Sport

Dutch coach sees hope for Kuper's mission

WOMEN'S HOCKEY/World Cup qualifier: While Riet Kuper and her players had an audience with the Pope at the Vatican ahead of today…

John Flack in Rome
Thu May 04 2006 - 01:00

WOMEN'S HOCKEY/World Cup qualifier: While Riet Kuper and her players had an audience with the Pope at the Vatican ahead of today's crucial fixture with China, the Irish Press corps had a chance encounter at their hotel yesterday with the man who calls the Irish national coach his "hockey mother" .

Marc Lammers, the Dutch coach, unlike his mentor, does not have to concern himself with the World Cup qualifying tournament in Rome, as Holland are one of seven teams already guaranteed a place in the finals in Madrid in September.

When Lammers coached the Dutch women's under-18 squad after a spell playing in Italy, Kuper was in charge of the under-16 panel. The pair have been close ever since.

Lammers believes Ireland do have a chance, albeit a slim one, even if they fail to add to their goal tally during the regulation 70 minutes and extra-time. A penalty shoot-out will be used to determine the outcome if the scores are level.

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"If Ireland can prevent China scoring then anything can happen in a penalty shoot-out," he said.

Today sees the first of the 5th-8th place play-off series. Only the winners of the "tournament within a tournament" will clinch the remaining berth in Madrid. So far Ireland are unbeaten but have drawn four of their five matches.

Kuper enjoyed her trip to the Vatican as she gave her players a day off. "The Pope was a matter of feet away from us before he addressed a crowd of about 10,000," she said. "The Irish hockey squad was mentioned over the public address system and the girls were really chuffed to hear that.

"I hadn't planned to give them the day off but it was important for them to have time to relax and not think about hockey, as it has been a very heavy schedule for them with four games in five days.

"We realise we cannot expect to run with China so we will revert back to a more conservative strategy which served us well against Korea and New Zealand, and attempt to hit them on the counter attack."

TODAY: 9th-12th place play-offs: first phase: Ukraine v Azerbaijan, Italy v Scotland, 5th-8th play-offs: first phase: Ireland v China (12.0, Irish time), New Zealand v France, semi-finals: England v USA, Korea v Japan.