News 10 June 2014
All the news for Tuesday 10 June 2014
Australia, England book ticket to Semis; Spain drop Malaysia
An injury to captain fantastic Knowles blights Aussie win over India, Spain drop Malaysia, England excite in win over Belgium
(Photo: Stanislas Brochier)
It is the last day for pool A action at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 and the pool toppers have already been decided. Australia downed India 4-0 to perfect for five games while only conceding one goal and holding a +18 goal margin. Spain edged Malaysia in a heated contest. Gabriel Dabanch notched two to help Spain win 5-2. Also battling for key points in the pool are Belgium and England (19:45).
MEN Pool A: Australia v India 4-0 (4-0)
An explosive start by the world number one and reigning champions Australia cemented their position as pool A winners as they cracked in four goals to defeat India 4-0. But coach Ric Charlesworth was concerned to see his captain Mark Knowles leave the field on a stretcher following a neck injury sustained in a collision with an India player. The defeat for India means Terry Walsh's men are likely to finish fifth in the pool and they will face either Korea or South Africa for 9th/10th place. Australia will discover who they will face in the semi-finals on Tuesday with Argentina (who currently sit second in Pool B) the most likely candidates.
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MEN Pool A: Spain v Malaysia 5-2 (2-1)
Gabriel Dabanch scored twice to help Spain cruise to a 5-2 win over Malaysia in a highly-charged Pool A encounter in the GreenFields Stadium. The result means that Spain finish 4th in Pool A and will play in the 7-8 Classification match against the team that finishes 4th in Pool B. That position is currently occupied by New Zealand's Black Sticks, but may change tomorrow when the final Pool B matches are played. Malaysia's 6th place finish means that they will compete in the 11th-12th place classification game against either Korea or South Africa.
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MEN Pool A: Belgium v England 2-3 (1-1)
A penalty in the 66th minute gave England a hard-earned 3-2 victory over their European rivals Belgium in a thrilling match in the Kyocera Stadium. The result means England progress to the semi-finals where an encounter with the home nation, the Netherlands, awaits. For Belgium the result means a fifth/sixth classification match against New Zealand or Germany, depending on tomorrow's results.
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For more results, schedule, highlights and more visit the event website at Rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com
FIH site
Hockeyroos hold on in the heat of the Hague, Maartje drains two in home team win, Japan and Belgium draw
First goal-less draw of World Cup leaves Black Sticks out of the race, Netherlands go undefeated after win over Korea, Belgium bottom out
(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)
On the final day of Pool A match ups, the New Zealand Black Sticks women were ousted from semi-final hopes after the first scoreless draw occurred in The Hague. The Australian Hockeyroos held on to their 0-0 score line and it was enough to bring them one step closer to the medal rounds. Also happening today to wrap up Pool A play is Netherlands and Korea (16:00 CET), as well as Japan and Belgium (17:30 CET).
WOMEN Pool A: New Zealand v Australia 0-0 (0-0)
Only a win would do if the Black Sticks were to maintain any hope of making it to the semi-finals of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014, but the 0-0 draw that was played out between New Zealand and Australia was notable only for a high turnover of the ball and one controversial referral decision: goal scoring opportunities for either side were far and few between. Early indications were that this would be a battle royal between the two Oceanic rivals, ranked four (Hockeyroos) and five (Black Sticks), but instead cagey play and some poor decision-making rendered it a game that had goal-less draw written all over it.
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WOMEN Pool A: Netherlands v Korea 3-0 (1-0)
The Netherlands will be relieved to have taken three points from their last pool A match after Korea worked ceaselessly to get a result in this engrossing game at the Kyocera Stadium. It all looked to be going the way of the Oranje when Naomi van As (3') opened the scoring with a rebound shot, following Lee Sinhye's initial save from a Maartje Paumen penalty corner. But the Koreans, led by their hard-tackling Kim Jongeun, had other ideas and if they had managed to make the most of their seven penalty corners then it could have been a very different story. The match finished 3-0, but the Netherlands team will be pleased they have a few days to recover from such a tough match before their semi-final match on Thursday.
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WOMEN Pool A: Japan v Belgium 2-2 (0-0)
A goal-less first period followed by four strikes in the second half saw Japan's Cherry Blossoms and Belgium's Red Panthers play out a 2-2 draw in their Pool A encounter in the GreenFields Stadium. The result was far better for Japan than it was for Belgium, giving the Asian Champions a fifth place finish in the pool to secure a spot in the 9-10 classification match. Belgium finish bottom of the Pool, and will play in the 11-12 classification game.
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For more results, schedule, highlights and more visit the event website at Rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com
FIH site
100% record for Kookas
Kookaburras beat India to progress to semis with maximum points from Pool A
A ferocious opening 25 minutes in which they scored four unanswered goals saw the Kookaburras progress to the semi-finals of the Hockey World Cup with a 100% record after beating India 4-0 to top Pool A with a maximum 15 points.
Kieran Govers’ third minute opener gave the Australian men the perfect start with Chris Ciriello doubling the advantage from a penalty corner in the 16th minute, firing his 80th goal for his country.
21 year old Jeremy Hayward made it 3-0 when he flicked home a rebound at a penalty corner, coolly slotting the ball over the shoulder of goalkeeper SreeJesh, who would go on to make a string out outstanding saves in the second half. Ciriello bagged his second and Australia’s fourth with a low penalty corner two minutes later.
The match was overshadowed by an injury to captain Mark Knowles who left the pitch on a stretcher after his head collided with the hip of S.V. Sunil with seven minutes of the first half remaining. After being taken to hospital for assessment, Knowles was discharged approximately an hour after the conclusion of the match and returned to the team hotel for rest. He is suffering from muscular pain and a headache and will be under the supervision of the team's medical staff over the coming days.
Early second half chances for Jake Whetton and Eddie Ockenden were thwarted by Indian ‘keeper Sreejesh who was well positioned to prevent Australia extending their advantage. And Sreejesh continued his inspired form with a string of saves as the half continued, including from Jake Whetton and Chris Ciriello.
Afterwards, Ric Charlesworth said that his side had achieved their first goal for the tournament, securing qualification to the medal matches.
He said, “We came here to get to the semi-final. We’re there. We were there the other day [after beating England]. “You get to this stage in the tournament and you just have to let the players play. They have a rhythm, they know what is required and it’s the execution on the field that is the critical bit.”
The Kookaburras also saw Jamie Dwyer sit out the latter part of the match and Matthew Swann come off after going over on his ankle.
Charlesworth admitted afterwards that the injuries to Knowles, Dwyer and Swann had an impact on his side but said they are well conditioned for such scenarios.
“It affects your rotations,” he admitted. “In the end we had three on the bench that weren’t playing. That makes everybody else work harder. We can do that. We train that way. We know that the training games we’ve been playing in Perth are at a higher tempo than the games we’re playing here. The players are able to handle that. That’s not a problem but when you have to play with two or three who are not able to pull their weight then everybody else has to work harder.”
The Kookaburras now have a break until Friday’s semi-final where they will play one of the Netherlands, Argentina, Germany or New Zealand. The final order in Pool B will be determined on Tuesday.
World Cup
The Hague, Netherlands
Pool A | Match 5
KOOKABURRAS 4 (4)
Kieran Govers 3 (FG)
Chris Ciriello 16, 22 (PC, PC)
Jeremy Hayward 20 (PC)
INDIA 0 (0)
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Hockey Australia media release
Australia too hot for India, hands down four - nil
s2h team
Ever-green Australia showed no mercy for India, as it heaped four goals by midway through the first half and then contended in being threatening but not fruitful in the last pool match for both at the Kyocera stadium.
Hot humid conditions did not deter precise Australia to pindown India, who almost seemed panicky in the beginning – though managed to do well in the entire second half – and let the game slip away from early minutes of the game.
As Ric Charlesworth, whose team has entered the semis the majestic way with all win record, pointed out they had a chance even in the first minute. Australian attacked from the beginning and the Indian defence which in the early part of the tournament withstood all pressures well in the initial phase, cracked easily.
