Great Britain vs. Chile (Women)
Olympic Qualification
02.11.2019
14.00 Push Back
Chile are the underdogs here, coming in to this game in18th position in the FIH World Rankings. The Great Britain Women’s team should have an easier time of things then the Men might later on this afternoon, as they are ranked 13 places above their opponents today, in fifth position. There will be two games played between these sides, over the first weekend of November, with the aggregate score deciding on who advances to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. An update to the previously advertised squad, Jo Hunter is in for Sarah Evans, who has unfortunately picked up an injury before today.
Chile push back, however the first circle entry comes for GB, after a nice combination between Lily Owsley and Anna Toman brings the ball up from the right hand side. Scotland’s Sarah Robertson has started well and is getting about the Latin American full backs. The Brits have had a lot of possession, pushing Chile further and further back. The pressure pays off, when they win the first short corner of the game, on nine minutes. The shot is a drag flick, but without much behind it and Chile get a free hit and quickly counter. The hosts are equal to it and defend this well. The score is 0 – 0 at the end of the first quarter.
Just over a minute into the second period, Chile work their way up their right hand side and face the ball into the circle. It’s their first short corner of the match and the second of the game. The first phase is blocked and then is high off a British defender in the second phase and we get to go again. Denise Krimerman slaps the ball at Maddie Hinch, but then the ball is cleared. On five minutes a foul in the circle leads to a second British short corner. It’s defended in the first phase and the away side begin to work the ball up the pitch, looking for the direct lines again. In the seventh minute Krimerman gets a green card. They do, however, manage to win another short corner, in the 12th minute. Fernanda Villagran looks to push it towards the injector but without much power and Great Britain clear their lines. The Latin Americans have defended stoutly, attacking on the break with some marginal success. GB have had most of the possession, but can’t seem to get past the defensive blocks of their opponents. At half-time the score remains 0 – 0.
Great Britain look lively after their tea and orange slices, coming at the circle from different angles. Anna Toman crashes one to the back post, but no one can connect. In the fifth minute Izzy Petter, picks the ball up to the right of the circle, beats her defender, cuts inside fires it into the back of the net, past the Claudia Schuler in the Chilean goal; GB 1 – 0 Chile.
Two minutes after the opening goal, Scotland’s midfielder Sarah Robertson wins a short corner. There’s a mistrap at the top of the circle but Toman manages to square right. There’s a shot at the keeper, but the defence clears at the third phase. On eight minutes Manuela Urroz, or Chile, is shown a green card. In the eleventh minute Chile use their referral asking for a short corner. It’s well judged and they get a chance to equalise. Unfortunately for the visitors, the shot is blocked and carried away. A counter attack is led by Amy Costello, who feeds Hannah Martin, but her shot is blocked well by an advancing keeper. With two and a half minutes to go, Urroz advances up the pitch, but is forced wide. Her shot from an angle doesn’t trouble Hinch. A foul on Martin out on the left, allows Howard to self pass, drive to the right and pass into the circle. Here there’s a foul by Chile and another short corner. Giselle Ansley’s shot is run down and there’s a re-award. Same again, right at the keeper. Great Britain are sure that there’s a foul and are calling for it. Luckily they don’t ask for a referral, because at the second or third time of asking, after a scrmable, Hannah Martin pounces on the loose ball and forces it over the line. 2 – 0 GB at the third quarter time hooter.
Two minutes into the fourth and final period, Jo Hunter is shown a green card for a foul on Manuela Urroz as she drove up the wing. In the fifth minute Great Britain get a short corner. Ansley drag flicks it, but her attempt is blocked. GB are piling on the pressure and Chile’s Constanza Palma goes down, after being hit by the ball. She’s got quite the limp and has to be helped off by her physio. On eight minutes, the ball is sent out to the left, Tess Howard picks it up, drives into the circle and puts the ball onto the foot of a Chilean player – short corner. It’s given to Anna Toman at the top of the circle, it’s a sweep, which bounces off the first runner and into the net; GB 3 – 0 Chile.
A minute after the restart Hollie Pearne-Webb makes a foul on her attacking opponent, within the 25 yard line and gives away a short corner to Chile. It’s sent straight down the middle, but bounces out to the Latin American team’s left for a second phase chance, but the shot ifs deflected wide. They use the the resulting long corner to move the team up the pitch, the visitors look to threaten the goal, but can’t get past the British back line. Shortly afterwards, 12 Chile is shown a yellow card for knock over a GB midfielder. In the ninth minute a short corner is awarded to the Brits after a video referral. Toman strikes at the keeper, Leah Wilkinson hits the post on the rebound, the ball goes out to Pearne-Webb, who’s sure that her shot is prevented illegally on the way past the post and asks for another video referral. A long corner is given, however, they can’t make it count and the chance dwindles away. Just before the hooter Lily Owsley gets a green card. The final score is GB 3 – 0 Chile.
After the game I spoke to Chile’s Manuela Urroz. She reckons that the game was decided on how either team dealt with the short corners, in the respect of how GB scored from theirs and Chile didn’t, “I think that we lost the game in the PC’s penalty corners], I think that we had opportunities in PC’s where we didn’t score and they ere pretty effective in their PC rebounds.”
I also had a few words with Laura Unsworth of England and Great Britain. She told me that, “We always knew that Chile were going to come out, with nothing to lose. We thought that it was going to be tight first half, which it was, but we just needed to stick to our processes and the goals will come, the chances will be created and that’s what happened today. So, you know, I think we are well prepared. We can debrief the game, see if they did anything a little bit different to what we were expecting, but I expect it will be pretty similar again tomorrow. We just need to come out, do our jobs again and hopefully the result will take care of itself.”