News 14 June 2014
All the news for Saturday 14 June 2014
Kookaburras join Hockeyroos in joint assault on Oranje
A dominant display by Kookaburras means Ric's men face the Netherlands in World Cup final
(Photo: Grant Treeby/Treebyimages)
Result Men's Semi-final 2: Australia v Argentina 3-0 (5-1)
Australia marched into the finals of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup after leaving Los Leones stunned by a dominant display of attack and counter-attacking hockey of the highest quality. Earlier in the day, the Netherlands coach Paul van Ass had said he hoped to meet the Kookaburras in the final because they played a style of hockey he admired. It is a wish that has come true, but may also come back to haunt him if Australia continue their current trend of improving with every game.
The result means that the Kyocera Stadium will host a double header between Australia and the Netherlands this weekend as both the mens and women's finals will feature the same protagonists.
While most of the traffic was one-way, there was some special moments of magic for Argentina, confirming their new status as a major player on the world hockey stage. A bronze medal match against England should make for an intriguing encounter between two very different styles of play.
The first goal in this semi-final was all about Kieran Govers (4'): the Australian front man intercepted a loose Argentinian pass and then won a penalty corner as he drove towards goal. His drag flick was inch perfect as it shot past the outstretched arm of Juan Vivaldi in the Argentine goal.
It was one-way traffic for the remainder of the first half, Matt Gohdes came close with a stunning strike that brought out the best of Vivaldi and Matthew Swann showed outrageous skill to receive an aerial ball in the circle, control it and shoot on the bounce. His shot flying just wide of Vivaldi's post.
The youngest member of the Kookaburra's team, Jeremy Hayward, scored his second goal of the competition on the 22nd minute of the game. His shot rocketed into the net to double the lead and put even more pressure on the Argentine team to find a way back into the goal. The Kookaburras third goal was scored by Jacob Whetton, the 22-year-old atoning for a poor pass just seconds earlier. He received a field-splitting pass from captain Mark Knowles and with a swift turn, fired a tomahawk shot into the net to make it 3-0 going into half-time.
Australia's goal-fest continued with Chris Ciriello (49'): the big man putting everything into the drag-flick that rocketed past Vivaldi. This was followed six minutes later when Hayward scored his second – another drag-flick penalty corner, indicating that Australia's goal-scoring future is in safe hands.
Despite the Australian domination, there were moments of Latin American brilliance. A moment of sublime skill from Joaquin Menini occurred as the game drew towards its conclusion. The Argentine player received the ball in the air and juggled it on the edge of the circle before smashing it at the net. Andrew Charters in the Kookaburra's goal got the faintest of touches and Matthew Swann was able to clear his 'keeper's line. It was a moment of pure hockey excellence from all three players involved.
It would have been the most unjust of semi-finals if Gonzalo Peillat did not get his moment in the sun and it came in the 58th minute. Goal hero Hayward turned villain for a moment as he fouled Lucas Vila on the top of the circle. The penalty corner strike from Peillat was a thunderous drag-flick, confirming his position as current top scorer in the World Cup with 10 goals.
Australian captain Mark Knowles said: "Our first priority was to get to the semi-finals. The big one is now on Sunday. We have fought for four years to get here. After London 2012 we were disappointed with how we went about things and our goal was to be in the final in this majestic stadium. We are here, the Netherlands are here and the final is on Sunday."
Coach Ric Charlesworth said: "I think we played a very solid first half, although we lost concentration towards the end, which is a worry to me. We have been in Europe now for four weeks and we are ready for this important game."
When asked if he was happy to meet the Dutch in the final, the coach said: "I don't care whose there. The Dutch are there because they have worked hard and we have worked hard to get there too."
Argentina Coach Carlos Retegui said: "It was a tough match so we tried to give it our best and get some counter-attack. But this game was not our game. We couldn't get the penalty corners we wanted to get. We wanted to give Gonzalo a chance to strike penalty corners but that didn't happen. Australia had 80 per cent possession which makes it very difficult to play against. But I am very happy and proud of the players."
FIH site
Dutch dam stems England's attacking flow
England and Netherlands offer defensive masterclass, but Dutch get decisive goal
Result Men's Semi-final 1: England v Netherlands 0-1 (0-1)
England and the Netherlands played out a thrilling semi-final in the afternoon heat at the Kyocera Stadium. With the Netherlands taking a lead in the 31st minute through a thunderous Mink van Weerden penalty corner it was always going to be a tough call for England to play their own game. But the side, led by inspirational captain Barry Middleton, threw everything they had at the Dutch in an attempt to break the solid line of orange defence. The match finished 1-0, and the home nation will now face either Australia or Argentina in Sunday's final.
"I would prefer it to be Australia," said Netherland's coach Paul van Ass, explaining that he liked to play attacking hockey and Australia would always provide that sort of match.
The match against England was certainly not so much to van Ass's liking. "They gave us the midfield, and I understand why," said the coach, "But I like to play more attacking hockey, and when it is like that, we can always concede a goal."
"It was a case of our strong defence facing their strong attack," said England midfielder Henry Weir. "Unfortunately they scored and we were unable to take advantage of our scoring opportunities." Those opportunities were far and few between, for both sides. Although the Netherlands forwards were in the England circle on plenty of occasions, they faced a wall of defence that stood really firm and, if they did breach the wall, then 'keeper George Pinner was on excellent form and made several high quality saves to keep his side in the game.
England nearly took the lead in the opening minutes of the game through Ashley Jackson, with the Netherland's goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann forced into early action. However, the first half definitely belonged to the Dutch as Billy Bakker, who was playing his 100th international; Valentin Verga and Sander de Wijn were all particularly effective at pressuring the England goal with their speed and attacking aggression.
"I thought we restricted a really good attacking side to 1-0 and that is a tremendous achievement," said England coach Bobby Crutchley. "In the first half we didn't keep possession so well. We wanted to keep it tight and be there at the end, and to the lads credit we did that. To still be in with a shout at the very end is a real positive against this team. We put the Dutch under pressure. If you had told me 12 months ago that we would compete like that with the Dutch, I wouldn't believe you."
The Netherlands certainly had chances to take the lead in the first half. Before van Weerden's goal, the drag-flick specialist had seen a shot saved by Pinner, and the follow-up also retrieved by the England 'keeper. On 22 minutes Verga hit the post and minutes later Seve van Ass had a screamer of a shot saved by the 'keeper.
The goal, when it came, was another trademark drag flick which flew in past Pinner's left shoulder, and England would have been glad of a chance to regroup at half time.
The second half was a much more even affair. Middleton, Jackson and Simon Mantell built steadily from the midfield and Mark Gleghorne was tireless as he ran at the Dutch defence. To the man, England stuck to their defensive game-plan and Crutchley will have been delighted with the discipline his side displayed. Unfortunately for England, they were playing a Netherlands team that has also got its defence in order, and whenever England got a sniff of the Dutch circle, they were met with a solid Dutch dam-like defence.
