Korean Hockey Team Is Making Strides

The Korean men’s hockey team is aiming for its first World Cup victory.

On Thursday at the Warsteiner Hockey Park in Mönchengladbach, Germany, the team made it to the semifinals of the 11th Hockey World Cup after tying 0-0 with preliminary round group B leader Germany.

Korea tied with Germany in victory marks with three wins and two ties, but was behind in goals scored. Korea advanced to the semifinals as the group’s second place team.

After placing forth and making it to the semifinals for the first time at the 2002 Hockey World Cup held in Malaysia, it advanced to the semifinals once again for the second time in a row this year.

Team Korea tried not to take risks and instead focused on the players’ pace and safety in this match.

Coach Roland Oltmans of the Netherlands, which fell one victory point short and failed to make it to the top four, said, “Korea and Germany, both had no intention of winning the game from the start.” He criticized the two teams for forcing the drop out of the Netherlands.

Coach Bernhard Peters of Germany responded, “In a gentlemen’s sport like hockey, there can be no such thing as a mutual agreement for a tie.”

Korea will vie for the ticket to the World Cup final with Australia, group A’s first place team at 12:30 a.m. on September 16.

Ranked first in the world, Australia is a tough team to play against. Korea, however, with its tenacity and concentration, will be up to the challenge.

jaeyuna@donga.com