(Updates with later matches)
By Annika Breidthardt
LONDON Aug 1 (Reuters) – Australia showed why they are the
hot favourites to win the Olympic men’s hockey gold on Wednesday
when they ripped apart a Spanish side visibly shaken by losing
to injury a second top striker in as many games.
Later, Britain let their half-time lead slip and were lucky
to draw 2-2 in a thriller against South Africa.
World Champions Australia beat Beijing runners-up Spain 5-0
in a game overshadowed by an injury to 34-year-old Pol Amat.
The Spanish striker fell over an Australian player in the
23rd minute. He was led off the field with medical staff holding
his arm and taken to hospital.
The Spanish hockey federation later confirmed Amat had
dislocated his shoulder and would be out for at least two to
three weeks, a serious set-back to the medal ambitions of Spain
who were already missing their captain.
Santi Freixa, who denied Australia a place in the Beijing
final four years ago by scoring the semi-final’s only goal,
broke his left arm in the team’s 1-1 draw against Pakistan two
days earlier.
“The three games without Pol and Santi will be tough for us,
but we have to play. We will have to win and reach the
semifinals. We will have to,” said Spanish goalkeeper Francisco
Cortes after the game.
Continued…
