1912 Olympic Games Official Report Part 2

could not get past Göbel who, during this portion of the game, simply surpassedhimself. Towards the close play became a bit rough, while several decisions ofthe referee’s did not seem to be very palatable to the supporters of the Austrians.The best men amongst Holland’s team were Göbel (in goal) the backs and theleft wing of the forwards, while Braunsteiner, Studnicka and Müller played a goodgame for Austria.SEMI=FINALS.GREAT BRITAIN v. FINLAND. 4—0.The Stadium, Tuesday, 2 July, 3 p.m.ENGLAND: (forwards, from left): E. G. D. Wright, G. Hoare, H. Walden, VivianWoodward, I. Sharpe; (half-backs): J. Dines, H. Stamper, H. C. Littlewort; (backs):A. E. Knight, T. C. Burn; (goal): K. G. Brebner.FINLAND: (forwards, from left): A. Niska, J. Öhman, A. Nyyssönen, B. Wiberg,R. Wickstrom; (half-backs): V. Lietola, E. A. Soinio, K. Lund; (backs): G. Löfgren,J. Holopainen; (goal): A. Syrjäläinen.Referee: R. Gelbord (Sweden).Finland, although a freak of Fortune had allowed it to reach the semi-final, hadnot, of course, the least chance of beating Great Britain, but the team in its game withits redoubtable opponent, played a far better game than in any of its other matcheson Swedish soil. The forwards worked really well together; the half-backs gavevery effective support to the attack, and the backs were of the “do or die” type.Great Britain, which was giving a rest to a couple of its best men, playedmerely to win the match, and not to break any record by piling up goals. Theyvery carefully avoided all collisions with the powerfully-built, tough Finlanders,but played a fine passing game, with plenty of science, so as to win with theleast possible expenditure of energy.The game, in consequence, did not present any features of very absorbinginterest and a very few words will suffice to describe it in full. Sharpe, who,on this occasion, took Arthur Berry’s place as Vivian Woodward’s companion onthe right wing, made a beginning immediately after the start by centering with aslow, falling ball towards the goal, which Holopainen, in his anxiety to clear, managedto put into the net. Everyone believed that goal would succeed goal in lightingsuccession when, scarcely 5 minutes later, Sharpe centered another ball which wasconverted by Walden, who was a bit livelier than the rest of the British forwards.Constantly on the defensive, the Finnish rear men began to be a little carelessas to the methods they employed, but when at the end of a quarter of an houra penalty kick was awarded to Great Britain, the leaders seem to consider thatthis was altogether too severe a punishment, and the ball was ostentatively put overthe cross-bar. During the remainder of the first half the impression grew strongerand stronger that the British team was playing with its opponent as a cat playswith a mouse; beautiful and well combined attacks finishing with careless shotsin every direction but the right one.The second forty-five minutes was of the same character as the first, although,during the first portion of the time, the Finlanders enjoyed a very good deal ofthe play. Nyyssönen lead a number of good attacks, but Brebner, who once ortwice put his hand to the ball, never really had to do much behind men like491