2023 Hockey World Cup: Black Sticks Men Preview
While Aotearoa hockey is in the midst of a low patch, Black Sticks blokes have a sneaky opportunity for progress with the World Cup in India. The last few years have delivered obvious niggle, but that this plateau of mediocrity was present prior to 2020. There is little support around the best players to keep them invested in Black Sticks hockey and the systems in Aotearoa no longer produce world-class players as they once did.
Last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham was the first time neither Black Sticks team received a medal. Stack the Tokyo Olympic games results on top of this with the blokes finishing 9th and wahine finishing 8th. There was a splash of positivity as the women finished 5th at last year's World Cup, although not winning a Commonwealth Games medal a few weeks later was a bummer.
For the blokes and their upcoming World Cup, recent results suggest that this trend could continue. Aotearoa drew with Scotland and lost to South Africa at the Commonwealth Games, which serves as a sobering dose of reality for kiwi hockey folk. Late last year Aotearoa played four Pro League games with two games against India and Spain respectively, which featured three losses and a shootout win.
The Black Sticks lads conceded 3+ goals in all three of those losses, conceding 11 goals in two games against India. The shootout win came after a 1-1 draw with Spain. Aotearoa now enters a World Cup where they will play Chile, Netherlands and Malaysia in Pool C.
It will be tricky for the Black Sticks not to reach the crossover stage as three of these four teams qualify. Netherlands is one of the best teams in the world, defeating Aotearoa 3-4 and 0-3 in two games prior to the Com Games last year. Aotearoa will be eager to bank wins against Chile on Saturday evening (NZT) and against Malaysia in their final pool game later next week.
Chile has risen up to join Argentina as South American nations at this tournament, giving international hockey a lovely presence around the world. The rise of Chilean hockey provides an intriguing gauge for Black Sticks and their standing at this World Cup. Aotearoa started slow against Scotland in their first Com Games fixture and a stink result against Chile would flow into a tough encounter with Netherlands. Black Sticks should have enough talent and mana to win those games against Chile and Malaysia though.
Defence will be crucial for the kiwis. In their Pro League games last year, Black Sticks put themselves under pressure with midfield turnovers and lacklustre marking. Blair Tarrant and Kane Russell will be key figures in the defensive unit, while the presence of Nick Ross in the squad bolsters central midfield alongside skipper Nic Woods.
Ross has exceptional ball-control and can work out of tight spaces which compliments the distribution of Woods. Tarrant could strengthen the central defence zone behind Ross and Woods, otherwise there is encouraging balance in how these experienced players could operate.
Further up the field, Simon Child is brewing as the most important Black Sticks player. Child is a fulcrum of Black Sticks attacking movements, dropping deeper into midfield pockets to pounce on play-making opportunities. Child is still a world-class player who is quick to fire in the circle and without the ball, he will be a menace for opposition defenders who dwell in possession.
The balance of players around Child could be a seed of optimism. Jake Smith, Sam Lane, Sam Hiha and Kim Kingstone are all capable of gritty running. This is boosted by creative midfielders in Aidan Sarikaya, Sean Findlay and Hayden Phillips. The connection between Child and the midfield could be a fun wrinkle to enjoy, especially as the other strikers will be bursting into space when Child has the ball.
Black Sticks play hockey like most kiwi sports teams. They could enjoy success at this World Cup by being a rugged defensive unit that is quick to make the most of any attacking opportunities - especially with Russell, Woods and Lane as drag-flickers. There will be reason for concern if Black Sticks struggle defensively against Chile and Malaysia, while the Netherlands game will be an opportunity to play as the plucky, gritty underdog.
Recent Aotearoa hockey mahi suggests that this will be another mediocre international event for Black Sticks. They are highly unlikely to make the semi-finals, they may not even crack the quarter-final stage even after finishing 2nd in their pool. That's the reality of kiwi hockey right now and despite that, Black Sticks still have the tools for an impressive World Cup campaign.
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