After Kieran Goers tapped in from closer range in the third minute (1-0), Australia got easy penalty corners, what with Experienced Indian defender Raghunath in particular giving away twice, one for back tackle on the edge of the circle another by keep rooting his legs when a forward tries to manufacture a short corner. Chris Ciriello converted the first one, followed by Jeremy Hayward. The first conversion came in the 16th and the Haywards’ four minutes later (3-0).
Around this spell, each Australian entry threatened a goal, and only in the fitness of things two minutes later Criello fructified third penalty corner (4-0) in the 22nd minute.
A rout was then expected, but the Indians by now, relieved off pressure, pulled up their socks and offered good resistance.
A neck injury to captain Mark Knowells, a mini-motor had to come to the turf to take him off the turf for treatment, seemed to have cast a spell on the marauding side.
Indians managed to split the Australian defence on a few occasions, but the finish was not there, blind hitting at the cage did not help the matters either.
India almost got its first penalty corner around 40th minute, but a referral turned it down. First time the five matches, India did not earn a single penalty corner.
Australia could not score any more in the remainder of almost fifty minutes, and this spell offered good contest though India was mostly on the backfoot.
Its again Indian goalie PR Sreejesh was in his elements to stop a couple of good penalty corner attacks by the much well-oiled Aussie machine.
“We wanted to score every minute, every minute is an opportunity to score. We could have even scored in the first minute. We could not in the major part of the match, and it is how the matches are”, said Ric Charlesworth.
Stick2Hockey.com
Unbeaten Australia top Group A
THE HAGUE: Defending champions Australia confirmed their status as the top team in Group A when they ended the group phase unbeaten in the World Cup at the Kyocera Stadium in The Hague, Holland.
Australia whipped India 4-0 in their final group match on Monday.
Kieran Govers set Australia on the path to victory with a third-minute goal. Chris Ciriello was on target twice in the 16th and 22nd minutes. Jeremy Hayward netted the other goal in the 20th minute.
In the semi-finals, Ric Charlesworth’s Australia will play the runners-up of Group B, which will be decided today when Argentina play South Africa.
India will play in the ninth-10th classification match after Spain, who beat Malaysia 5-2 later in the day, pipped them to the fourth place in the standings.
The Star of Malaysia
India no match for Aussies
Lose 0-4 against defending champions to finish second-last in pool
The Hague - An explosive start by the world No. 1 and reigning champions Australia cemented their position as pool A winners as they cracked in four goals to defeat India 4-0.
But Australia coach Ric Charlesworth was concerned to see his captain Mark Knowles leave the field on a stretcher following a neck injury sustained in a collision with SV Sunil.
The defeat for India means Terry Walsh’s men finished fifth in the pool — Spain beat Malaysia 5-2 later in the day to take fourth position – and they will face either Korea or South Africa for 9th/10th place.
Australia opened their account in the third minute of the game with Kieran Govers scoring from open play.
Another worry for Australia was the early exit from play by Jamie Dwyer, who also sustained a slight injury.
In the 12th minute PR Sreejesh pulled off a great save as Matt Gohdes unleashed a fearsome shot, but even he was unable to stop the pin point precision of Chris Ciriello (16’) who made it 2-0 from a low drag-flick.
A run up field by Mandeep Singh was overturned and the ensuing penalty corner was turned to 3-0 by Jeremy Hayward (20’). Two minutes later, Ciriello scored his second of the match, another drag-flick that lodged in the bottom corner of the goal.
The second half was a much more subdued affair. Charlesworth explained that with three members of the squad on the bench with injuries, there were less players to rotate.
Walsh said: “Just because we didn’t concede in the second half that doesn’t mean that we were significantly better in that half — the heat had just gone out of the game.”
The Tribune
Australia thrash India 4-0
India posed no challenge to the table toppers as Australia were quick to score all fours goals in the first half.
THE HAGUE: India suffered a humiliating 0-4 loss against defending champions Australia in their final group league encounter of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, on Monday.
Asserting their strength, Australia built up a four-goal lead in the initial 22 minutes, before the Indian managed to re-group themselves and put up a stronger defence thereby denying the fancied rivals, a chance of scoring any more goals.
Kieran Govers opened the scoring with a field goal in the 27th minute. It was followed by three penalty corner strikers - two by Chris Ciriello and one by Jeremy Hayward. Australia topped Group A with maximum 15 points from five successive victories.
The Aussies players are on course to have another crack at the title as a present to their coach Ric Charlesworth, for whom this will be the last World Cup as he retires, later this year.
India finished their five pool matches with four points, gained from a victory over Malaysia and a draw with Spain.
India now await the result of the Spain-Malaysia result later today to know whether they finish fourth or fifth in the group. Spain have two points from four matches, while Malaysia have lost all their four games.
A draw or a Malaysian victory will help India finish in the fourth spot in the group, and then play-off for the seventh and eighth spots.
A Spanish victory will relegate India to the fifth spot in the pool, making them play for the ninth and 10th positions.
India managed to mouth a few raids, but the defence also regrouped and put up a stiffer challenge for the rival strikers. Australia today opened the game by pressuring the Indian defence into conceding an early goal.
Two strikers pressured defender VR Raghunath for space on top of the Indian circle, snatched the ball from him to raid the Indian goal in the third minute.
Simon Orchard then dribbled in the circle and sent a cross to Govers to shoot into the goal with the custodian already beaten by the cross.
India first came up to the rival circle in the 10th minute, but move wasted as Chinglensana Singh as his reverse push was misdirected and went out.
Australia then converted three successive penalty corners to take a 4-0 lead at half-time. The penalty corner conversions began with Ciriello placing his drag flick on the first penalty corner to the left of goalkeeper PR Sreejesh.
India then twice moved up to the rival circle, but misdirected passes continued to waste the hard work.
At the other end, the second Australian penalty corner was converted by Hayward in the 20th minute after Ciriello's initial shot had struck onrushing defender Raghunath.
Ciriello was on target two minutes later with a low flick that went through the Indian defenses.
The Indian goal had a narrow escape in the 27th minute when the ball went across the goalmouth twice during a melee.
In the next minute, SV Sunil managed to break into the rival circle from the left flank, but was crowded out. In trying to create space, he pushed Aussie skipper Mark Knowles, who seemed to have got hit on the neck and was carried off the pitch on a stretcher while play was held-up.
Australian player Robert Hammond had to undergo a two-minute suspension after receiving a green card for deliberate obstruction in the midfield.
India's defence held its ground on three Australian penalty corners in the second session and goalkeeper Sreejesh stepped up to pad away a try from striker Jacob Whetton midway in the second half.
India managed to break into the Australian circle with a sustained attack in the 47th minute, when the ball came to Yuvraj Walmiki, who sent his reverse hit straight to goalkeeper.
India's best chance to score a goal came in the 60th minute of play, when a sustained attack saw captain Sardar Singh square the ball to Dharamvir Singh on top of the circle. Dharamvir's shot was palmed away by custodian Andrew Charter.
The Times of India
Walsh admits outplayed India faced self-doubt
THE HAGUE: India coach Terry Walsh accepted that India were confronted by self-doubt in the face of intense pressure exerted by defending champions Australia in their World Cup league encounter at the Kyocera Stadium on Monday.
Australia raced to a four-goal lead in the initial 22 minutes, leaving the Indians stunned by the intensity of the Australian game. But the Indian team regrouped itself and denied any more goals to the title holders.
"Australia started quickly and they always do that. It shattered out confidence and the Indian team faced some self-doubt," said Walsh, a former Australian Olympian who took over as India coach six months ago.
Walsh said there was an element of "careless play" in the manner India conceded the first goal, when the ball was snatched from an Indian defenders on top of the circle and Kieran Govers opened the scoring with a field goal.
"We paid the penalty for being careless at the start," said Walsh.
It was followed by three penalty corner strikes -- two by Chris Ciriello and one by Jeremy Hayward -- before India managed to get their act together.
