Dutch Rout Germany as the Orange Eye Field Hockey Gold
Sophie Klooster scores twice for the Netherlands in the run-up to battles against Argentina and the United States at the 19th Maccabiah.
Sophie Klooster racked up two goals as she and her little sister Teddy led the Netherlands to a 5-0 rout of the Germans in a Maccabiah field hockey contest Sunday.
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Field Hockey is one of the Netherlands' most popular sports, and the Dutch are favorites to win the gold.
Sophie Klooster is the team's star; she's also one of the faces of the 19th Maccabiah. Even though huge ads featuring her visage have been vandalized in Jerusalem, she says she's proud to be playing in Israel.
This is the second Maccabiah for Klooster, who has been playing field hockey since she was 10. Her father played, too.
"I came to Israel for the first time after my grandparents told me I had to visit, and I really love the idea of the Jewish connection and connecting with the people here," she says.
Klooster isn't seriously considering making aliyah, though she says she once thought about it after a visit here. The Dutch play Argentina on Monday and the United States on Tuesday – the other two field hockey teams in the Maccabiah.
All games are played in Ra'anana, with the final to take place on Thursday afternoon.