Germany beat the United States field hockey team 2-1
The women’s United States field hockey team stepped onto the field Sunday for the first time during the 2012 London Olympics with butterflies in their stomachs. The look of nerves, excitement and determination was plastered all over the faces of the women’s American field hockey team while they stood proudly, with their hands over their hearts, during our country’s national anthem.
However, those nerves took over their ability to succeed in scoring, defending and outplaying the women’s German field hockey team during the first half of the game. Unfortunately, the field hockey game was at an exhausting time for an athlete as it did not begin until 9:15 p.m., two days after the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. Clearly, the United States had a much harder time adapting and dissolving their nerves as the German field hockey team dominated the first thirty-five minutes of the game as they took the lead 2-0.
Field hockey is an intense game of momentum that the United States did not gain until the second half. The American team showed their true ability as they dominated the field the second half. The United States was going against arguably the best defense in the game of field hockey, and they pressed them hard to get back the two goals they gave up in the first half. However, we were only able to score one goal, ending the United States’ first field hockey game with a 2-1 loss.
“A lot of it was just nerves,” said Keli Smith-Puzo of Oxford, Ohio. “It took us too long to get into the game and get our touch on. I think in the [halftime] locker room, we knew we had to come out fighting. It’s unfortunate we didn’t do it sooner in the game.”
Although Germany ran away with a win as the United States only showed up to play to their full potential during the second half, the American field hockey team has broken away from their nervous chains and are ready to take on Argentina on Tuesday.
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