Germany and the Netherlands played out a 2-2 draw in Pool B in front of a sold out crowd of 12,000 noisy fans at the men's field hockey World Cup Championship here Saturday.
With only four points from three matches, Netherlands must win their next two matches against England and India to have a chance of making the semi-finals from Pool B. Three penalty corners went unconverted in the scoreless first half.
Netherlands goalkeeper Guus Vogels saved conversion attempts by Jan Montag and Timo Wess and Ulrich Bubolz in Germany's goal parried one low flick from Taeke Taekema and two rebound attempts which followed.
Ignace Tirkey picked up a clearance by Chris Hibbert, South Africa's goalkeeper, to the top of the circle and drove India's first goal through Hibbert's pads midway through the first half. Adrian D'Souza in India's goal saved Ian Symons penalty corner conversion after the half-time hooter. Ian Symons converted South Africa's third penalty corner, flicking low inside the left post seven minutes from the final hooter.