"We were outplayed in the first half, but were more competitive in the second half. We even managed to create a few chances and should have made use of them."
Indian captain Sardar Singh said the team was aware the Australians would come hard from the start.
"We knew Australia would be pressing, and we made some silly mistakes," he said.
Sardar said India were a young side and several players were playing in their first World Cup.
Walsh said the young side had some way to go. "These boys are not battle hardened. Most are playing their first major tournament," the coach said.
The Times of India
Australian women draw New Zealand 0-0 at hockey World Cup
THE HAGUE (Netherlands): Australia have been held to a 0-0 draw against New Zealand at the women's field hockey World Cup and can now only advance to the semifinals if the Netherlands beat South Korea in the final Group A match later on Monday.
South Korea must win the match against the first-placed Dutch to advance. New Zealand has been eliminated.
Both sides had chances to score in the first half, but Australia's Emily Hurtz had a goal disallowed and Krystal Forgesson's shot went wide for New Zealand.
Australian striker Jodie Kenny said afterward her side is playing well, though it needs to get find more opportunities to score. She's hopeful the team will clinch the semifinal spot.
The Times of India
’Roos secure semi finals
Aussie women draw 0-0 and advance to semi finals from second spot
The Hockeyroos qualified for the semi-finals of the hockey World Cup for the first time since 2006 with a tight 0-0 draw against rivals New Zealand. With the Netherlands beating Korea 2-0, the Hockeyroos finished second in Pool A, two points behind the Dutch and three ahead of Korea.
Australia might have won the match but for a disallowed goal early in the second half, which was awarded at first but overturned on appeal to the video umpire by the Black Sticks. Emily Hurtz thought she had given her side the lead with a deft deflection over the goalkeeper in the 38th minute only for the goal to be ruled out after replays showed Anna Flanagan had not attempted to stop the ball after being awarded a free hit in the build-up.
After the match, Hockeyroos Head Coach Adam Commens said he was pleased with the result.
He said, “It was a really hard fought match as it always is against New Zealand. I thought that they were particularly good in the first half and we were not at our best. It was warm today and we had a really high intensity match against the Netherlands [on Saturday night] and a short turnaround for this match and I think that we struggled a little physically to reach the level that we had the other night.
“On top of that we had a number of players that were not 100% physically fit in terms of illness and injury, which inhibited us to play with the energy that we had shown before. I thought it was a really gritty performance; in the second half we created chances to win the match as New Zealand did in the first half.”
Speaking after the Netherlands' win over Korea secured the Hockeyroos' semi-final place, Commens added, “It’s fantastic for the girls. We’ve put a lot of work in over the last 18 months since the Olympic Games and I think we’ve played a great brand of hockey here. We’ve been solid through the round matches, we played a fantastic match against the world number one team and now we’re right in this tournament.
“We’re not afraid of any opponent we come up against in the semi-final. We believe we can make it through to the final.
“Our group was physically and emotionally drained after the game against the Netherlands and I think we saw that against New Zealand. And to be honest, I think we saw that from the Dutch team in their match against Korea.
“We need to re-charge the batteries. We’ll have a pretty light day tomorrow, then we’ll work hard on scouting our opponent the day after with a small training run on the day of the match and then we’ll get into it.
“USA have been doing fantastic. They’re a team that plays with high pressure and we know Argentina well. I believe they will be the two teams that we may come up against and I think both sides are dangerous and equally we can get a result against both teams.”
Before the match, Kate Jenner received acknowledgement of her 100th appearance for Australia.
She said, “It’s a big stage at the World Cup to play your 100th game. I would have been happier with the win but it’s always a tough game against New Zealand and we knew that they were going to bring it. We had to lift our game and hold them out in the end.”
The game began at pace with Australian goalkeeper Rachael Lynch forced into a good one-on-one save from Olivia Merry in the eighth minute, followed soon after by a New Zealand penalty corner that was well defended but in the awarding of it, the Hockeyroos lost their video referral.
The Hockeyroos’ first opportunity saw Kellie White’s tomahawk fly over the bar before, moments later, Australia’s first penalty corner move broke down. A second chance from a corner followed soon after but passed without a goal. New Zealand might have gone in to the break a goal up but for Krystal Forgesson’s shot at the near post going wide.
Hurtz’s disallowed goal was the closest the second half came to producing a winner with both defences coming out on top and neither goalkeeper particularly busy after the break.
When asked afterwards about his desire to go for the win, Commens added, “We were generating enough chances to get the win. I didn’t see any need for us to play any more attacking or really go for the jugular for the win.
“It does show that international matches are all difficult and we’ve seen that throughout this World Cup. It’s great that they are like that but anyone talking about easy matches…there just are no easy matches. We saw that in our first three matches and again today. It’s just really tight. I think women’s hockey’s in a good place and the level is just getting better from all the teams and there’s going to be some interesting times in the coming years.”
Ashleigh Nelson will have an x-ray after being hit in the toe early in the match.
Should the Netherlands either beat or draw with Korea, the Hockeyroos will progress to the semi-finals as Pool A runners up and will face the Pool B winners – most likely USA or Argentina but possibly China - on Thursday.
World Cup
The Hague, Netherlands
Pool A | Match 5
HOCKEYROOS: 0 (0)
-
NEW ZEALAND BLACK STICKS: 0 (0)
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Pool A
1. Netherlands – 15 points (5 games)
2. Australia – 10 points (5 games)
3. Korea – 7 points (5 games)
4. New Zealand – 7 points (5 games)
5. Japan – 2 points (5 games)
6. Belgium – 1 point (5 games)
Pool B (all played four games, one to play)
1. USA – 10 points
2. Argentina – 10 points
3. China – 7 points
4. Germany – 4 points
5. South Africa – 3 points
6. England – 0 points
Hockeyroos’ squad v New Zealand Black Sticks
Athlete (Hometown, State) Caps/Goals [Age]
Started
Madonna Blyth (Brisbane, QLD) 284/65 [28]
Eddie Bone (Evatt, ACT) 45/2 [26]
Casey Eastham (South Coast, NSW) 208/44 [25]
Anna Flanagan (Canberra, ACT) 129/28 [22]
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD) 111/55 [26]
Rachael Lynch (Warrandyte, VIC) 108/0 [27]
Karri McMahon (Berri, SA) 44/4 [22]
Ashleigh Nelson (Wagin, WA) 153/61 [27]
Georgie Parker (Berri, SA) 61/16 [25]
Emily Smith (Crookwell, NSW) 91/36 [21]
Kellie White (Crookwell, NSW) 81/24 [22]
Used Substitute
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA) 46/4 [21]
Kirstin Dwyer (Mackay, QLD) 53/2 [25]
Emily Hurtz (Camden, NSW) 83/30 [24]
Kate Jenner (Tamworth, NSW) 100/1 [24]
Georgia Nanscawen (Melbourne, VIC) 129/23 [22]
Jayde Taylor (Bunbury, WA) 99/1 [29]
Unused Substitute
Ashlee Wells (Morwell, VIC) 35/0 [24]
Hockey Australia media release
Black Sticks Women miss World Cup semi finals
Sophie Cocks takes on Anna Flanagan, courtesy Dirk Markgraf www.265-images.com
The Black Sticks Women have missed out on a semi final berth at the Hockey World Cup after a high tension 0-0 draw with trans-Tasman rivals Australia.
Needing a win to keep their finals hopes alive, New Zealand played an up tempo first half and created several chances to break the deadlock but couldn’t finish them off.
Kiwi hearts were in their mouths midway through the second half when Australia put a ball in past goalkeeper Sally Rutherford, only to be denied by a tremendous referral from Krystal Forgesson with Australia failing to stop the ball before taking a quick free hit.
The draw sees the Black Sticks currently fourth on seven points in Pool A with two wins, two losses and a draw ahead of other games later in the day.
All eyes will now be on today’s match between the Netherlands and Korea which will dictate whether the Kiwis play off for fifth or seventh place at the tournament.
