If you look at the statistics, you will attest the Canadian national hockey team a good effectiveness: 40 percent hit rate over the thumb.

The Germans weren't that good in their opening game of the Olympic tournament against the North Americans.

Otherwise it would have been twelve hits.

Anno Hecker

Responsible editor for sports.

  • Follow I follow

But it was enough for seven with one goal.

What makes one thing clear above all: partial statistics say little about what was seen on the field.

On Saturday evening, local time, a German selection that was superior in all respects: faster on your feet and in your head, more technically skilled, more constructive, more stable.

No hard work

The Germans let it go and ran at high speeds until the end.

The last goal for the premiere at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo was achieved by Mats Grambusch 5.8 seconds before the end.

Minutes later, Captain Tobias Hauke ​​answered questions.

His jersey stuck to his skin, soaked with sweat.

After the humid heat during the day, it was pleasant in the evening with around 25 degrees Celsius and a light breeze blowing across the blue playing field.

Hard work was not necessary to meet the tradition of German opening presentations.

Of the twenty-one premiere games at the Olympics, the Germans won 16, three were lost, the last in Atlanta in 1996.

This is how you can start.

With the result also like to stop in the final.

Hockey heart, what more do you want?

But there is still a long way to go.

Canada did not offer itself as a sparring partner in an emergency.

Although it looked like that for a moment in the first quarter.

After Lukas Weidenfeder took the lead by penalty corner and a passable to sovereign game control, the Canadians equalized because the experienced Keegan Pereira (183 internationals) enjoyed too much leeway in the circle.

A wake-up call.

"It showed that we have the quality to be able to stay calm," said Florian Fuchs.

It also looked like this from the outside.

Nothing changed in the dominance until the last second, in the switchover after successful interception.

Clean moves in the majority game up to the free-standing Christopher Rühr.

The best thing about the 2: 1 in the second quarter was the exact walking paths, combined with sparkling clean passes, back and forth to confuse the opponents, as if pre-painted for a textbook record.

So it went on, beautifully variable: stir from the background (3: 1), Winfeder per penalty corner (4: 1) before the break, then Martin Haner (5: 1 / penalty corner), Niklas Bossendorf after counter and finally Grambusch with a solo interlude (7: 1).

Hockey heart, what more do you want?

Everything has to fit for gold

An answer to the question of what this success is worth at the beginning of the tournament, since Canada, effectiveness or not, felt only two and a half times on goal. “That was a great start,” said team captain Tobias Hauke, “everyone found their way.” Who, if not Hauke, knows what the first game of the most important tournament in a hockey player's career can mean for the development of a team. He was part of the gold team in Beijing in 2008, the Olympic championship community in London 2012, the team that won bronze in Rio and wants more in Tokyo than just completing Hauke's set of medals.

Everything has to fit with the Germans.

Favorites are others.

The Belgians, the world champions, beat the European champions, the Netherlands 3-1 on Saturday.

They, in turn, had defeated national coach Kais al Saadi in the European Championship final.

The Germans will meet both of them in another four games over the next six days.

Until then there should be fine-tuning (for the game against Great Britain).

"There are a few things that we can do better," said Fuchs, "subtleties in receiving the ball, making the simple things very precise." And working on what had caused the Germans pain recently: "In the second half", added Hauke, "we weren't quite as consistent anymore."

There won't be that many chances against the Netherlands, Belgium, maybe someday against Australia, the world's number one.

And probably not seven penalty corners (three hits) of which Canada fended off four, some blocking with their bodies.

The hockey people say something belittling with the “body run off”.

What that means?

A Canadian fended off the tough hockey ball with the use of his shin, which elicited a short scream and forced him to kneel for a few seconds, before he would "run off" again with the repetition.

Three things can be deduced from these scenes: The Germans will need further variants and will probably also show them.

Canada has a good statistic in “body draining”.

And hockey doesn't seem to be for professional footballers.