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At the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 in Delhi, Germany topped Pool A by beating New Zealand (5-2) while The Netherlands fell to Korea (1-2). The semi-finals will oppose Germany to England, and Australia to the Netherlands.

Germany takes top spot in pool after a facile win

S. Thyagarajan

— Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT: Members of the German team acknowledge the crowd's cheers after the thumping win over New Zealand on Tuesday.

New Delhi: Defending champion Germany and the Netherlands joined England and Australia to complete the semifinal line-up in the Hero Honda hockey World Cup on Tuesday.

By Patrick Rowley in New Delhi

England were joined by two more European teams, Holland and Germany, in the World Cup semi-finals on the final day of the pool matches.

s2h Team

The semifinalists are here. The Netherlands will land against Australia while Germany take on England in the semifinals.

C Rajshekhar Rao

New Delhi: The dominance of the European teams was highlighted once again as three from the continent made it to the semifinals of the FIH Hero Honda World Cup. After favourites Australia and aspirants England had ensured knockout berths on Monday, defending champions Germany and three-time winners The Netherlands too advanced, though with contrasting last outings.

Vaibhav Sharma

Well, in the end all one could say was, “If only Kiwis could fly”. For if they could, then the aerial route would have been one easy way to bail out of the thrashing Germany handed them in their match for the 2010 FIH Hero Honda Hockey World Cup.

NEW DELHI: Defending champions Germany outclassed New Zealand 5-2 on Tuesday to join England and Australia in the semi-finals of the men's field hockey World Cup.

The Black Sticks played their best 20 minutes of hockey at the World Cup this morning (NZT) but were still beaten 5-2 by defending champions Germany to come up well short of their target of a top four or, at worst, top six finish.

An under-strength New Zealand were exposed as they fell well short of their target of a top four finish at the hockey World Cup at New Delhi, India .

By Terry Maddaford

No one could blame Black Sticks coach Shane McLeod if he hung a "have stick, can score goals, apply here" sign on his hotel door.

German captain not completely happy

Y.B. Sarangi

— Photo: AFP

SO NEAR...Kim Young Jin cannot hide his tears after Korea failed to make the semifinals.

NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding its 1-2 defeat to Korea in the last pool match on Tuesday, the Netherlands team was happy that it made the semifinals of the hockey World Cup after a gap of eight years.

M.S.Unnikrishnan

Korea rallied to stun The Netherlands 2-1 to catch up with the former champions on ten points but a minus one-goal difference did the Asian champions in from getting a semifinal berth from Group A in the 12th Hero Honda FIH World Cup Hockey Championship at the National Stadium here tonight.

Errol D'Cruz

NEW DELHI: How often do you see a losing team celebrate? The Dutch did just that on Tuesday as South Korea hung their heads even after winning 2-1 at the Major Dhyan Chand National stadium.

AGE CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, March 9: “Congratulations to the Netherlands and I have nothing else to say,” remarked Korea coach Jae Hyeon Kim as he sat stunned after the 2-1 win over the Dutch in their last Pool A encounter of the Hockey World Cup here on Tuesday.

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Zealand’s Steve Edwards (left) tries to get past Germany’s Martin Huner, in New Delhi, on Tuesday. (AP)

New Delhi: Asian champions South Korea’s desperate search for one more goal in the last few minutes remained elusive as the Netherlands made the semi-finals of Hero Honda World Cup despite a 1-2 defeat at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: A plucky South Korea fought back superbly from a goal deficit to stun three-time champions the Netherlands 2-1 in an action-packed match but that was not enough to qualify for the semi-finals of the hockey World Cup on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Asian champions South Korea defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the men’s field hockey World Cup on Wednesday, but still lost out on a semi-final spot to the Dutch.

NEW DELHI: Lowest ranked Argentina overcame a late fightback from Canada to score a 4-2 victory and set up a clash with India for seventh-place play-off in the hockey World Cup on Tuesday.