If Netherlands defeat Korea by two goals or more, the Black Sticks Women will finish third in their pool and contest the 5th/6th playoff on Saturday night at 8.45pm (NZ time).
If Korea beat the Netherlands, secure a draw or lose by one goal then New Zealand will finish fourth and go into the 7th/8th playoff on Friday night at 10.30pm (NZ time).
Head coach Mark Hager was disappointed after the draw especially given the opportunities created to score a crucial winning goal.
“It’s disappointing from our point of view not to win the game and we had a few chances we didn’t put away. We defended well and threw everything at them at the end but just couldn’t score,” he said.
“It didn’t fall for us today and it was a hot, tough game. It’s disappointing but it happens and we now need to regroup and get onto the next game.”
On the men’s side of the draw, the Black Sticks face a must-win against the Netherlands at 5.45am Wednesday morning (NZ time) to stand a chance of progressing to the semi finals.
BLACK STICKS 0
AUSTRALIA 0
Halftime: 0-0
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Draw ends World Cup ambitions
By David Leggat
New Zealand's medal ambitions at the women's hockey World Cup ended at The Hague tonight.
The Black Sticks, ranked fifth, had to beat Australia, ranked one spot higher, in the final pool A game for both teams. Instead the match, played in hot, draining conditions, finished in a 0-0 draw.
As coach Mark Hager had predicted earlier in the tournament, their 1-0 loss to Korea - a game they had targeted as must-win -- came back to haunt them today.
New Zealand had the better of the game overall, had six shots to Australia's two in an often-scrappy but tense and gripping contest.
The best chance fell to Auckland striker Krystal Forgesson, after fine work down the right by midfielder Anita Punt shortly before halftime.
Punt pulled the ball back for the experienced Forgesson to have a clear, and clean strike from six metres and she struck it just wide of the post.
Australia did get the ball in the net early in the second half but quick thinking by Forgesson, with captain Kayla Whitelock sitting out a two-minute suspension, who appealed to the umpires had the call reversed.
Australia had failed to take the free hit leading up to the goal with the ball moving instead of stationary.
Striker Olivia Merry got a one-on-one chance with Australia's goalkeeper Rachel Lynch in the eighth minute but Lynch blocked the shot.
New Zealand's one penalty corner - to two for the Aussies - had Lynch block Punt's low drive.
There was a pile of running and effort from both teams, with Whitelock and midfielder Stacey Michelsen particularly notable contributors, but ultimately frustration for the Black Sticks.
They will now play a classification match, either on Friday or Saturday, depending on their final placing in the pool.
New Zealand finished with two wins, two losses and a draw for seven points, while Australia ended with 10 points. Their hopes of finishing second in the group and qualify for the semifinals, depended on the world No 1 Dutch beating Korea in a game to be played early tomorrow.
The New Zealand Herald
Black Sticks draw with Hockeyroos
MATT RICHENS
The New Zealand women's team will play China for fifth place at hockey's World Cup this weekend.
The Black Sticks needed to beat Australia last night in The Hague to have any chance of qualifying for the semifinals, but were unable to upset the Hockeyroos and drew 0-0.
After losing to the top ranked Dutch (2-0) and being upset by Korea (1-0) earlier in the tournament, New Zealand needed to beat Australia to have any chance of making the semifinals while Australia needed just a draw.
The goalless stalemate - and Korea's 3-0 loss to the Netherlands - meant New Zealand finished third in Group A.
On Sunday night they will play Group B's third-placed team, China for fifth place while the semifinals will be fought out between Netherlands and Argentina and between the United States and Australia.
Last night's match was a largely scrappy one in the Dutch heat with neither side able to assert any real domination.
Most of the game was played in the middle third of the turf and when teams did move forward they were quickly shut down. There were only three penalty corners in the entire match.
Australia did find the back of the New Zealand net early in the second half in controversial fashion.
New Zealand captain Kayla Whitelock was having an enforced breather after being green carded when Australia were given a free hit in a dangerous position.
They took it quickly and Emily Hurtz deflected past Kiwi goalie Sally Rutherford into the goal.
Immediately the Australians celebrated and New Zealand appealed that their opposition had made no attempt to stop the ball before the free hit.
Much to the Australians' dismay - and to New Zealand's relief - the television umpire eventually ruled in the Kiwis' favour.
New Zealand had the more clear cut chances of the first half, but Australia could claim to have had the best of the first 35 minutes overall.
The Australians had more ball and more territory, but only one shot to New Zealand's six in the first spell, though only one of New Zealand's was on target.
Australia had two penalty corners - to New Zealand's one - but bombed one altogether with a miss-trap.
New Zealand's best chance came from Krystal Forgesson.
Kiwi speedster Anita Punt blitzed down the right side of the turf and found Forgesson alone in the Aussie circle.
Forgesson struck first time, but went wide.
That was the best chance either side had in the ugly match and while New Zealand threw everything forward at the death they were unable to create any more chances.
Stuff
England into World Cup Semi-Finals
England are through to the Rabobank World Cup Semi-Final after a nail-biting 3-2 victory over rivals Belgium. It was the final group game in Pool A and England needed the win to take the three points and steal second place from the Red Lions who only needed a draw to go through. Iain Lewers was calmness personified in the 66th minute as he fired his penalty stroke into the roof of Belgium’s goal to give his side the 3-2 victory.
With a place in the Semi-Final secured, England must now wait and see who they will face as Pool B play their final group matches tomorrow. With host nation the Netherlands in a commanding position at the top of the table it seems likely that they will be England’s noisy opponents on Friday evening.
Goal-scorer Nick Catlin said after the game: “It feels unbelievable, we did it the hard way, but we defended brilliantly, broke well on the counter, and I thought we played exceptionally well. It was a team performance. The last 30 seconds felt like a lifetime!”
The evening marked 100 England caps for Beeston’s Adam Dixon and East Grinstead’s Ashley Jackson.
England started brightly, with Mark Gleghorne driving into the circle from the right flank to signal his team’s attacking intentions. But they were wary of the goal-scoring and counter-attacking threat of the Belgians, who had scored freely in the World Cup up to this match.
England looked to take the aerial route on a number of occasions early on but it was Belgium who created the first clear-cut chance, with Cedric Charlier finding himself free in the circle, and drilling a shot at George Pinner who saved well. In the process England lost Tim Whiteman to a broken finger.
Ten minutes into the game Belgium had the first penalty corner, won by Tanguy Cosyns, who took on the flick himself but shot just wide of goal. A minute later, Belgium opened the scoring via a brilliant run and pass up the right flank by Simon Gougnard, who pulled the ball back for Thomas Briels to finish.
England had a chance to hit back immediately with a penalty corner, the shot by Jackson saved, and in shooting Jackson injured his already damaged right shoulder. He battled on, and Tom Boon had a golden opportunity at the other end, shooting just wide. He had another shot with a penalty corner moments later, brilliantly saved low down to Pinner’s right.
England then got an equaliser, a shot from the edge of the circle by Nick Catlin bouncing up off the turf to beat goalkeeper Vincent Vanash, deflecting into the roof of the net of a combination of his and Ashley Jackson’s sticks.
With ten minutes of the first half left, a drilled cross from the left by Tom Carson was almost finished by a sliding Harry Martin. A brilliant reflex save from Vanash saved a goal via a deflection off a Belgian stick, and shortly afterwards Alistair Brogdon received a green car for England, but they were able to see out the half, going in at 1-1.
Four minutes into the second half, England went 2-1 up – Ashley Jackson setting Nick Catlin free up the right, who showed his pace to beat Belgian defenders and cross for Jackson to finish, for a superb English goal.
England kept more numbers back to defend their lead, with Belgium always looking dangerous as they pressed forward. However England won two penalty corners, the second of which was referred by Belgium after a goal-mouth scrap, but Belgium lost their appeal. Vanash saved the second penalty corner from Gleghorne.
Next it was Belgium’s turn with a penalty corner, but after two attempts the brilliant charge-downs from Dan Fox paid off. Belgium persisted though and they finally drew level through a fourth penalty corner, a low flick to the bottom right corner from Cosyns.