After the game, Paul van Ass said: "We deserved to win because we had the better part of the game, but we wanted a second goal. They gave us the midfield space to run the ball in and we had to be patient. We had to make goals and we didn't do that. When it comes to the final I hope we play Australia, because they also play attacking hockey and that is the game and the challenge that I like."
FIH site
Pietie signs off with final goal, Korea take 7th with win over Germany
South African women finished 9th in scoring legend Pietee Coetzee's 287th and final match
Pietie Coetzee scores her final goal.(Photo: Grant Treeby/Treebyimages)
There are just three days left in the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 and today the women's 7-10th place classification matches take place. World-record goal scorer Pietie Coetzee finished her career off with her 282nd goal as South Africa finished 9th overall with a 2-0 win over Japan. Also playing today are Korea and Germany for 7/8th place while the men's semi-finals will also happen later in the day.
WOMEN 9/10th: Japan v South Africa 2-2 (0-0)
While the result was important for both teams, with Japan wanting to cement their spot as ninth-ranked team in the FIH World Rankings and South Africa seeking to rise as high up the finishing places as possible, in fact this game was all about one person. Pietie Coetzee was called into the South African squad at the last moment to replace the inured Lenise Marias, and it was the world's leading goal scorer who put the ball away in her last international to win the game for South Africa. This means that Coetzee finishes her international career with 282 goals from 287 international matches – a record that is unmatched in women's hockey.
In a press conference after the game, Coetzee said: "During the national anthem I had a million flashbacks and memories of to some good times but during the match my focus was on the game, I really thought nothing about it being my last international. Now, my immediate goal is to have two weeks off doing nothing. Long term I want to stay involved in hockey. I am already in coaching and I want to take that further."
Read more...
WOMEN 7/8th: Korea v Germany 4-2 (2-0)
Korea won the 7/8 classification match by a 4-2 scoreline and will be delighted that they have finished ahead of their eighth ranking. For the German team this is certainly not how they expected their World Cup 2014 story to unfold. Die Danas finished eighth, after coming into the tournament as the sixth-ranked team, and with high hopes of a top six finish.
The match was a tough one for both teams, but it was the German side who started the stronger. Korea weathered an early period of domination by Die Danas and then struck with three well-taken goals. Germany mounted a spirited fightback, inspired by Julia Muller and Maike Stockel. With just a one goal cushion, Korea defended stoically against the German barrage of attacks, including a series of penalty corners in the last 10 minutes of the game, and then sealed the victory with a penalty corner goal with just four minutes left on the clock.
Read more...
For more information on the Rabobank Hockey World Cup visit the Event website HERE.
FIH site
Aussies and Dutch set up hockey World Cup final
by S. Ramaguru
Jeremy Hayward of Australia (left) celebrate with teammates after scoring the second goal against Argentina during the semi final in the World Cup Hockey in The Kyocera Stadium at The Hague. Australia won 5-1 and meet Holland in the final. - S. S. KANESAN / The Star.
THE HAGUE: Holland and Australia marched into the final of the hockey World Cup in contrasting styles.
Title-holders Australia swept aside Argentina 5-1 while Holland slogged for a 1-0 win over England in the semi-finals at the Kyocera Stadium on Friday.
Jeremy Hayward, the youngest player in the Australian side, was the star with two goals in the 22nd and 55th minutes. The other scorers were Kieran Govers (fourth), Jacob Whetton (33rd) and Chris Cirlelio (49).
As for three-time champions Holland, Mink van der Weerden converted a penalty corner in the 31st minute to sink England.
Australian coach Ric Chalesworth, who will quit after next month’s Commonwealth Games, praised his team.
“I think we played a very solid first half, although we lost concentration towards the end.
“We have been in Europe now for four weeks and we are ready for the final.
“The Dutch are there because they have worked hard for it and we have also worked hard to get there, too.
“The best team will win and we aim to be that team,” said Charlesworth.
Holland coach Paul van Ass was glad to see his wish of meeting Australia in the final come true.
“My wish has come true, but it may also come back to haunt me if Australia continue their current trend of improving with every game,” he said.
The Star of Malaysia
Australia outplay Argentina, set up hockey World Cup title clash with Netherlands
THE HAGUE (Netherlands): Defending champions Australia set up the men's hockey World Cup title encounter with Olympic silver medallists The Netherlands.
Australia outplayed Argentina 5-1 in the semifinal at the Kyocera Stadium on Friday, to earn a title encounter with Netherlands, who defeated England 1-0.
Australia have won the World Cup twice (in 1986 and 2010), while Netherlands have inscribed their name on the trophy three times - in 1973, 1990 and 1998.
Before the men's final on Sunday, the same two nations will clash in the women's final on Saturday.
Netherlands are the only nation to have won both the men and women's World Cups in the same year (in 1990) but in separate tournaments.
The only occasion when both the men and women's World Cups were held together was in 1998 at the Dutch city of Utrecht, where Netherlands won the men's title, but were beaten in the women's final.
Jeremy Hayward converted two penalty corners for the rampant Australian team that stamped its supremacy against first-time semifinalists Argentina.
Four of the Australian goals came through penalty corner conversions. Before Hayward came into the frame, Kieran Govers opened Australia's scoring with low penalty corner shot into the boards in the fourth minute.
Hayward then duly capitalised on the next penalty corner in the 22nd minute.
Jacob Whetton picked up a long through ball inside the circle in the 33rd minute and sent a rising reverse hit past goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi to make it 3-0 at half-time.
Chris Ciriello (49th minute) and Hayward (55th) converted successive penalty corners to give Australia a five-goal lead before Argentina pulled a goal back in the 58th minute through Gonzalo Piellat.
Chasing their fourth World Cup title, hosts Netherlands rode on a penalty corner conversion by Mike van der Weerden in the 31st minute to overcome the dogged England defence.
Van der Weerden sent a drag flick, on Netherlands' second penalty corner, soaring into the net to the left of goalkeeper George Pinner, who warded off many raids by the rampant Dutch attack but was beaten this time.
The England goal had two narrow shaves when the ball rebounded off the bars after beating the defenders. In the 27th minute, Billy Bakker's rising reverse hit deflected off the cross-bar, while Rogier Hofman's flick rebounded into play after hitting the left post in the 48th minute.
England were constantly under pressure from the Dutch strikers, but managed to build some raids into the rival circle. Dutch custodian Jaap Stockmann, however, was not unduly troubled by the English shots at the goal.
The Times of India
England to play Argentina for bronze on Sunday
Barry Middleton at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 - Photo by Ady Kerry
The Netherlands hosted a thrilling World Cup Semi Final against England at the Kyocera Stadium this afternoon, with just a single goal proving to be enough to give the home crowd a victory. Led by an inspirational Barry Middleton, England threw everything they had at an impenetrable Dutch defence, but could not find a way through. After 70 minutes of play it was Mink van der Weerden’s 31st minute thunderous drag-flick which was the difference between the two sides.