Vaibhav Sharma

Good teams score when there is a chance to, and better ones score whenever there is a need to. Argentina, on the day, were the better team as they scored almost at the final whistle, to down a spirited Canada 4-2 in their FIH Hero Honda World Cup match at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here tonight.

Argentina overcome Canada in the last league match to set up their next clash with hosts India.

By Prateek Srivastava

Argentina defeated Canada 4-2 in the last pool A match at the National Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Delighted with his low ranked side's impressive showing in the hockey World Cup, Argentina coach Pablo Lombi said the South American team's improved performance in the mega event would open up doors of opportunities for the development of the game back home.

By Cathy Harris

The form of Ashley Jackson will be crucial against the reigning Olympic and world champions (Danish Ismail)

England will take on Germany, the reigning Olympic and world champions, in the semi-finals of the World Cup at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Thursday. The play-off is a repeat of last summer’s European championship final when England triumphed 5-3 to earn a famous victory.

TV Coverage: Live coverage of England's semi-final at 1235 GMT on Thursday, 11 March on the BBC Red Button

England must defeat Olympic champions Germany to reach the men's Hockey World Cup final after South Korea beat the Netherlands in their final group game.

The Kookaburras will face old rivals the Netherlands in the semi final of the 2010 World Cup on Thursday 11 March.

Australia are set to play the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the hockey World Cup after the Dutch edged through at the expense of South Korea on goal difference.

Harpreet Kaur Lamba

South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje sparked a controversy when he used an earpiece during the 1999 World Cup to take instructions from coach Bob Woolmer during his side’s victory over India at Hove.

Uthra G Chaturvedi

Maurits Hendriks is a much-travelled man. He was an advisor to the short-lived but hugely successful Premier Hockey League in India, besides leading the Spanish men’s team to the 2003 Champions Challenge, the 2004 Champions Trophy, and the 2005 European Nations Cup, after starting his international career with an Olympic gold for the Dutch in 2000. He’s also been involved with coaching in Korea.

Dutch Olympic gold-winning coach Marc Lammers believes the Asian style of hockey is not dead, but needs some changes.

By Anshul Baijal

The Asian sides have taken a major pounding at the 2010 hockey World Cup, with India fighting for a 7th-8th spot while Pakistan will play for 11th-12th position. Korea remains the only Asian nation to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals. But Marc Lammers, who guided the Netherlands women's hockey team to gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, believes the Asian style of hockey is not dying but it needs some modifications.

Harpreet Kaur Lamba

Sohail Abbas couldn’t help but smile at the irony when a Pakistani journalist suggested that the drag-flicker’s poor form had led to Pakistan’s downfall in the 12th Hockey World Cup here.

By Anand Philar

India's final position is in the 7-8 bracket at the 12th men's Hockey World Cup. Ultimately, the fracas over a denied goal and consequent victory against South Africa last night did not impact India's standings in the pool, although Pakistan would have avoided playing for the 11-12 slots.

C Rajshekhar Rao

New Delhi: Chief coach Jose Brasa does not have the luxury of looking at other options when it comes to preparing for the two big hockey championships — Commonwealth Games and Asian Games — that India will figure in this year.

Alok Sinha

NEW DELHI: The group stage is over, India are in line to finish seventh and there is little excitement about that. Hockey has come home after years and that surely has got something to do about this despondency.

NEW DELHI: After India failed yet again to finish in the top bracket at the Hockey World Cup, the experts have a simple panacea: Raise fitness levels or perish. They feel only a fit side that can play total hockey can survive internationally.

The Indian hockey team has found support in Olympic and World Championship bronze medalist boxer Vijender Singh.

In an exclusive interview, Pakistan’s most capped hockey star, Waseem Ahmed talks to espnstar.com about his team’s failure at the World Cup.

By Rajarshi Gupta

After 324 matches for a mercurial and talented Pakistani side, Waseem Ahmed has little to prove. However, there was not much his team could do to justify his place as perhaps the most consistent mid-fielder in the world.

