In an exclusive interview with epnstar.com, the Germany striker expressed his regret after finishing second at the World Cup.

By Adarsh Vinay

Disappointment was written all over German striker Florian Fuchs' face after his side went down 2-1 to Australia in the hockey World Cup final.

"We came here with great expectations. The whole team is devastated by the loss. To reach so close and then to have to settle for second, it's not the same," Fuchs said.

Despite his young age, Germany were banking on the 18-year-old to get the goals. With four strikes, he finished as Germany's topscorer in the tournament but ultimately that was not enough.

"We had a lot of players in our team who got on the scoresheet. I think there were around 12-13 players who were on target for us throughout the tournament, so there was no extra pressure on me to get the goals," said Fuchs.

But he admitted that he could have done better. "My performance wasn't bad considering it was my first World Cup. I learnt a lot and it was a great experience. But I could have done better, especially in the semifinal and final. I should have been more clinical," he said.

Fuchs is determined to put the disappointment behind him and is already looking forward to make amends. "We will now focus on the Champions Trophy later this year. Then we have the European championship next year and finally the London Olympics in 2012. This defeat is not the end of the world," he concluded.