England will now play for World Cup bronze against Argentina on Sunday while the Netherlands and Australia will contest the final.
The match between England and the Netherlands was played in a Kyocera Stadium awash with orange – the home support out in full force with 15,000 supporters packed in. England’s defence had been very strong throughout the tournament but the Netherlands are known to be one of the most dangerous teams in world hockey.
England’s Ashley Jackson commented after the game: “We knew it was going to be tough, they’re a very talented side. We wanted to keep it as close as possible for as long as possible, and we had some late chances but it wasn’t meant to be.”
England had an immediate early chance through Ashley Jackson powering into the circle from Nick Catlin’s pass, but Dutch keeper Jaap Stockmann made the save. The Dutch though also signalled their intent with some early pressure on the England goal and some good chances. The Netherlands were taking all free hits and long corners very quickly to keep the tempo up.
Ten minutes in and Valentin Verga made a strong dribble into the English circle, and then again had a chance deflected just wide of the English post off Henry Weir’s shin, winning the Dutch the first penalty corner of the match. Barry Middleton made an outstanding stick block on the goal-line from Mink van der Weerden’s low shot.
As they had done in previous matches, England reverted to soaking up pressure through their well-organised defence as the Netherlands enjoyed a lot of possession in the first quarter of the game. After 20 minutes, the Netherlands had spent 82% of the match in England’s half.
Iain Lewers then received a green card and two minutes in the sin-bin for an off-the-ball incident on Billy Bakker. The Netherlands had a good chance with a goal-mouth scramble after 23 minutes gone, and shortly after Verga had a golden opportunity with a one-on-one with Pinner, but he sent the shot wide under Pinner's pressure. The Netherlands had enjoyed eight circle penetrations to England’s one, but England still looked comfortable.
With five minutes of the first half remaining the Netherlands won a penalty corner and it was converted high into the English goal through a bullet shot from van der Weerden, Pinner unable to get close to the ball. That’s how the score stayed until half-time, the Netherlands going in 1-0 up.
After four minutes of the second half, the Netherlands won a penalty corner for a Dan Fox foot in the circle. The shot was brilliantly saved on the line, Barry Middleton again with a superb reaction block, and Pinner was on hand to tidy up and clear with authority.
Rogier Hofman hit the post after 13 minutes, slapping across Pinner from the right of the circle. Nevertheless the chances were more evenly split in the third quarter of the game versus the first half.
England won a penalty corner with 15 minutes to play, for a push on Barry Middleton who was about to shoot on the right of the circle. Jackson’s shot was blocked by an excellent charge-down by the Dutch defence.
It was the Netherlands’ turn next with a penalty corner for Michael Hoare’s foot in the circle. They lost control of the ball from the injection, with Robbert Kemperman’s resulting shot going just wide. By this point the Netherlands' side was onto their 25th circle penetration to England’s 11.
With eight minutes to go the game opened up and both teams looked to counter-attack, and the Dutch crowd were certainly making their support heard.
England had a great opportunity to equalise from a penalty corner, Mark Gleghorne with a strong run on the right through three Netherlands players. It was referred by the Dutch for dangerous play but the decision was upheld. Gleghorne took the shot and injector Iain Lewers went close with a deflection in the left channel from a good set piece.
With three minutes left to play England brought Pinner off and a kicking back on in the form of Michael Hoare. But England couldn’t find a break-though and the Netherlands won the game 1-0 to the home crowd’s delight.
Goalscorer Mink van der Weerden summed up his team’s thoughts after the game: “We’re really delighted with the win, it was a great team effort. We fought like hell in the second half and we also defended really well.”
England will play Argentina at 1130 on Sunday morning in the bronze medal match, while the Netherlands will face Australia in the final after the Kookaburras eased past Argentina 5-1 in their semi final.
Post Semi-Final Reaction
Ashley Jackson and the team after their defeat against the Netherlands at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup - Photo by Ady Kerry
It was the Dutch who came out on top of the England v Netherlands World Cup Semi-Final after dominating territory in the first half and getting a breakthrough from a penalty corner via Mink van der Weerden. The English came back in a more even second half but the Netherlands were able to hold out for a 1-0 victory.
Here’s some post-match reaction after this huge match:
England’s Ashley Jackson: “We knew it was going to be tough, they’re a very talented side. We wanted to keep it as close as possible for as long as possible, and we had some late chances but it wasn’t meant to be.”
England Head Coach Bobby Crutchley: “In the first half we worked hard and defended well but really we were under the kosh. The second half we played better but they’re a hell of a good team and we weren’t able to capitalise.
“We’ve got a lot of players who’ve never experienced anything like this and I’m proud of how they’ve worked and stuck in there. I couldn’t be prouder of this team”.
Goalkeeper George Pinner: “It’s a disappointing result. Barry was excellent defending on the line and that was the first goal we’ve conceded straight from a corner in two matches. They showed how good they are on the counter-attack today. Over the full 70 minutes we did well to restrict them and ultimately they did the same to us.”
Former England player Richard Mantell: “It’s so disappointing for them, but they’ll pick themselves up and put in a good performance fighting for that bronze medal on Sunday”
Netherlands goal-scorer Mink van der Weerden summed up his team’s thoughts after the game: “We’re really delighted with the win, it was a great team effort. We fought like hell in the second half and we also defended really well.”
NETHERLANDS (1)
Mink van der Weerden 31 (PC)
ENGLAND 0 (0)
England Hockey Board Media release
England heartbreak as Holland pinch Hockey World Cup semi-final win
GEORGE PINNER, the England goalkeeper, was the main barrier to the rampant Dutch forwards as England lost 1-0 in the semi-finals of the Rabobank World Cup in The Hague.
By Mike Haymonds
Holland celebrate their win at the World CupThe Dutch edged a narrow clash 1-0 in The Hague[AP]
The narrow defeat went some way to offset England's recent losing record against the Dutch which stretched back 10 games and featured a humiliating 9-2 Great Britain defeat in the London Olympics semi-final.
Mink van der Weerden's 30th-minute penalty corner drag-flick at the second of four Dutch set-pieces proved to be the winner but Pinner's heroics and sound England defending were the basis of a highly creditable performance.
Pinner said: "I'm gutted that we came so close. It's not about individual performance but the team's achievement over the tournament.
"Apart from the defeat against Australia we've not conceded many goals and that is an achievement.
"We've now got a very big game in Sunday's bronze medal match and we'll now focus on that."
That match will be against Argentina who were crushed by the reigning champions Australia 5-1 in the other semi-final.
England coach Bobby Crutchley said: “We knew we had to keep it tight. We had to stop the free-flowing Dutch hockey which I thought we did pretty well.
