Hoffenheim, Hockey and Holland

Holland's most wanted

Hockey is growing all the time in Germany. But in Holland, it is the most popular sport, even ahead of football. Edson and Ryan, who hail from Amsterdam, both attest to that fact. “Hockey is big in the Netherlands, but I chose football. I was always better at football”, says the former. Ryan was candid about his relationship with the game: “I was more interested in the girls on the hockey team, rather than sport in general”, he grins.

Germany vs. Holland

Holland and Germany have a massive sporting rivalry, and with hockey it's no different. Germany actually defeated Holland in the final of the European Championships in Mönchengladbach in 2011, but both nations consistently rank among the top sides in the world. Today's game was an altogether more laid back affair, however. After a few pointers and basic tips, Edson and Ryan got into the swing of things very quickly. Witthaus was impressed with the ease with which both men reacclimatized to the sport they played as youngsters. “You can tell that they've played the game before and that they have a feel for it.”

In spite of a fun afternoon, the guys weren't thinking too seriously about a career change. “It's starting to give me a backache”, remarked Ryan, while Edson agreed: “I think we'll stick to playing with a bigger ball!”