The topper between SCHC and Den Bosch ended Sunday afternoon in 2-2, but the main issue was Pien Sanders’ red card. After her second yellow – twelve minutes before the end – she had to leave the field. ‘I didn’t throw that thing against his head on purpose, did I?’
When the topper between the archrivals ended and SCHC equalized in the closing seconds through Renée van Laarhoven, captain Pien Sanders clambered back over the fence. In the circle of Den Bosch, she takes the floor. Emotionally, she tells how proud she is of her team and thanks her teammates with tears in her eyes. At the same time, she shares how much she regrets what happened just before. Her words also touch the rest of the team; one by one, her teammates give her a hug.
‘I’m embarrassed my eyes out of my head,’ Pien Sanders says on the other side of the field. ‘This is just painful. I think a lot of it, but I can’t say all that.’
Back to the topper, which turned into a game full of emotion and cards after halftime. At the end of the first quarter, Pien Sanders received her first yellow card. The Den Bosch captain got to Elzemiek Zandee too late and hit the SCHC midfielder with her stick. Sanders was immediately guilty and sought the penalty bench. ‘I just timed badly. I expect myself to do better,’ she balks. Barely back on the court, she was presented with a second yellow card by referee Job Baan 12 minutes before the end. This time because her knee pad accidentally flew against the referee’s upper arm just after a corner. Since this season such a moment is punished with yellow, and twice yellow means red.
Tears for Pien Sanders. Photo: Willem Vernes
‘I do it by accident’
‘I don’t look at the referee, I don’t do it on purpose. I don’t throw that thing against his head on purpose,’ Pien Sanders stammered. Full of disbelief, she explains her side of the story: ‘It happened accidentally, without intention. But rules are rules. If he thinks he should give a red, he should. Only at that moment I just lacked some empathy. Such a moment defines the match.’
It was indeed the tipping point in the match, in which Den Bosch was leading 1-2, but was under full pressure. ‘You have to whistle in the spirit of the match at a moment like that, don’t you? That’s how I think about it. I have to be careful what I say, but I have seen it happen more often. And haven’t often seen a yellow card given for it. That’s what I want to say about it. It’s very unfortunate for me and my team that it does happen now.’
‘Giving red for a knee cap I find striking’
When Sanders saw the second yellow card go up in the air, she knew it – red immediately followed. A card she had never received before. Full of disbelief and incomprehension, she left the field. She stuck her thumb in the air on the way. Somewhat provocatively. ‘That may not be smart, but it’s in the heat of the moment. It’s pure emotion,’ she explained. ‘I could have done a lot more than a thumbs up, I can tell you,’ she grins. ‘That thumbs up might be a little arrogant, but I felt angry in that moment. Felt that something was being taken from me. I threw a little knee cap at the referee. Not hard at all. Accidentally. Then to give a red I find striking. Then she is silent for a moment. ‘At least I’m glad it wasn’t a slide. With two legs or something. Then I’ll just go into the history books like that.’
Photo: Willem Vernes
On the other side of the fence, tucked into a big winter coat, she spent the remainder of the game screaming her lungs out. ‘I thought we defended well. We were under full fire, but did mega well. Grabbed all those corners super nicely. And then you get a penalty ball after that corner,’ Sanders again let out a silence. I think something about that too. I think another corner would have been justified. I think Rosa (Fernig) fouled, but Anna (de Geus) really wasn’t in scoring position. I have never seen anyone score from the sideline with so many defenders between them. I really didn’t think it was a penalty ball.‘
A change in the rules?
A decision Den Bosch also disagreed with. But Sanders mostly looks at her own moment. ‘My team had to work very hard to make up for my mistake. That just feels like shit. Everyone around here thought it was a nonsensical card, but that doesn’t help me,’ she lamented. ‘Maybe something should be done about the regulations. If I did it on purpose. Or hit his head full. I’m in the race. Am not doing anything else. Maybe there should be a rule then that you get some time to take your stuff off. But that’s no longer of any use today.’
To say Sanders feels aggrieved is an understatement, but her sense of pride prevails. ‘We can really leave here with our heads up. We played 2-2 against SCHC and lost to Bloemendaal just last week. We managed to turn that around nicely.’ Then it remains to be seen what else the red card means. Whether Sanders will actually get a match suspension on her pants. ‘I would almost want to contest it then. We’ll see. If I’ve seen one thing at least, it’s that my team can do it without me.’
by Hockey.nl