NEW DELHI: Australia’s national coach Ric Charlesworth was surprised to see Pakistan adopting the European style of play against them in the last Pool B match of the Hockey World Cup here on Monday. “It’s a bit of a paradox. Pakistan was defending and counter-attacking just like the European teams do and we were defending,” said Charlesworth. “Pakistan were a better lot compared to others teams in the group, but were just unlucky.”

The News Internationalv

By our correspondent

KARACHI: Adding insult to injury, Pakistan’s hockey players were on Tuesday accused of throwing away their big World Cup match against old rivals India in New Delhi on February 28. Media reports have suggested that at least two national team players were involved in match-fixing and deliberately under-performed in the match against India which Pakistan surprisingly lost 4-1. However, team officials rubbished such allegations, saying that Pakistan lost that match because they played badly in it. “It’s all rubbish,” Shahid Ali Khan, the Pakistan coach, told ‘The News’ from New Delhi on Tuesday. “There is no truth in reports that the boys threw away the match. It’s just that we played badly and lost,” added the former Olympian. Pakistan never really overcame the morale-shattering defeat against the Indians and went on to finish at the bottom of Pool B after suffering four defeats from five games.

The News International

By Khalid Hussain

KARACHI: Asif Bajwa was on Tuesday singled out as the man responsible for Pakistan’s disastrous campaign in the ongoing Hockey World Cup.

NEW DELHI: Pakistan hockey team coach, Shahid Ali Khan while terming hockey team’s performance in 12th world cup here as “the worst” said team management has to review the situation and take decisions accordingly on return.Talking to APP, Shahid Ali Khan said he also takes responsibility for team’s poor performance where senior players could not deliver.

ISLAMABAD, Mar 9 (APP): Pakistan lost their last Pool B encounter to Australia 1-2 and finished as the bottom placed team in the group. Pakistan Coach Shahid Ali Khan called for the sacking of senior players following his team’s ruinous Hockey World Cup campaign.

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Sport (NASCS) will grill the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) officials and members of the national team following the Pakistan’s poor performance at the FIH Hockey World Cup in New Delhi.

KARACHI: The National Assembly (NA) Sports Standing Committee will grill Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) officials and national players following the team's disastrous showing in the Hockey World Cup in New Delhi.

KARACHI: Pakistan's hockey captain Zeeshan Ashraf on Tuesday offered to retire from international hockey following his team's poor performance in the World Cup.

AGE CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, March. 9: The blistering speed with Julian Hykes enters the striking circle is a treat to watch. The tall and sturdy, the South African was the first goal scorer of the 12th edition of the hockey World Cup, but few would have imagined the the same player also slams fours and sixes for the Border province team team back home.

V Narayan Swamy

NEW DELHI: Team referrals in hockey will be reviewed soon, with the contentious instances at the Hero Honda World Cup likely to shape future opinion about such appeals and the course they would take.

s2h Team

Hockey is already a complex game to understand and enjoy. Ninety percent of spectators, officials, media and everyone connected with the sports will have no clue whatsoever on umpires’ decisions on the field.

NEW DELHI: The video referral system at the hockey World Cup may have disappointed many but New Zealand coach Shane McLeod and his German counterpart Markus Weise feel the newly-introduced system is a valuable addition to the game and only needs some fine-tuning.

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi: With the Indian camp still fuming over the video referral system that cost the home team a “genuine” goal against South Africa on Monday, the hockey fraternity here is divided over the effectiveness of the rule that has been introduced in the World Cup for the first time.

s2h Team

Indian coaching staff yesterday found to their dismay the pitch is not sufficiently watered before the start of the South Africa match.

Prabhjot Singh writes from New Delhi

Major Dhyan Chand National Hockey Stadium, the venue of the ongoing 12th World Cup Hockey Tournament, has been a mute spectator to India’s emergence and growth as a host of major sporting events. When India offered to host the inaugural Asian Games in 1951, this Stadium was formally inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and dedicated to the nation.

Shubhodeep Chakravarty

Over the years, opinion has been divided on whether the artificial turf has caused standards to plunge in the sub-continent. Astroturf, self-pass, short corners are changes that have favoured the Europeans and Australians more, hence their success in recent years.