"To restrict such a talented team to one goal was down to some excellent defending and some real heart and hard work. In the first half we struggled to play enough hockey going the other way. With the ball we weren’t good enough, which is something I’ve said throughout the tournament, but it’s where this team is.
"If we’re going to compete at the top we have to be better with the ball.
"I was worried after the first half that because we’d had to defend so much we’d run out of legs but in second half the boys played better hockey and came back into it. We knew we had to keep it tight but the fine margins are what decide these games.
"We got the corners and we felt we were building some pressure on the Dutch which was part of the game plan but we couldn’t quite make it count.”
England's Nick Catlin playing hockeyEngland's Nick Catlin chases after the ball [Ady Kerry]
England captain Barry Middleton, looking ahead to Sunday’s bronze medal match, said: “It’s tough to pick yourself up after coming so close. We spoke about making the semi-finals when we came here and when we beat Belgium, a game we’d targeted as being a big one; we started to feel we wanted to win it.
"If you win a bronze medal then you can say you’ve done pretty well, but the nature of sport is that, in general, once you’re here you always want more. You want more than you get. It’ll be tough to bounce back.
"We’ll have a good day tomorrow, take our rest and get this out of ourselves knowing that Sunday is still a big game for us. It can be one of the hardest things to do to get yourself out of a negative mind-set after being so close.
"We have a battling quality in the team and we’ll use that to try and achieve something. We haven’t won a medal at the World Cup in a long time so it’s still an aim to do that.”
Daily Express
Netherlands beat England 1-0 to enter men's World Cup final
THE HAGUE (Netherlands): Olympic silver medalists The Netherlands defeated England 1-0 to enter the final of the men's hockey World Cup at the Kyocera Stadium here on Friday.
Chasing their fourth World Cup title, hosts Netherlands rode on a penalty corner conversion by Mike van der Weerden in the 31st minute to overcome the dogged England defence.
Van der Weerden sent a drag flick, from Netherlands' second penalty corner, soaring into the net to the left of English goalkeeper George Pinner, who warded off many raids by the rampant Dutch forwards on Friday.
Netherlands now await the winner of the second semifinal between defending champions Australia and Pan-American challenger Argentina, who have made the men's semifinal for the first time in World Cup history.
The final will be played on Sunday. The English goal had two narrow shaves when the ball rebounded off the bars after beating the defenders.
In the 27th minute, Billy Bakker's rising reverse hit deflected off the cross-bar, while Rogier Hofman's flick rebounded into play after hitting the left post in the 48th minute.
England were constantly under pressure from the Dutch strikers, but managed to build some raids into the rival circle.
Dutch custodian Jaap Stockmann, however, was not unduly troubled by the English shots at the goal.
The Times of India
Double Dutch-Australia finals in Hockey WC
THE HAGUE - Defending champion Australia Friday beat Argentina 5-1 at the Hockey World Cup and will face host nation the Netherlands in the men's final today (Saturday) while the women semi-finals on Thursday also produced the same Australia-Netherlands line-up for the final.
Australia win was never in doubt as the scored early and often in semifinal, with Kieran Govers drag-flicking in the first at 4 minutes and Jeremy Hayward scoring twice. "We just put the pressure on," said Hayward. "A couple of drag-flicks, good to get them away. Hope we can get some in the final as well." All Australia's goals came on penalty corners except Jacob Whetton's strike at 33 minutes, when he controlled a pass from Mark Knowles and fired it in from behind the penalty spot.
With the score at 5-0, Argentina's Gonzalo Peillat pulled one back for Argentina, also on a penalty corner. The Netherlands beat England 1-0 on a first-half penalty corner and will play their first World Cup final since winning their third and last title on home soil 16 years ago.
The Dutch dominated England, especially in the first half, when Mink van der Weerden showed why he's considered the best penalty corner specialist in the world with a score four minutes before halftime, high into the right corner. Half a dozen good chances were missed to put the game away, notably at 43 minutes when Rogier Hofman hit the post. With the score close, England began to threaten in the final 15 minutes. With a late penalty corner, drag-flick specialist Ashley Jackson's shot was blocked just as it left his stick in a daring charge by Dutch defender Sander de Wijn. Hayward said the prospect of playing the Dutch in front of a crowd of 15,000 orange fans Sunday was appealing. "They're always going to be cheering the home side, but we'll take it on," he said.
"I would prefer it to be Australia," said Netherland's coach Paul van Ass, explaining that he liked to play attacking hockey and Australia would always provide that sort of match. The match against England was certainly not so much to van Ass's liking. "They gave us the midfield, and I understand why," said the coach, "But I like to play more attacking hockey, and when it is like that, we can always concede a goal."
"It was a case of our strong defence facing their strong attack," said England midfielder Henry Weir. "Unfortunately they scored and we were unable to take advantage of our scoring opportunities." Those opportunities were far and few between, for both sides. Although the Netherlands forwards were in the England circle on plenty of occasions, they faced a wall of defence that stood really firm and, if they did breach the wall, then 'keeper George Pinner was on excellent form and made several high quality saves to keep his side in the game.”
Pinner said: "I'm gutted that we came so close. It's not about individual performance but the team's achievement over the tournament. Apart from the defeat against Australia we've not conceded many goals and that is an achievement. We've now got a very big game in Sunday's bronze medal match and we'll now focus on that."
That match will be against Argentina who were crushed by the reigning champions Australia 5-1 in the other semi-final. England coach Bobby Crutchley said: “We knew we had to keep it tight. We had to stop the free-flowing Dutch hockey which I thought we did pretty well. To restrict such a talented team to one goal was down to some excellent defending and some real heart and hard work. In the first half we struggled to play enough hockey going the other way. With the ball we weren’t good enough, which is something I’ve said throughout the tournament, but it’s where this team is. If we’re going to compete at the top we have to be better with the ball. I was worried after the first half that because we’d had to defend so much we’d run out of legs but in second half the boys played better hockey and came back into it.
We knew we had to keep it tight but the fine margins are what decide these games. We got the corners and we felt we were building some pressure on the Dutch which was part of the game plan but we couldn’t quite make it count.”
The Nation
Titanic battle on cards as Aussies face Dutch in final
The Hague: Marcel Balkestein (L) and Klaas Vermeulen of the Netherlands try to block England’s Henry Weir during the World Cup semi-final on Friday.—AP
THE HAGUE: Defending champions Australia cruised into final of the men’s hockey World Cup final with an dominant 5-1 semi-final demolition of Argentina here at the Kyocera Stadium here on Friday.
A day after their female counterparts reached the final with a thrilling shootout victory over the US, Australia’s men provided no heart attacks as they carried on their superb form to stay unbeaten the showpiece.
The match was all but decided by halftime, after a near-flawless 35 minutes that delivered three goals for Australia and zero shots on goal for Argentina.
The kookaburras were nearly as impressive after the break, adding a further two goals.
