Other results in the pool will decide Germany's fate

Florian Fuchs got Germany off to a flying start by smashing the ball past Devon Manchester in the Black Sticks goal with just two minutes on the clock. This signalled the start of a German revival at this World Cup as they defeated the Black Sticks 5-3, but it still leaves the world number two team relying on a win by Korea over Argentina for the German side to progress through to the semi-finals. For the Black Stick's Andy Hayward it was a bitter-sweet game as he scored a hat-trick, but still ended on the losing team.

The opening goal came as Fuchs received a bouncing ball pass and, with superb timing, hit it on the bounce into the goal. Buoyed by that opening, Germany seemed set to go on a rampage as the Black Sticks gave their usual high energy performance but were unable to get a foothold in the game. Benedict Furk made a fabulous run in the ninth minute but the ensuing shot from Mats Grambusch went just wide of Devon Manchester's post. 

Despite the pressure from Markus Weise's men, it was not until near the end of the half that Germany made their next breakthrough and New Zealand by then had started to make in-roads. Andy Hayward was unlucky not to score from a penalty corner that Nicolas Jacobi turned outside his post, and Hugo Inglis was offered the chance to equalise when Simon Child threw an aerial with pin point accuracy from his defensive half to leave Inglis with just Jacobi to beat. With all the eyes in the stadium on him, Inglis missed the ball and was left to rue the moment.

At the other end of the pitch Furk, who had an excellent game, ran through the Black Sticks defence to win a penalty stroke. Christopher Zeller stepped up to take it, but saw his shot orbit over the goal. It was Martin Zwicker (31') who finally scored the inevitable second goal, he ran through the Black Sticks defence and shot home past Manchester to double the German lead. 

New Zealand then earned their second penalty corner of the game, and with two minutes left in the half, Andy Hayward (33') scored the first of his brace, with a thunderous drag flick that shot past Jacobi to reduce the German advantage. Their joy was short-lived however, as on the stroke of half-time Zeller mad dup for his earlier miss and shot home from a penalty corner to make it 3-1.

The second half was a four-goal thriller. Tobias Hauke showed his class to run through the Black Stick's defence to create the space for Zwicker (40') to score his second, and then both Child brothers, Simon and Marcus, had shots that whistled over the German crossbar. Hugo Inglis tested Jacobi in the goal with a great turn and shot, and then watched in dismay as Furk nicked in and scored Germany's fifth goal.

The Black Sticks didn't give up. As coach Colin Batch said: "These boys just never stop trying," and true to their form, the Black Sticks won a series of penalty corners, giving Andy Hayward his second (67') and third goals (70'). German coach Markus Weise said: "Obviously I was not pleased that we conceded goals in the last minutes and that is something that we must look at. But I am pleased that we put our goals away. That might change our momentum."

Coach Colin Batch said: "Germany got off to a great early start, and we got exposed too often as we chased the game. It would have been nice to have been at 2-1 at half-time, but to concede late in the half was disappointing."

The result leaves Germany on nine points, needing Korea to beat Argentina if they are to have any hope of making it to the semi-finals. New Zealand are on six points and currently lie fourth in the pool.