The crucial moment in the game came with five minutes to play. England won a penalty corner, the resulting shot causing controversy with a penalty stroke being given for the block on the line by Xavier Reckinger, which the Belgium team appealed but their arguments were not answered by the umpires. Iain Lewers stepped up and was calmness personified as he roofed the ball past Vanasch to score what proved to be the vital goal for England.
Belgium had more chances in a heated final few minutes, but England were able to hold on for a memorable win, ecstatic scenes and a place in the World Cup semi-finals.
Speaking after the game England Captain Barry Middleton was proud of the team performance: “Everyone has to put everything on the line. Your body, your feet, your hands, whatever you can get there to stop the ball coming in. In a couple of games we felt we’d let ourselves down because we had plans but didn’t stick to them and didn’t quite play the way we wanted. Today we showed everyone the talent this team has. If you want to win big games you have to battle and do the dirty stuff and that’s what we did.”
Head coach Bobby Crutchley added, “Last year in the semi-final of the Europeans we lost to Belgium [3-0] and we were convincingly outplayed. They are a top team; a young, top team. They are going to be a threat in the back end of tournaments for a long time. We knew we had to play well and we knew we had to defend for long periods and be very disciplined with our shape and I thought for the majority of the game we were. I’d have liked us to have had more possession and put them on the back foot a bit more but those big games are often decided on digging in and fighting and I’m really proud of the team. It’s a fantastic result against a really quality opposition.”
On the injury to Tim Whiteman in the first half: “It looks like Tim has broken his thumb. We’ll get that checked and confirmed as soon as we can. I presume he’ll be unavailable for the semi-final.”
England women next play tomorrow at 15:00 (UK time), which is followed by a tournament rest day on Wednesday.
England men’s next game will be on Friday in the Semi Final of the World Cup at either 1415 or 1700 BST.
BELGIUM 2 (1)
Thomas Briels 13 (FG)
Tanguy Cosyns 63 (PC)
ENGLAND 3 (1)
Nick Catlin 19 (FG)
Ashley Jackson 39 (FG)
Iain Lewers 66 (PS)
England Hockey Board Media release
Lewers helps England reach semis
Iain Lewers the hero as England beat Belgium in dying minutes to set up semi-final showdown with Holland
By Rod Gilmour, in The Hague
Jumping for joy: Simon Mantell leads the England celebrations Photo: PA WIRE
Iain Lewers has been referred to as 'Iron Lewers' by the stadium MC here and the defender duly mustered nerves of steel to send England through to a World Cup semi-final after a frenetic 3-2 win over Belgium on Monday night.
England had barely ignited in their four group games and needed a win to ensure qualification behind world champions Australia. With four minutes remaining, Lewers struck a pinpoint penalty stroke to set up a likely showdown with hosts Holland in front of their 15,000 raucous supporters.
“I took myself back to the time practising back at Bisham Abbey and just picked a spot,” said Lewers, who switched allegiance from Ireland to GB before the Olympics. “But this sums up our team. We have a lot of resilience and are a hard team to beat.”
Indeed, England looked to be running on empty. Ashley Jackson battled through another 70 minutes with a shoulder injury, young Harry Martin played his part despite hamstring problems, while Tim Whiteman was forced off with a suspected broken thumb in the first half. Somehow, England still pulled it out of the bag.
After a cagey opening, the game sparked into life in the 10th minute when George Pinner, vocal all night in England's goal, was forced into a smart save. As Belgium pressed and England pegged back they took the lead in the 13th minute when Simon Gougnard's drag back found Thomas Briels, who dispatched past Pinner.
However, England were enjoying decent spells of possession and were rewarded for their own endeavour six minutes later. Orchestrated by Nick Catlin, the Reading midfielder weaved his way from the 23-metre line before linking with Michael Hoare in Belgium's D. He pulled back invitingly to Catlin, who connected viciously to level.
All week the Dutch and Australians have shown their fluidity on the counter attack, but England, in their fifth game, finally matched it with one of their own after the restart.
Barry Middleton intercepted in the D and his almost telepathic pass to Jackson ignited another attack. In a flash, Catlin was on Belgium's baseline and his drag across goal was met by Jackson, who touched home.
Belgium, a finely honed side capable of possession hockey for long periods, were then awarded a trio of short corners in the space of five minutes and finally found an opening with their third, Tanguy Cosyns striking low past Pinner.
It was end-to-end now and soon England had snaffled a penalty corner. As Jackson swiped with a backhand shot, a penalty stroke was awarded in the ensuing melee. With the Belgians' protests going unanswered, Lewers kept a cool head and flicked high into the net.
Still there was time. Undeterred, Belgium thrust themselves forward and as the 10-second countdown began, an aerial ball was sent into the D. Cosyns evaded his marker, stuck out his stick, before his touch went inches over Pinner's goal.
“It is never going to be a straightforward journey with us, even if it makes it a little bit more exciting,” added Lewers.
England now have three days off before their semi-final encounter.
Middleton and his determined side will no doubt have to field a succession of questions over their 9-2 mauling by Holland as a GB squad at London 2012.
Middleton, England's most capped player, answered the first of them last night. “I said to the guys that it is in the past now,” he said. “We want to make our own bit of history, one where we don't keep getting asked those questions any more.”
The Telegraph
Consistent display from Malaysia
By Jugjet Singh
MALAYSIA were very consistent, as they lost their fifth straight match in the World Cup by going down 5-2 to Spain at the Hague, Netherlands yesterday.
Now, they will play in the 11th-12th classification match, as Spain play in the seventh-eight, while India in the ninth-10th bracket.
Malaysia did not look like they were playing to win, as the defenders kept giving away penalty corners by making silly mistakes in the semi-circle.
A total of six penalty corners were handed to the Spanish in the first half, and in the 13th minute, Gabrial Dabanch finally perfected for the lead.
Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin was then handed a sitter, which he cooly slotted in the equaliser in the 24th minute, but there was no drive to take the lead after the goal.
Instead, Spain took a 2-1 lead into the breather when Marc Salles’ powerful drive beat goalkeeper S. Kumar in the 33rd minute.
And just after the re-start, Spain won their seventh penalty corner and Santi Freixa nailed the third goal with a high drive in the 37th minute.
Dabanch then snatched his brace in the 46th minute to hand Spain a sure victory, as Fitri Sari scored off a penalty stroke in the 51st, but Sergi Enrique made it 5-2 in the 68th minute.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Woeful Malaysia lose for the fifth time
by S. Ramaguru
A fracas broke out between the Malaysian and Spanish players in the Group A match at The Hague on Monday. Malaysia lost 2-5 for their fifth defeat of the World Cup campaign. - SS KANESAN/ The Star
THE HAGUE: It was another tale of missed chances and unforced errors as Malaysia went down for the fifth straight time in the hockey World Cup here.
The Malaysians finished bottom of Group A after going down 2-5 to Spain on Monday and with it their hopes of a top-10 finish. K. Dhamaraj’s team will now play in the 11th-12th placing playoff.
Like in their earlier matches, the Malaysians were pathetic. They lost possession easily and made it easy for the Spaniards to attack. It came as no surprise that Dharmaraj was frustrated with the team’s performance.
“There was better movement compared to the game against India (Malaysia lost 3-2). But the result remains the same.
“We gave away the ball too cheaply and we failed to make the chances count.
“Spain were a shade better than us, but I believe we could have performed better,” lamented Dharmaraj.
Once again, goalkeeper S. Kumar’s heroics kept the score down for the Malaysians.
Spain started off strongly and grabbed the lead after only 13 minutes when Gabriel Dabanch scored off a penalty corner rebound.
The Malaysians then put together some good moves and managed to draw level in the 24th minute. Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin slotted home from close range after a quick counter-attack.
In the 30th minute, there was a scuffle between players from both sides with Faizal Saari the target of the Spanish players.
David Alegre and Faizal were yellow carded and sent to the sin bin.