It sets up a dream showdown with hosts the Netherlands, who earlier on Friday booked their place in Sunday’s final with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over England.
After just four minutes Kieran Govers had opened the scoring from a penalty corner with his fourth goal of the tournament, continuing Australia’s terrific record of striking early.
Australia’s second goal was delivered when Govers earned a penalty corner and Jeremy Hayward drilled it home the first of his two goals.
By the time Jacob Whetton produced a sensational reverse-stick strike to stretch the advantage to three goals, with halftime in sight, the result was virtually assured.
Not even a green card, and two-minute sin bin, for Australia’s five-time player-of-the-year Jamie Dwyer could stop the slaughter.
Dwyer was accused of “taking the mickey” by umpire Hamish Jamson, and was punished for time-wasting after denying Argentina the opportunity to take a quick free hit early in the second half.
Australia drilled home their advantage with Chris Ciriello and Hayward again converting penalty corners as the lead ballooned.
With 12 minutes remaining, the Kookaburras conceded just their second goal of the tournament when Argentina’s penalty-corner specialist and the event’s leading scorer, Gonzalo Peillat, breached the defences of goalkeeper Andrew Charter.
Earlier, England’s men failed to reach the World Cup final.
Mink van der Weerden’s deflected penalty corner put the Netherlands ahead just five minutes before the break.
England were the stronger side in the second half, as they pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but the Dutch defence held firm.
England were attempting to reach their first World Cup final since 1986, when they took silver.
It is the fifth time since being crowned European champions in 2009 that England have lost a semi-final, following defeats at the Europeans (twice), the Commonwealth Games and the World League Final.
England had the first chance just 17 seconds into the match as Ashley Jackson’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann but after that the Dutch dominated the rest of the half.
After the break, England began to create chances, with Jackson having the best opportunity from a penalty corner, but Bobby Crutchley’s side could not find a way through.
Meanwhile, in the women’s classification match for 7-8 positions South Korea downed Germany 4-2.
In another women’s classification game, for 9-10 positions, South Africa blanked Japan 2-0.
Aussie women face the Netherlands in the final on Saturday, when the third-place playoff between the US and Argentina will be also be staged.
Dawn
SA women outplay higher-ranked Japan to finish World Cup in ninth place
JONATHAN COOK in The Hague
Lisa Deetlefs in possession as Yuri Nagai comes in to challenge during SA's 2-0 win over Japan in the ninth/10th place playoff at Hockey World Cup 2014 in The Hague, Netherlands. Photo: FRANK UIJLENBROEK
A 2-0 win over Japan gave the Investec South Africa women’s hockey team a ninth place finish at the World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands Friday.
And it was a fitting end to the 19-year career of one of sport’s most remarkable figures, world record goalscorer Pietie Coetzee, who notched up her 282nd goal in her 287th Test match to give SA the lead in the 59th minute.
Coetzee’s penalty corner success, which came via a trademark drag-flick, was followed in the 69th minute when on-song striker Dirkie Chamberlain scored from the penalty spot after fellow frontrunner Kathleen Taylor was upended in the strike zone.
As they have in the majority of their matches here, world number 11 SA dominated against the world’s ninth-ranked team and the victory sets them up for successful July tournaments at the Investec Cup in London and Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Japan and SA were next-door-neighbours in the tournament hotel but that’s where the neighbourliness ended with outstanding captain Marsha’s Cox’s charges overwhelmingly in control of the 70-minute match.
SA had double the number of incursions into the strike zone, one every three minutes, and crucially – unlike the matches they should have won but didn’t – four out of five shots at goal were on target, leaving Japan goalkeeper Yuka Yoshikawa with plenty to do.
The stopper made a number of fine saves, while at the other end of the pitch her counterpart Anelle Deventer mixed lengthy periods of inactivity with two crucial saves at close-range from the miserly four shots on goal the improved SA defence allowed their opponents.
Where SA were again lacking was at penalty corners where just one in nine was successful while the Japanese could only manage to get one such goalscoring chance from the set-piece play.
Pacy striker Sulette Damons, who has given defences the most torrid of times in the three matches of the six she managed to play here, would have relished the freedom with which her team-mates played but rest was the wisest move bearing in mind the important tournaments to come next month.
For Japan, apart from goalkeeper Yoshikawa, captain Miyuki Nakagawa and influential midfielder Mayumi Ono had good games but there was not enough cohesion and all-round efficiency to bother the South Africans all that much.
SOUTH AFRICA
Anelle van Deventer, Lisa Deetlefs, Marcelle Manson, Nicolene Terblanche, Pietie Coetzee, Marsha Cox (capt), Shelley Russell, Bernie Coston, Tarryn Bright, Dirkie Chamberlain, Celia Evans, Sanani Mangisa, Quanita Bobbs, Illse Davids, Kelly Madsen, Lilian du Plessis, Kathleen Taylor, Sulette Damons (did not play).
SA Hockey Association media release
"Nothing to lose"
Defender Karri McMahon says World Cup final appearance means everything
Hockeyroos defender Karri McMahon believes that the Australian women head into the World Cup final with nothing to lose and a chance of upsetting the much fancied hosts if they can learn from last week’s pool match against the Dutch.
While they ultimately went 2-0 in the clash last Saturday the Hockeyroos’ performance attracted widespread admiration and South Australian McMahon says there are plenty of positives to take into the grand final.
She said, “The first half we had complete control of the game, which is something that we probably haven’t had before so we can take a huge amount of positives from that.
“We had a lot of goal shots – we just need to turn them into better opportunities; they barely got into our defensive 25 so that’s something really positive.
“Just hold them out for 70 minutes instead of 65 then maybe we’ll have a gold medal hanging round our necks.”
16 years ago the Hockeyroos won their last World Cup gold medal beating the Netherlands 3-2 in the final in Utrecht, coincidentally the only other time that the women’s and men’s World Cups have been held jointly. On that occasion, Alyson Annan, Julie Towers and Bianca Langham goals helped the Hockeyroos recover from a first minute Dutch goal to win the match, despite a late strike from Julie Deiters.
When asked what it means to face the world number one side and Olympic Champions in a World Cup final in their own back yard, McMahon said, “I think it means everything. It’s their home crowd. We’ve got nothing to lose.
“I think this is going to be the best match of possibly my career so far and maybe ever. A home crowd, it’ll be packed out with 15,000 crazy orange supporters as always. It’s going to be an unreal feeling, an unreal game. Hopefully we can stick it to them.”
It took a shoot-out with the USA for the Hockeyroos to seal their place on the podium and whatever happens on Saturday they will leave Europe with World Cup medals around their necks.
“I think a bit of relief and absolute joy,” admits McMahon. “Making it through to a World Cup final is something you dream of. It was a bit of a tough game [against USA] towards the end and once we won the shoot-outs it was absolute relief and joy for everyone – you could see that by our celebrations.”
