Veteran striker Greg Nicol scored both South Africa’s goals to defeat Japan 2-1 in the men’s Olympic qualifying field hockey tournament in Madrid on Sunday.
South Africa’s second win, which followed the 6-0 win over Poland on Friday, has put them in third place in Pool A with one match to play, against Great Britain on Tuesday.
Japan’s Takahiko Yamahori scored first midway through the first half, converting a penalty corner with an unstoppable drag-flick past Chris Hibbert in South Africa’s goal.
But the match turned when Japan’s Naohito Tobita received a second green card and a 10-minute suspension five minutes into the second half, and South Africa made their extra man advantage pay.
Two minutes after Tobita’s exclusion, Nicol hit the equaliser with a field goal.
He mishit a shot at goalkeeper Jun Takahashi, who thought the shot was going high into the net, but it bobbled along the turf to elude Takahashi’s right boot.
Nicol then added the second and decisive strike converting South Africa’s third penalty corner with a powerful, high drag-flick to the left of Takahashi, five minutes from time.
Japan threw caution to the wind and pressured South Africa for the equaliser and they earned a penalty corner but Yamahori could not get a shot on goal.
”Our mental strength got us through today,” said South Africa’s coach Paul Revington.
”That as well as practicing 10 000 penalty corners before we came here.
”Great Britain are a good side and we have a lot of respect for them. We are two reasonably even teams but they are more technically clean than us.”
The loss leaves Japan at the bottom of Pool A and out of contention for Athens.
Earlier, Great Britain lost 2-1 to Spain, their third loss in four outings in Pool A.
The win guarantees Spain a semifinal birth and automatic qualification for the Athens Olympics.
In a scoreless first half, Great Britain conceded five penalty corners with Simon Mason in the British goal saving three shots with one run down by Niall Stott and another going wide of the left post.
Great Britain scored first, two minutes into the second half, putting together a string of three passes along the left from Niall Stott to Jimmy Wallis and on to Barry Middleton in the centre, who laid off to Danny Hall to fire into goal.
Spain earned two penalty corners seven minutes later and Mason allowed Xavier Ribas’s low flick that deflected off Mason’s left glove low down and rolled into goal to equalise.
Spain continued to attack for most of the second half, earning an eighth penalty corner when Eduard Tubau put the ball on the foot of Stott in the circle.
Ribas’s shot was deflected in by Mason. — Sapa-AFP