By Daniel Leussink
TOKYO (Reuters) – Spain and New Zealand reached the quarter-finals of the women’s hockey tournament at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, while China were knocked out of the Games as they failed to survive the group stages.
The Spanish side cruised past home team Japan with a 4-1 victory after recovering following a 6th minute goal by Japanese striker Kanon Mori.
Maria Lopez Garcia, the captain of the Red Sticks, said the team were extra motivated in the match after coach Adrian Lock returned to the pitch following a COVID-19 quarantine.
“We have been improving in each game. Now, we scored four goals. It gives us a lot of confidence for the next game,” Lopez Garcia said after taking a celebratory group photo with her team mates.
“In the early game we can improve everything, in defence, in scoring more goals.”
Japanese defender Shihori Oikawa shed tears as the hosts ended the Tokyo tournament without any points after losing all five group matches.
“Players of foreign teams are looking for ways to contribute even after making a mistake,” Oikawa said.
The inexperienced players on Japan’s team worried too much after having made a mistake, she said.
Elsewhere, New Zealand’s Black Sticks secured a quarter-final spot despite losing 3-2 against China, who were sent back home.
New Zealand went through to the next round thanks to a better goal difference than China.
China captain Peng Yang said she felt the country’s gap with European teams had grown smaller than it was before.
“Hopefully in the future we will be able to stand up on to the podium at the Olympic Games,” she said.
(Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
