World ranking: 7 tournament ranking: 6
has been impressive and they could be • Desperately need to find some
the surprise team of the tournament. consistency in their results and a good
medal ChanCe: 1 structure on the pitch if they are to bring
player to WatCh: Barry Middleton home a medal.
Twice named the Hockey Writers Club UK medal ChanCe: 1
Player of the Year, Middleton plays his club player to WatCh: Rehan Butt
hockey in the Netherlands. The energetic striker who was in top goal
scoring form at the recent Sultan Azlan Shah
KOREA Cup in Malaysia.
World ranking: 5 tournament ranking: 5
• With a pool of only around 1,500 hockey SOUTH AFRICA
players to pick from, the fact that Korea World ranking: 13 tournament ranking: 10
TEAM
could beat Pakistan and reach the • They are very well drilled and often stick
Olympic final is a testament to their to their plan.
preparation and organisational strengths. medal ChanCe: 0
medal ChanCe: 2 player to WatCh: Geoff Abbott
player to WatCh: Hyo Sik You 22-year-old Abbott is a promising young
Creative attacking midfielder You has been striker with the Springboks who played in
tipped by Spanish coach Maurits Hendriks as the 2006 World Cup and will be looking to
a player to watch in the Olympics. make an impact at his first Olympics.
BY
NETHERLANDS SPAIN
World ranking: 3 tournament ranking: 3 World ranking: 4 tournament ranking: 4
• Double Olympic champions the • The attractive, attacking hockey that
Netherlands will be looking to make legendary Dutch tactician Maurits
up for the disappointment of losing to Hendriks has the Spanish playing puts
TEAM
Australia in the Gold Medal match in 2004. them in medal contention.
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