Both sides were playing with 10 men but Malaysia had another man down in the 33rd minute when Mohamed Razie Rahim got himself green carded.
Spain took advantage to score their second goal with Marc Salles beating Kumar from the top of the D.
Two minutes into the second half, Santi Freixa made it 3-1. And Dabanch put his name on the scoresheet again in the 46th minute for Spain’s fourth goal. In the 51st minute, Malaysia managed to reduce the deficit when Fitri Saari easily converted a penalty stroke.
The Malaysians had several more chances, but failed to make them count. A minute before full-time, Sergi Enrique made it 5-2 for Spain who finished fourth in the group and will play in the seventh-eighth placing playoff.
The Star of Malaysia
Hundred up for Julian Hykes
JONATHAN COOK in The Hague
SA striker Julian Hykes mixes it with Germany captain Max Muller during his 96th Test match at Hockey World Cup 2014 in The Hague. Photo: STANISLAS BROCHIER
At the foot of Group B, captain Austin Smith’s spirited South Africa men’s hockey side face yet another massive challenge when they take on skilled, second-placed Argentina at 10.30am Tuesday (live on SuperSport) in the teams’ last preliminary round match at World Cup 2014 in The Hague, Holland.
It is also a massive match for SA striker Julian Hykes, who will join Rhett Halkett and Wade Paton in notching up his 100th Test match at this four-yearly showpiece of the game.
East London-born Hykes, a man with fearsome pace when in possession, has – like the rest of the SA forwards - not hit his straps yet and will be going all out to make this a match to cherish. The right-handed batsman and fast-medium bowler played two first-class cricket matches for Border and knows full well what hitting the sweet spot means, whether it be wielding the willow or a carbon-fibre hockey stick.
The men from the Pampas, or Los Leones (The Lions) as Argentina are called at home, will make certain of a semi-final berth if they beat SA while the African champions need at minimum a draw - and will then hope against hope that double Olympic champs Germany beat South Korea in the following match in order for Smith’s lads to play for ninth spot on Saturday instead of the wooden spoon 11th/12th clash on Thursday.
Indeed, if SA draw with Argentina, and Germany beat Korea, the South Americans will be blown out of the semi-finals at the expense of the Germans. But everything depends on SA drawing or beating Argentina, so it’s a massive, massive match.
Reflecting on the 7-1 defeat by the fabulous Holland side on Sunday night, Smith expressed his appreciation for the crowd’s fair play. “The Dutch hockey public are very knowledgeable and also cheer on the opposition. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my career,” said Smith.
“It was a special feeling. I play against their players in the Hoofdklasse [Dutch Premier League] but playing against all 18 of them at one time is very, very tough. When you are playing against a team who were more skilled and quicker, it is not easy”
Head coach Fabian Gregory said the SA players brought a lot of energy to the Dutch match and is expecting the same against the Argentines, but while praising his charges for their legwork expressed discontent with the unnecessary mistakes.
“Too many errors individually, and the turnover moments, killed us,” the SA mentor said.
If the SA men can clean that up, they will have more possession with which to do the Argentines damage.
Meanwhile, the Investec SA women’s team were desperately unfortunate to be shaded 4-3 by world number seven China in their Group B match on Sunday in a match where unforced basic errors were punished with relish by the nippy Asians. SA goalscoring opportunities were squandered, too.
There are lies, damned lies and then come statistics, but in this case the numbers tell a story of what might have been. SA had a massive advantage of 21 entries into the strike zone to China’s eight and 13 shots at goal to China’s seven; the difference was that the winners were on target 85% of the time to SA’s 46%. SA had seven penalty corners to the Asians’ five; the difference was that China scored two for an efficiency rate of 40% to SA’s lone goal and a success rate of 14%. Enough said.
Bottom-placed world number three England face a hurting Germany Tuesday, straight after the tournament’s revelation, the world’s 10th-ranked USA, who top Group B, face SA in the 2.30pm clash. SA need at least draw with the Americans to force England out of the battle for fifth place.
Head coach Giles Bonnet’s SA girls beat Champions Challenge winners USA 2-1 in a preliminary round match at that tournament in Glasgow just a month ago.
There is no doubt that SA can do it. Providing they bring their A game to the turf.
SA Hockey Association media release
USA set for women's World Cup semifinal after two decades
THE HAGUE: The United States women are on way to advancing to the semifinals of the hockey World Cup after a gap of two decades.
The USA on Sunday defeated Germany 4-1 to boost their points tally to 10 and head the Group B standings ahead of defending champions Argentina.
Argentina's 2-1 victory over England, clinched by a last-minute goal, also gives them 10 points, but the USA have a superior goal difference.
The USA, who won a bronze medal at the Dublin World Cup in 1994, had failed to qualify for the 12-team World Cup in 2010. In the London Olympics in 2012, they finished at the bottom of the 12-team table, but here they have not lost a match.
Three victories and a draw with Argentina has almost placed them in the final even before the last preliminary league fixture against South Africa.
Giving chase to USA and Argentina are China on seven points after winning a thriller against South Africa 4-3.
China play Argentina in their last league match, and a victory in that outing could put them at par with the defending champions, but their goal difference is far inferior to Argentina.
China needs an eight-goal victory in the last game to catch up with Argentina, who too appear to be on course for a shot at their title in four World Cups.
Kathleen Sharkey scored two goals for the USA, while Caroline Nicholas and Katie Reinprecht made one strike each to give them a four-goal lead before Germany got a consolation goal through Kristina Hillmann.
Carla Rebecchi scored the match-winner for Argentina through a penalty corner that was completed after the hooter went, leaving England shattered on losing their fourth successive match.
England had taken the initial lead in the seventh minute through a penalty corner goal by Alex Danson, while Argentina equalized in the 27th minute on a field goal by Delfina Merino.
China squandered a two goal lead as South Africa pressed the accelerator in the last 10 minutes, but Wang Mengyu converted a penalty corner two minutes from the hooter to secure a Chinese victory.
China surged to a two-goal halftime lead through Liang Meiyu and Wu Mengrong. Wang Na scored the third Chinese goal midway in the second session, but South Africa were also on target through Kelly Madsen, Bernadette Coston and Pietie Coetzee to draw parity at 3-3.
Penalty corner shooter Coetzee is playing in her fifth World Cup.
The Times of India
New Zealand dream of gold in Glasgow
Out of the medals at the World Cup, Kayla and co eye glory at the Commonwealths
(Photo: Stanislas Brochier)
New Zealand’s captain, Kayla Whitelock, is one of the most respected hockey athletes in the world. A towering midfield presence for the Black Sticks, and a player who regularly gets on the score-sheet, at this World Cup, Kayla has only found the net once, but her presence at the heart of the Black Sticks midfield remains a crucial foundation from which the team can attack. When Kayla is on her game, New Zealand are always in with a shot. She has recently become one half of a New Zealand sporting celebrity couple after she married rugby star George Whitelock, a one-time All Black and captain of the Christchurch-based Crusaders team.
We caught up with Kayla after her Black Sticks team had drawn their last pool game with Australia 0-0. The result left the Black Sticks mid-table, just out of the qualification places for the semi-finals. Talking about her team's performance, the Black Sticks captain said: "The team has been consistent so far, with strong patches throughout the games but not for the full 70 minutes. If we extend our strong patches we will have a better success rate and the results will fall in our favour." Certainly the Black Sticks are still kicking themselves for failing to capitalise on their chances against Korea – a match they lost 1-0 – as those three points would have put them in a stronger position to challenge for semi-final places.
Assessing the other teams in the competition Kayla said: "The Dutch are looking the strongest so far. They are already playing some great hockey and look as if they can get better. The surprise package is the USA, they are playing some great hockey and looking really good. They have caused a lot of surprises."
