South Africa lose to Spain in warm-up match
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| South Africa |
August 12, 2004 
Independent Online, South Africa
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It was not an ideal warm-up result for the South Africans men's hockey team as they went down 1-2 against a more aggressive Spanish team at the Olympic Hockey centre on Thursday.
National coach, Paul Revington must have suffered the same fate as the journalists did when trying to find their way into the Olympic Hockey centre. With the signage still being erected it is not easy finding your way in and his team appeared to play with the same difficuly in the first quarter of the practice game against Spain, battling to find the goal.
It was very much a touchy, feely first half with both teams lightly sparing, looking for an opening until Greg Nicol, down on the programme as number 27 but played in a number 28 shirt, deflected a pass into the back of the net, with only moments left of the 25 minute first half.
The Spanish came out in the second half, determined to play according to their nineth ranking and they did, finding gaps on the right hand flank that ended in two goals from strikers Victor Sojo and Eduardo Tubau, minutes apart, which had the net effect of causing the Proteas to retreat into their shells.
National coach, Paul Revington must have suffered the same fate as the journalists
Their long game with high overhead passes was effectivly cut off by the Spanish and only when they strung together a series of short sharp passes did they look like penetrating the rock solid Spanish mid field defence.
Nonetheless, Revington was not that disappointed with the result. "Mission accomplished, we achieved what we came here to do, that is to have a good solid run against a good team". Midfielder, Craig Jackson was not as concerned about the 40 degree on-field temperature as he may have been.
"Look it is hot out there, at least 10 degrees warmer than in the stands, but there is a nice little breeze blowing down the field. If it wasn't for that we would have suffered today, however we are getting used to the temperatures all the time".
The South African men open their Olympic campaign against Argentina at 10h30 on Sunday, directly after the women take on Holland who they narrowly lost to in a warm up game on Wednesday. - Sapa
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