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BEIJING - New Zealand lost any chance of a men's Olympic Games hockey medal when they lost 1-3 to Germany in their final pool match today, making a horror start to a game they had to win.
Needing to beat the world champions to finish in the top two in Pool A, New Zealand were 0-2 down after nine minutes.
German captain Timo Wess scored from a penalty corner in the fourth minute, then Matthius Witthaus deflected in a screamer five minutes later.
Germany had little trouble quelling New Zealand efforts to mount a revival, mounting nine shots on goal to just one against in the first 35 minutes.
Strikers Phil Burrows, seven minutes before the interval, and Simon Child, one minute after it, saw clear chances go begging.
New Zealand entered the second half knowing they had to score three times to stay in the medal hunt, when they had managed only one shot on goal and no penalty corners in the opening 35 minutes.
With 25 minutes to play, New Zealand at last forced a penalty corner, from which drag flick ace Hayden Shaw made no mistake.
That inspired a bout of "let's go Kiwis, let's go" previously subdued New Zealand fans.
Silence was restored and all hope crushed 10 minutes later, when German forward Florian Keller robbed the Black Sticks' defence.
Keller had no problem slipping the ball past goalkeeper Paul Woolford for a 3-1 lead, and the Black Sticks' coffin was all but nailed shut.
- NZPA