Just a month after the World Cup finishes, New Zealand will be competing on the international stage again, this time in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The Black Sticks have a very real chance of winning a medal there. In the previous Commonwealth Games, held in New Delhi, India, New Zealand took silver after losing out on penalty strokes to Australia. "We want to go one better this time," said Kayla, "We came so close four years ago." Among the teams that stand between New Zealand and that gold medal are Australia, England and South Africa – all teams that on their day New Zealand are capable of beating.
"The strength in our team is our speed and our ability to get behind the opposition's defence, but obviously there are areas we need to work on. I would say that the work we do between now and the Commonwealth's is focused on both ends of the pitch. We need to finish the opportunities we create in front of goal and we need to limit opportunities in our defensive circle."
For the Black Sticks team it has been a year of travelling. I asked Kayla how the team coped with so much time away from home. "I think everyone is pretty good with Skype so it is easy to stay in touch with family and friends. It helps that we all get on really well, so it feels like a home away from home. We are going home for a few days rest and relaxation before Glasgow, so that will be nice for everyone."
Along with the coaching team, much of the responsibility for team morale lies with the senior players within the team. As captain, Kayla strongly feels this is her remit, but she also believes that the players themselves need to work together when things get tough. "Of course I try to encourage everyone to work hard, but if things are not going to plan then it is within everyone's capability to run and chase hard. You can make your own fortunes through hard work. If we do suffer a loss then it is a case of re-grouping and focusing on what's in front of us, not get stuck thinking too hard on what has happened in the past."
Back in sport-loving New Zealand there is a growing interest in the fortunes of the Black Sticks, both men and women, among the population. Rugby Union remains the number one sport in the country, while the women's netball team – the Silver Ferns – have a huge following, but the exploits of the Black Sticks, particularly at the London 2012 Olympics has ignited interest in the sport and there has been a significant increase in both participants and followers in the country. A medal at the Commonwealth Games would be a great boost for the popularity of the Black Sticks in a country that loves sporting success.
To cement New Zealand's impact on the international hockey scene, Auckland will be hosting the Women's Hockey World League Finals in 2017, an event that will raise levels of interest to greater heights.
FIH site
Dangerous Dave – Team USA's secret weapon
As Team USA surprise and delight with their success, we go in search of the key to their success
(Photo: Paul Winstanley Photography)
Dave Hamilton moved with Craig Parnham from England Hockey to Team USA following the 2012 Olympics. The duo's arrival on the hockey scene in the USA has coincided with a dramatic change in performance for the team ranked 10th in the FIH World Rankings. At this stage of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup, Team USA are currently topping their pool and look likely to meet the runners-up of Pool A in the semi-finals. Observers of the new-look USA team have been impressed by their levels of fitness – so is Dave the USA's secret weapon?
Question: What is the most drastic change you have made to the programme since you joined team USA?
My role within the team is Director of Performance Science and having worked with Craig (Parnham) before my remit for the team was very clear: make Team USA the best physically prepared team in the world of hockey. The biggest changes to the programme have been structural. Myself and Craig have put together a weekly/monthly training plan that is balanced both from a physical and holistic standpoint. It is designed to facilitate both an opportunity for development and recovery. The weekly structure and daily training frequency is purposefully designed to closely replicate the demand of tournament hockey, while preparing the USA athletes to better tolerate hockey specific overload.
Question: What are the aims of your fitness programme?
The most successful teams in field-based sports are those that can repeat the most high intensity actions. However, the most important objective from a coach's standpoint is having every player available for selection. Therefore a key focus for us is injury prevention and developing athletes with a high work capacity so they can successfully endure the unique physical demands associated with hockey match play. All physical attributes need to be trained – speed, strength, endurance and mobility – in order to be successful. However, the skill is being able to control and develop these qualities systematically throughout a training year, while taking into account individual needs and competition priority. My aspiration for Team USA is that they will be able to complete the same high intensity actions in the final 10 minutes of the last game as they did in the first 10 minutes of the first match.
Question: What cycles of activity/fitness do you follow?
As an Olympian, the objective is to improve year-on-year. Physically, we know athletes with extended exposure to training have superior recovery qualities and greater potential to tolerate higher workloads. Peaking is a lovely concept, but in reality for a field-based sport it can be misconstrued. The focus for teams should be to have their athletes arrive fresh and carrying very little fatigue for game one. A well-planned taper strategy is key to this.
Question: What technology do you use?
We use Catapult sport and polar technologies to understand the physical work being completed on the pitch. These technologies offer a great insight into the type of activities being completed (distance moved, speeds ran, accelerations/decelerations made, heart rate, etc.) and how well the players are responding. We also use other technologies to help understand daily performance state and recovery qualities. The main reason for which is to take subjectivity out of performance decisions.
Question: How tailored to each athlete is the programme?
Every athlete has different physical attributes, both as an individual and from a positional standpoint on the pitch. It therefore makes sense that their programmes accommodate for this.
Question: Can you give me a few examples of fitness sessions you might implement?
Haha, very funny. NO!
Question: How has your fitness regime been received by the athletes?
There are no short cuts to anywhere worth going. The work is tough and I am very fortunate to work with this fantastic group of athletes. Culturally the group drives standards and have a real desire to succeed. I often present back to the group after each training block, so they understand where they have been and where they are now. I believe this goes a long way to help with buy-in and trust in the training interventions we put in place.
With thanks to Dave Hamilton and Team USA.
FIH site
A long hockey career with the Grand Masters World Cup
Finals for the Grand Masters World Cup in The Hague will happen 13 June
(Photo: Frank Reelick)
Four matches in four days in the baking sun is a tough task for any player, but even more so when the average age of the team is 65. Nevertheless, 56 teams from 16 countries are battling it out at The Hague hockey club Kleine Zwitserland in the seventh Grand Masters Hockey World Cup. The players are ranked in competitions for 60+, 65+, 70+ en 75+. “In fact, it is a lot tougher for these veterans than at the ‘real’ World Cup,” says Constant van Kretschmar, who chairs the tournament’s organising committee.
“They have to play almost daily and have little time to recover between matches.”
Van Kretschmar, the World Grand Masters Association (WGMA) and Dutch hockey club NHC De Zestigplussers (sixty-plussers) are hosting 1,200 players, trainers and umpires over nine days at the Klein Zwitserland complex. “The oldest player is 85, so we really can talk about a long hockey career here,” says Van Kretschmar.
International contacts
South African player Brian Down (60+) is getting ready for his team’s match against England. “It is fantastic to play in such a great place,” he says. “Hockey is popular among older people in Johannesburg but our club is not big enough to organise a tournament like this.”
Ed Potter from the English 75+ team says he is more of a runner than a hockey player. “Of course we have come here to win but it is great to make all these international contacts,” he says. “The atmosphere is terrific.”
First events
The Grand Masters tournament is the biggest side event of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup. The WGMA World Cup is held every two years and dates back to Kuala Lumpur in 2002, when the first event for 65+ was held. Gradually the other age groups have been added in. This year the 75+ event for men, also known as the Vintage Grand Masters, is taking place for the first time, as is a 60+ tournament for women. Three women’s teams, from Australia, England and the Netherlands are taking part in that.
Fit as a fiddle
The preparations for the tournament began over a year ago. “We pay special attention to ensuring there is proper medical care, alongside all the logistics and different facilities,” Van Kretschmar says. “The players are much fitter than the average person but there are more risks, given their age. There is a doctor here every day and a first aid point, defibrillators are available and there are physiotherapists on stand by.”
So far the complaints have been confined to a little muscle ache. “We started our training before the winter and can’t be beaten when it comes to fitness,” says Malcolm Begemann, a defender with the Dutch 60+ A-team.
The finals take place on June 13.
FIH site
Irish Mens 40's progress to World Cup Quarter Final
Ireland Qualify for World Cup Quarter finals of the Masters O40's World Cup (Ireland 1 USA 0)
Match reports provided by Masters to Irish Hockey
With two losses by a single goal to the powerful South African and Australian Teams from the USA Mens 40's , the Irish went into their final group game knowing nothing less than a win would guarantee their continued challenge for honours at he Masters Workld Cup. This they duly achieved albeit with a nerve jangling 1:0 win against their American opponents.
