FHumpires.com
Day One at the Indoor World Cup
February 09 2011
My first match of the Indoor World Cup was between European Champions Austria and upstart Iran. The grand scale of this tournament is evident in the enormous hall that will be our host for the next 6 days. Despite what could become an overwhelming situation I was feeling very confident and calm going down to the pitch surface.
Setting the Stage
My colleague for the match was Gary Simmonds of South Africa. I first met Gary 3 years ago while touring South Africa with the men’s national team, and more recently was appointed to the Pan Am Indoor Cup with him. He is a giant of a man and one of the best in the world, not to mention a fantastic person off the pitch. I couldn’t have been more pleased to start my world cup experience with him.
The two teams had traded victories leading up to this event and Iran had been impressive in a recent tournament in Russia. Gary and I were facing what, on paper, could be a very interesting and hotly contested match. I had umpired the Austrians last year and it was gratifying to see that they remembered me when we shook hands prior to the match. It was also clear to me that the Iranians were beaming at representing their country at a world cup and I wondered if they felt any pre-game jitters.
Hitting Home
I did not feel anxious until I took my position on my side-line. As soon as I got there I felt a rush of adrenaline wash over me, a hot & cold surge that covered me from head to toe. My immediate thought was to mask my emotions as best as possible so that I didn’t look like I was nervous. I just hoped that the one camera on Pitch 2 wasn’t looking at me and remained on the players until I could regain my composure. The moment was fleeting and I was able to settle in for the start of the match.
My goal for the match was to remain as calm as possible and maintain control through a more subdued attitude. It was proving difficult to get into the match with most of the action happening in Gary’s half. My first decision didn’t occur until at least five minutes into the half, which is a very long time in indoor hockey.
Game On
The Austrians were looking very strong and and were keeping the Iranians pinned with great possession skills. Their first penalty corner resulted in a brilliant goal and was followed up by another goal, the result of an incredible individual effort.
The second half picked up where the teams left off, however Iran seamed to recognize that the novelty had worn off and had a more business like demeanour. If they pressed the Austrians simply absorbed the attack with solid tackling and quickly transitioned. One instance in particular saw an Austrian forward drive through 4 Iranian defenders, managing to get through several rough challenges and finally scoring with a diving shot. I felt really good because I had allowed a good advantage that allowed the player to get the shot off. A highlight reel goal if ever their was one. When the game was over I felt very pleased with my performance and our performance as a team.
Coming Back to Earth
During my debrief it was a different matter. It was pointed out that I was not up to speed and at times seemed to be content with letting Gary do all the work. I was reacting instead of anticipating and it meant that I was frequently out of position or stood stock still watching. Technically everything was fine, but I was not ready to umpire the top teams with such a performance. It was an incredibly blunt assessment and I will admit I was not prepared for it. While it was a shock to the ego I fully admit that the comments were absolutely bang on and I spent the remainder of the day processing what I had done and more importantly what I needed to do the next day.
Something we don’t usually get is video of our games but at the world cup they hand you a disc of your match the evening of it. If your match is on Pitch 1 you get the added bonus of seeing your match through the latest game breakdown software and can analyze some of the more crucial decisions. I woke up early on the second day and decided to use the time watching my game video while at breakfast. It is an awesome tool to recognize how you did on certain decisions and how you come across on TV. This is important from a performance standpoint because how you communicate with players is clearly evident on the screen.
DayTwo looks to be a busy one with me reserving two matches and umpiring one: Namibia vs. The Netherlands. Can’t wait to put the lessons learned on day one into practice.
