The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Vogels — relishing a challenge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 14, 2005

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Sport - Hockey

Vogels — relishing a challenge

S.V. Sriram

CHENNAI: An intriguing clash will be on view at the Champions Trophy here when Dutch goalkeeper Guus Vogels will try to hold fort against the raiding Australians led by Jamie Dwyer on Wednesday. The last time these two met in a major tournament — the finals of the Athens Olympics — Dwyer's rasping shot rifled past Vogels to give Australia its first Olympic gold and also stopping the Dutch run of two successive golds at Atlanta and Sydney.

That loss still rankles Vogels, a veteran of three Olympics and the senior-most member of the team. In a chat with the The Hindu here on Sunday, Vogels talked about that loss, and how he was still motivated.

"It is never very easy when you lose, specially in a final. We played a good tournament in Athens but I think in the final Australia was better. Of course the fact that we made the final was a good result for us. You always want to win the final but that game was decided in extra time. Maybe next time we will be lucky," he said as his face broke out in an impish grin.

"I have made no special plans for Dwyer this time around. We have already played him a couple of times, in Amsterdam and Hamburg in Germany. We are always competing against each other and let's see how it turns out," said Vogels.

Candid enough to admit that there would be a bit of added pressure on him when the two teams face-off, Vogels added, "but that's good. I like a good challenge and look to continue my good form of the last few years.

Good start

"We've had a very good start with a fine victory over Pakistan. The last time in 1996 we won the tournament here. Hopefully we will try to repeat the performance. But we still have four games to go, so anything can happen," he said.

With 176 caps and two Olympic golds to boot, Vogels holds the Athens silver as very special. "Even though we lost and got only a silver, on a personal note it is very special and beautiful for me. In the earlier editions I did not play much and was mostly confined to the bench. But I had a very good tournament in Athens but for that last lapse. So yes, the silver holds special memories for me."

About his future plans and the Beijing Olympics in 2008. "My immediate goal is to play in the next World Cup for sure. After that I have to decide whether to continue for two more years or retire," said Vogels As of now being the team's first line goalkeeper he prefers to be in the thick of action. No resting under the cross bars for him. "If I have a game like against Pakistan where I wasn't tested much then it can sometimes be hard for me. If you get many balls you get the feel of the game and your form improves. And you can grow in the match. But if you are not under any pressure at all, the fewer balls fended make it a little harder."

In the last two matches against Germany and Spain, Vogels was indeed stretched. While the Germans managed to sneak in two goals in the second half to earn a draw, Vogels staved off a late charge by the Spaniards including two close saves in the final moments and a last minute penalty corner to keep the scoreline 3-2 in his team's favour.

On Wednesday, Vogels can expect something similar when Dwyer and Co. start steaming in towards the Dutch goal.

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