In almost 30 degree heat on a very slow sand based pitch the Irish set about their task of making their first World Cup quarter final at this level, taking the initiative from the off. However although having the lions share of possession they were unable to convert their dominance until late in the half when Ian Stewart crashed a ball into the US circle and after an initial deflection, Eise Lodewijk with a instinctive reflex strike was first to react and lifted it over the prone US keeper. The score was to remain the same until halftime.
The start of the 2nd half saw the US take early possession but they failed to trouble the Irish defence although managed a couple of corners that were comfortably dealt with by a strong Irish defence led by Clinton Murphy . During this period the US were open to counter attack and but for some poor decision making should have converted a number of these opportunities to make the tie more comfortable. In their efforts to level the tie the US were guilty of some rash tackling and were reduced to 10 men a couple of times. On one occasion for the unusual offence of having 12 players on the pitch.
Although Ireland regained the ascendancy for the remainder of the tie they needed to remain vigilant to ensure the US challenge was kept at bay and managed the game well until the final hooter. In achieving victory they take their place in the quarter finals next Tuesday along with the Ireland Mens 45s who beat CIS in the preceding tie to gain their qualification for a quarter final spot.
It promises to be an interesting week with both squads facing quality opposition although their opponents in the quarter finals will not be know until the final round of group games tomorrow.
Irish Mens 40s suffer defeat to Australia at the Masters World Cup (Australia 6 Ireland 2)
The Irish Masters O40s suffered a tough defeat at the hands of Australia in the 2nd of their pool games at the Masters World Cup . While Australia were deserving of their win, the margin of success was probably not a fair reflection of the game. Ireland started the game brightly and had secured a 1:0 lead within minutes of the push back. Good build up play found Stephen Magee free in the circle and he finished clinically with a neat reverse shot to the sideboard. With their traditional power play game the Aussies soon levelled matters with a penalty corner strike and soon thereafter took the lead with a sweeping finish on the run from their centre forward.
However the Irish continued to play very controlled hockey and with minutes to go to half time secured a penalty corner. When the initial strike was saved the follow up shot hit an Australian player on the line and after consultation between the umpires a flick was awarded. Paul Fitzpatrick stepped up to make it 2:2 going into the break.
From the start of the 2nd half the Gold and Green applied strong pressure and took the lead soon after the restart from another penalty corner strike. With Irish centre back Morten Pederson required to leave the field for medial attention after a nasty gash to the head the Irish defence seemed to lose a little of it's structure and after a number of penalty corners following Pederson's loss the Aussie outfit made it 4 :2
As the Irish tried to bring the game to the Aussies late on in the half they left themselves somewhat open to counter attack, with they adding further goals to put a final gloss on the result. Final result 6:2 Australia. The Irish facing USA in their final pool game on Sunday with a win likely to secure a Quarter Final berth.
Irish secure valuable point against South Africa - (Ireland 3 South Africa 3)
After the disappointment of a Pakistan 'no show' for their first game in the Masters World Cup the Irish Masters Over 40's faced up to a strong South African Team on day 2 of the Masters World Cup taking place in Rotterdam. The opposition were a known quantity to the Irish Squad after losing out to the South Africans in the final of the European Open held in Belfast last year
The South Africans started the stronger of the two and found the net from a deflected short corner within one minute of the start of the game. The Irish squad took some 15 minutes or so to get into the game and equalised with a low drag on a short corner from Stephen Magee towards the latter end of the half.
A 1:1 scoreline at halftime was a fair reflection of the efforts of both teams over the 1st 35 minutes. However the South Africans again took the lead early in the second half with a scrappy goal which was strongly contested by the boys in green as having not crossed the line. Soon thereafter the South Africans pierced the Irish rearguard when a defence splitting pass was picked up on the left and a rocket of a cross was expertly deflected high into the Irish net to make it 3:1. The Irish men pressed forward in an effort to get back into the game and a number of chances went a begging. With approximately 10 minute left on the clock Stephen Bredin latched onto to a short corner breakdown to finish reverse stick from shoulder height.
With South African discipline being tested they were reduced to 9 men and Ireland seized the initiative forcing a number of short corners as the final whistle approached. The Irish men secured a final penalty corner with the umpire blowing the final whistle . The resulting corner saw the ball break to Philip Barbour to crash home after a defender deflection to level affairs. A fair result to a great contest.
The Men's 40's will face Australia at 11am tomorrow morning to decide pole position in the group before their final encounter with the USA men on Sunday afternoon
Irish Hockey Association media release
Sorry to see Pakistan not competing at World Cup: Bovelander
Netherlands’ legendary penalty corner striker Floris Bovelander.
THE HAGUE: The Netherlands’ legendary penalty corner striker Floris Bovelander has expressed his dismay at the absence of four-time former champions Pakistan from the on-going hockey World Cup here.
“It is a pity that a nation like Pakistan which has contributed hugely to the game and has a rich history in field hockey are not here to feature in the World Cup,” he told reporters at the Kyocera Stadium here on Sunday.
“It is really disappointing to see that Pakistan hockey has gone down so low that they failed to qualify for the World Cup,” he lamented.
Bovelander, ranked among the greatest hockey players of all time, said Pakistan hockey needs support because they achieved excellence in the World Cup, Olympics and Champions Trophy during the past decades and dominated the sport for so many years.
“I think I got my best moments in Pakistan and winning the 1990 World Cup in Lahore was the most memorable for me. I will always cherish those moments,” Bovelander commented.
“It was really great to beat Pakistan in Pakistan before a massive crowd. That was 24 years ago but I still remember it vividly and strong cheers of the crowd are still echoing in my ears.
“I always enjoyed playing against Pakistan in their country because they loved me and I was a hero there,” he said.
“We got a great deal of respect and adulation from people in Pakistan after our 3-1 triumph in the 1990 World Cup final,” he recalled.
Bovelander, who scored 216 goals in 241 internationals for the Dutch team from 1985 to 1996, said he rated Shahbaz Ahmed as the greatest player among his rival.
“Shahbaz was a genius, a very tough opponent. Many other Pakistan players were also naturally gifted, possessing superb dribbling and dodging skills,” he pointed out. “But hockey is now a different game, it is less skill and more power, so you need to be physically super- fit.”
Dawn
Indian eves spank Malaysia 5-0 in first match of Test Series
KUALA LUMPUR: Forward Rani struck twice as the Indian Women's Hockey team thrashed Malaysia by a huge margin of 5-0 in their opening match of the six-Test series, on Monday.
The six-match test series against Malaysia is part of the preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2014.
Rani (19 min and 50 min), Ritu Rani (27 min), Gurjit Kaur (42 min) and Ritusha Arya (67 min) were the goal-scorer for India, while Malaysia drew a blank.
The Indian team looked fully composed and were on an attacking spree right from the start and did not allow the opponents overpower the game in the entire match.
Forward player Rani scored the first goal in the 19th minute, while the second goal was scored by Captain Ritu Rani in the 27th minute through a brilliant field goal as India went into half time with a 2-0 lead.
The Indian eves started the second half with lot of enthusiasm and kept the attack on the opponents.
In the 42nd minute, defender Gurjit Kaur, who was playing her debut match, got a penalty corner which she successfully converted giving India a lead of 3-0.
In the 50th minute, India again struck through the stick of Rani taking the lead to 4-0.
Malaysia tried to make a comeback but goalkeeper Savita Punia did not allow any goals to be converted by the opponents.
In the dying minutes of the game, India struck the final blow in the 67th minute when forward Ritusha Arya scored the fifth goal to give India a comfortable win.
Captain Ritu Rani said: "It always feels great to win and winning a match with such a margin keeps up the momentum and confidence of the team.
"It was a slow start in the first half but the team came back attacking in the second half allowing us to take a comfortable win today.
"This win will boost our confidence in the tournament ahead and also will help for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Asian Games 2014," she added.
India will play their next match tomorrow with Malaysia at 15:30 hours (IST).
The Times of India