The Dutch made light work of their semi-final opponents, the soon-to-be deposed world champions Argentina. A 4-0 win came courtesy of strikes from Xan De Waard, captain Maartje Paumen and a double from Kim Lammers, who also struck in the 2-0 win over the Hockeyroos last week.
In their six matches en route to the final the Dutch have struck 21 times while conceding just once, to Japan in their opening match.
It will be the fourth meeting of Australia and the Netherlands in a World Cup final, making it the most common pairing in the competition’s history.
Visit the official tournament website at rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com.
All time Australia v Netherlands record
AUS wins: 35
NED wins: 50
Draws: 17
World Cup Australia v Netherlands record
AUS wins: 0
NED wins: 8
Draws: 0
Hockey Australia media release
Black Sticks Women want winning Cup finish
Rose Keddell will play despite the serious injury to her right thumb in the pool game against Japan
The Black Sticks Women are hungry to finish in the best possible way at the Hockey World Cup in The Hague.
New Zealand plays China at 8.15pm tonight (NZ time) in the 5th/6th classification playoff, with live coverage on SKY Sport 4.
The Black Sticks last met China at the Hawke’s Bay Festival of Hockey in April, where they played two games and lost both by one goal.
Defender Liz Thompson said the team is confident the lessons learnt from that tournament can help them put together a good performance to seal fifth place.
“We’ve played them a bit lately with mixed results so we’re looking forward to getting this one in the bag and finish fifth overall,” she said.
Meanwhile, midfielder Rose Keddell will once again suit up for action after a nasty incident in the Black Sticks’ pool game against Japan.
Keddell got a nasty blow to her hand which broke the tip of her right thumb and tore the nail off. She has been back training and is good to go wearing a splint.
“We’ve got a great physio as well as staff around us and the people here have been so helpful, I was able to pretty much get out on the turf the next day.”
Striker Katie Glynn has also been playing through the pain barrier at the tournament with a fractured toe she suffered in the opening game, and will be looking to add to her goal tally against China.
Hockey New Zealand Media release
No medals, but Black Sticks still high achievers
MATT RICHENS
Just punching above their weight is not good enough for New Zealand's flagship national teams, Hockey New Zealand boss Malcolm Harris says.
The Black Sticks women's team plays for fifth and sixth tonight at the World Cup in the Netherlands while the men's side will play for seventh and eighth tomorrow night.
Millions of dollars have been spent building towards this tournament and hundreds of tests played, though the team will come home empty-handed.
Harris gave reasons - "not excuses" - why they have fallen short of the medal rounds, but insisted he was confident both sides would continue to improve and the appropriate plans were in place.
The women's side are ranked fifth in the world, with the men's team sixth.
"The standard here has been amazing," Harris said from The Hague.
"There's a very fine line between success and failure at these tournaments and that's been evident here. Both sides were one win away from making the semifinals, then we'd be having a very different conversation."
They didn't make the semfinals but they did reach their funding key performance indicators.
While the players will take little solace out of that, HNZ bean counters will.
It means they're likely to continue to receive the hefty High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) payout they received this year.
The women's hockey programme, a tier-three targeted programme, received $1.3m for this year while the men - listed under the campaign category - received $1m.
That's unlikely to decrease heading towards the 2016 Rio Olympics, though HPSNZ chief executive Alex Baumann said a "proper review" would be undertaken later in the year and would take into account more than just on-the-turf results.
He reiterated funding for sport was more than just about high performance as it had a huge flow-on effect and Harris said success at a high performance level also got more youngsters off the couch and playing sport.
Despite hockey receiving more money for 2014 than the likes of rugby sevens ($2.1m) athletics ($2.05m), equestrian ($2.05m) and netball ($1.2m), more was required, Harris said.
But he's not heading cap in hand to the taxpayer-funded HPSNZ - he appreciates that well is only so deep. Harris is desperately trying to court the corporate sector as a way of beefing up the coffers to put the Black Sticks on a more level playing field.
Some of the top teams in the world have far deeper pockets and more access to top level competition, though that shouldn't stop New Zealand aiming for the top, Harris said.
"There's two ways to look at that disparity. I think we box well above our weight on the world scene, I really do. But, to me, that's not good enough, that's not enough to be proud of. We want to be medal prospects at every tournament, we demand to be medal prospects.
"Our expectations of levels of achievement are much greater than our size and resources would see us getting."
Many countries have a fully centralised programme, but Harris said moving both squads to Auckland fulltime was not the answer. He wanted to improve and align the state of coaching for all gifted players throughout the country while also ensuring the national squads still came together for longer than they do now.
"Some of the World Cup teams have spent the last 12 months together building up to this, we had the last two or three weeks."
There is also a need to play in all the major tournaments and a number of other tests and warm-up games to keep in touch with the sport's leaders.
The two Black Sticks teams are closing in on 100 tests played in the last 12 months.
That all comes back to money and one of the easiest ways to fix that was more exposure through television. Harris said HNZ and Sky Television were still in discussions about having more Black Sticks games televised.
Sport New Zealand are understood to have put together a team to look what sort of opportunities there are for second-tier sports around new broadcast technologies and smaller players entering the market.
As for the corporate funding, "there are some nibbles, but it's a fiercely competitive market", Harris said.
Stuff
Playing for pride, India seek revenge against South Korea
THE HAGUE: Dejected at failing to improve upon their eight-place finish of the last edition, India have a lot at stake in the ninth-position playoff against South Korea in the men's hockey World Cup.
India not only seek revenge for their 3-4 loss against Korea in the 2013 Asia Cup final but both the teams' also have the Asian Games on the radar when they face off on Saturday.
India were the last of reserve teams to clinch a spot among the 12-nation lineup for the World Cup, where four-time champions Pakistan were missing from the first time in the tournament's history.
Three months ahead of the Asian Games in Incheon, India are eager to put aside their disappointment of a lacklustre show in this World Cup and seek to produce their best game against South Korea, the continental champions.
Coach Terry Walsh says international sport provides no space for brooding at past results.
"Whatever the disappointment of the previous outing, you need to lift yourself for the next game," says Walsh, trying to motivate his players to produce their best against the Asian rivals.
A good result against South Korea will lift the morale of the Indian team in the year that will see these two nations meeting again in the Asian Games, which will be the qualifying event for the 2016 Olympic in Rio de Janeiro.
The India-South Korea encounter will decide the rankings among Asian teams. Malaysia, the third team from Asia in the men's competition, has finished in the 12th position after losing the playoff for the 11th spot to South Africa.
Other than the fact that India had a victory -- over Malaysia -- to show for in their five preliminary league outings, the World Cup campaigns of both India and South Korea ran on similar lines.
Both teams suffered defeats in their initial two games to late match-winners conceded by their shaky defence.
