‘How can you play hockey like that?’ Dutch players revel in ‘amazing’ team goal

Terrassa — “It was an amazing team goal. It must be in my top two, perhaps the best one.” So Eva de Goede told The Hockey Paper in the tunnels beneath the Estadi Olimpico after the Netherlands had lifted their ninth Women’s World Cup title.

The Dutch great was referring to the part she played in one of hockey’s greatest team goals –  a collective of six Oranje in a sweeping move the length of the pitch in 16 seconds or so.

Under the cosh deep in their 23m as Las Leonas tried to rally from 2-0 down, the Oranje went into clockwork mode. Having blocked Sofia Toccalino’s run, the move essentially started with Maria Verschoor calmly finding Margot van Geffen near the baseline.