India suffered a 0-4 loss against defending champions Australia in their last league fixture of the World Cup, finishing fifth in Group A. India finished with four points through the victory over Malaysia and a draw against Spain.
South Korea finished fifth in Group B after suffering a 1-6 loss against 2012 Olympic champions Germany in their last outing. The Koreans crashed to four defeats and managed to earn just one point through a draw with South Africa.
A four-day gap before the playoff against South Korea has given the team time to work on the strategies that failed to click in the tournament.
The Indian team coaches have been consistently working on the team's trouble-some areas, primary among them being the penalty corners.
India has managed just 12 penalty corners in five matches, and they have failed to convert any. It is an area bothering coach Walsh, who is wondering the reason that the Indian players were not able to execute the penalty corner strategy that has been extensively practised.
"The penalty corners continue to be an issue with us, and the team's been working on it," said Walsh.
An Indian victory over South Korea tomorrow will not just avenge the Asia Cup defeat to South Korea, it will also ensure that India end just one position below the 2010 World Cup.
The Times of India
What went wrong for Malaysia at the hockey World Cup?
The national hockey team left for the World Cup in The Hague, Holland, two weeks ago amidst mild expectations. It was Malaysia’s first appearance in the World Cup after a 12-year hiatus but they lost all five Group A matches to end up last in the 12-team tournament.
What makes it all the more embarrassing is that Malaysia failed to collect a single point in the group stages.
StarSport’s AFTAR SINGH spoke to former national players and coaches C. Paramalingam and Datuk N. Sri Shanmuganathan on their take over the dismal showing. Here is their verdict on the defenders, midfielders, forwards and coach K. Dharmaraj.
THE DEFENDERS
Paramalingam: Despite all the match practice and good performances in two earlier tournaments – finishing runners-up in the six-nation Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh (March) and third in the eight-nation Champions Challenge I tournament in Kuantan (April) – I am surprised that the defence still ended up being a big flop. Their tackling was atrocious and they were slow in clearing the balls inside the semi-circle.
Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim is one of the country’s top defenders but even he was unable to marshal the backline. That could be because he just recovered from a shoulder injury just days before the World Cup started. Perhaps he wasn’t ready for the World Cup. Mohd Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin was also poor.
The defenders gave too much room to their opponents. Even Spain captain Santi Freixa acknowledged that they had so much room to move and penetrate the Malaysian defence. Another factor could be that we did not have our first runner Baljit Singh Charun to stop the penalty corners. The defence was certainly our weakest link and, had it not been for goalkeeper S. Kumar, Malaysia could have lost by bigger margins in the group matches.
Sri Shanmuganathan: Our defence was in tatters. The tackling was poor. When they go for a 50-50 ball, they lose the ball because they do not stretch enough. Our defenders are also slow in clearing the ball. They like to stop, look up and then pass the ball. They also never used the overhead flicks to pass the ball to the forwards. The forwards didn’t track back to help the defenders either. Our defenders are also poor in stopping their opponents’ penalty corners and set pieces.
THE MIDFIELDERS
Paramalingam: We don’t have a player capable of marshalling the midfield. In every team, the centrehalf is the most important playmaker ... linking the defence with the forward line. Mohd Shahrun Nabil was a pale shadow of himself. He could not control the midfield or make proper through passes to the forwards.
The others, like Mohd Fitri Saari and Nabil Fiqri Mohd Noor, never provided enough support to the strikers. Australian veteran Jamie Dwyer is an excellent example of a good midfielder. He makes excellent passes to his forwards and also scores goals. Our midfielders were totally lost ... they failed to support the defence or provide assistance to the forwards. What really annoys me is that the players from other teams could easily steal the ball from our midfielders.
Sri Shanmuganathan: Our midfielders cannot make long and through passes to the forwards like the Europeans can. Our midfielders like to run a lot with the ball and make short passes. They waste a lot of energy doing this. They also tend to lose possession of the ball when under pressure.
THE FORWARDS
Paramalingam: Faizal Saari, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Ismail Abu, Shahril Saabah and Mohd Firhan Ashaari looked overawed. They were a major disappointment. Tengku Ahmad was the only forward who scored in the Finals – against Spain.
In some matches, the forwards hardly penetrated their opponents’ semi-circle, especially against defending champions Australia. The strikers looked lost once they reached the 25m area, probably because they didn’t get enough support. Even when they do reach the semi-circle, they can’t seem to take a decent shot at goal. Faizal is the most skilful among the forwards and also good with his penalty corner drag flicks but even he was a big letdown!
We don’t have a world-class striker ... one who finds the net consistently. Overall, our players didn’t look mentally and physically ready. They were totally outclassed by all the teams in the group matches. They also failed to play “total hockey” like the other top teams.
Sri Shanmuganathan: I don’t understand why our forwards don’t use snap shots once they are in the semi-circle. They like to stop the ball in the D first before taking a shot. By then, the opposing defenders are all over them. Our forwards also like to go to the corner of the pitch before hitting a square pass into the semi-circle. This gives defenders time to thwart them.
THE COACH
Paramalingam: Dharmaraj is a good coach. He did well to guide Malaysia to a creditable fourth in the Junior World Cup in New Delhi in December. But he is not ready to be in charge of the national senior team because he lacks experience. Dharmaraj should be the assistant to a more experience coach like Paul Revington (who was hired as the national chief coach in September 2012). It’s sad that Revington resigned in January due to personal reasons. I don’t see the reason or logic behind Revington’s appointment as a consultant for the team until the Incheon Asian Games in September. He should have continued handling the team until at least the Asiad. Malaysia need a coach of his calibre and experience to handle the team.
Sri Shanmuganathan: Dharmaraj is not ready for the job as he cannot transform the team to play well at a high-level tournament like the World Cup. The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) should form a selection committee to vet the players picked by Dharmaraj so that only the deserving ones get to go. Dharmaraj must also seek help from experts to improve the standard in every department. The MHC coaching committee chairman must also come out with ways to help him overcome the weak areas.
The Star of Malaysia
World record goalscorer Pietie Coetzee retires on a high
JONATHAN COOK in The Hague
Pietie Coetzee moments after her final match for SA. Photo: STANISLAS BROCHIER
A goal in the last Test match of a career that has spanned nearly 20 years was the perfect way for Investec South Africa women’s hockey team superstar and world record holder Pietie Coetzee to bow out of the game.
The 35-year-old South African hockey icon has ended with an astonishing 282 goals in 287 Test matches.
Probably the most amazing statistic in Coetzee's glittering career is that her 282 goals in 287 Test matches was achieved despite retiring for five years at the age of 27 when at the peak of her powers.
Coetzee has always played the game for enjoyment and has said that she was burnt out to a degree from the goalscoring pressure and expectations.
Coetzee broke Russian Natella Krasnikova’s world record 220 of goals with a first-half hat-trick that fittingly consisted of every method of scoring in hockey - a field goal, a penalty stroke and a penalty corner - against the USA at the Champions Challenge tournament in Dublin, Ireland in 2011.
The Johannesburg-based Coetzee first retired in 2005 having scored 189 goals in 191 Test matches.
With SA head coach Giles Bonnet newly installed in the hot seat, sharpshooter Coetzee returned five years later at Hockey World Cup 2010 in Rosario, Argentina and carried on where she left off, adding 93 more goals in just 96 Test matches.
The modest Coetzee was never one to be impressed by records, especially her goal tally, always emphasising that it was the team that counted.
SA beat Japan 2-0 Friday to finish ninth at Hockey World Cup 2014 in the splendid Kyocera Stadium here, and while Coetzee said a thousand flashbacks were going through her mind during the national anthems she knew she had a job to do.
Playing in the unfamiliar position of right half in this tournament, as a late replacement for the desperately unlucky double Olympian Lenise Marais, Coetzee has as a result had less goalscoring chances but two successful strikes from her six World Cup matches would not have been a bad return for most goalscorers.
Bloemfontein-born Coetzee tweeted her retirement announcement on the bus to the stadium, just an hour ahead of the match. Her team-mates had no idea that they would be a part of this milestone.
Coetzee is an iconic figure in women’s sport in South Africa, is the player that thousands of schoolgirl hockey players in the country would like to be and runs coaching clinics back home as a professional coach, a business she hopes to build on in the time to come.
A product of Oranje Meisieskool in Bloemfontein, Coetzee made her debut as a 16-year-old Grade 11 schoolgirl at a tournament in the United States in 1996, played in three Olympic Games - Sydney, Australia in 2000, Athens, Greece in 2004 and in London 2012, as well as two World Cups, at Delhi in India in 2010 and finally, The Hague in The Netherlands in 2014.
Surely the world will never again see a sportsperson come out of a five-year-retirement with the same personal success as where she left off..
SA Hockey Association media release
A bronze age for the golden girl
After Argentina hand back the World Cup crown, we look back at the career of a true hockey icon.jpg-1402724920)
(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)
Luciana Aymar came to The Hague with huge hopes for a fourth World Cup medal and the expectations of a hockey-loving nation on her shoulders. Unfortunately for Luciana and her teammates, the superstar – who has been voted FIH Player of the Year an unprecedented eight times – picked up a hamstring injury in the second game of the tournament and has not been able to impose herself on this competition in the way she, or Argentina, would have wanted.
A medal is still within Argentina's grasp, however the colour will not be the one that Luciana or her teammates were hoping for. An unexpected second place finish in the pool, behind the USA, meant that Las Leonas faced the Netherlands in the semi-final, and the result was a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the seemingly unstoppable Dutch. After the match an inconsolable Luciana sobbed at the press conference, saying: "I have trained so hard for this; it is my last World Cup and I wanted to do so well, but I got injured. I feel I have let everyone down." For the spectators, the sight of the great player sporting a bandage the length of her thigh and clearly unable to move easily was a sad sight, made all the more poignant because when she did get the ball, she still performed magic. It really was a case of "what could have been."
The Argentinian's must now prepare for a bronze medal showdown with the young pretenders to a World Cup medal, the feisty and energetic USA, whose approach to this World Cup has earned them plaudits from all corners. But while Luciana's star seems to be on the wane, there is no doubting the influence she has had on the world of women's hockey since she first burst onto the world stage in 1998. We take a look back at her glittering career.
Luciana caught the public eye in 1998 when she competed in her first World Cup at the age of 16 – the youngest Argentine ever to do so – but the precociously talented player had first started playing when she was just seven for Club Atlético Fisherton, in her native Rosario. She moved to Jockey Club de Rosario six years later. Eventually, she began training with the junior national team, for which she had to travel every day to Buenos Aires. In 1997 she was part of the national team that won the Pan American Games Junior Championship, and a year later she debuted with the senior national team, finishing fourth at the World Cup.
Since then, in a medal-filled international career spanning 16 years, Luciana has won two World Cup gold medals (2002, 2010); two Olympic silver medals (2000, 2012), two Olympic bronze medals (2004, 2008); five Champions Trophies gold medals (2001, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012); three Pan American Games gold medals (1999, 2003, 2007) and Pan America Cup goal medals (2001, 2004, 2013).
In The Hague, Luciana has not had the World Cup tournament she was hoping for. She may leave with a bronze medal if Las Leonas manage to beat USA and, despite her injury, Luciana is determined to play, telling the crowd of journalists at the packed press conference that "yes, I will definitely be playing." But it is not the ending that the player deserves after her long, glittering World Cup career. As the banner that sits in the hockey village at the Kyocera Stadium proclaims: "Aymar – the best player in the world for, like, forever."
FIH site
Tobias' year ends on a downer
Germany's long run in World Cup semi-finals comes to an end
(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)
The 2013-2014 season started well for Tobias Hauke. Crowned the 2013 FIH Player of the Year, he also guided his team to success in the Bundesliga and the Euro Hockey League. But the real goal, a German victory at the Hockey World Cup, was snatched from the German team's grasp after two uncharacteristic losses in the pool stages. Prior to that, the German team also lost their number one world ranking when they finished seventh in the Hero World Hockey League Finals in India in January. Commenting on the lack of a German presence in the semi-finals, the Belgium coach Marc Lammers said: "There is a change in the world order. You are beginning to see different teams making it to the finals, and that can only be good for world hockey."
While neutral observers may see the lack of a German presence in the latter stages of the competition as a sign that hockey is growing and developing, for the Germans this has been a tough and painful tournament. And for Tobias Hauke, it was especially hard to take because of the weight of expectation. "We played hard in every game, and we created chances, but this time things did not go our way. We will look at the videos and we will reflect on what has happened, but this is something that we have to learn from. We might have lost, but one tournament does not make us a bad team. We are all disappointed now, but we will bounce back."
The 27-year-old midfielder always creates a stir of excitement whenever he steps on the pitch. He is an extraordinary holding midfielder who rarely puts a foot wrong. And he is used to winning, which has made the past fortnight even harder to take. Hauke - who was the inspiration for Germany's gold medal at the Euro Hockey Indoor Nations championship - is a double Olympic Gold medallist and a silver medalist at the 2010 Hockey World Cup. The medal he would have liked to add to his collection was a World Cup medal, but for Tobias and Germany this World Cup has just not gone to plan. The team, which came into the tournament ranked second in the world, finished third in their group after losing two games. Despite some defiant words from the German coach Markus Weise, there is now a lot of soul-searching going on in the German camp. "I have a contract until 2016," the German coach responded when asked about his future, "but you had better ask my boss."
Although Germany ended their Pool B campaign in positive fashion by claiming a 6-1 victory over South Korea, it proved to be only a small consolation for the fact that the Olympic Champions have missed out on a place in the World Cup semi-finals. This is only the second time in World Cup history that the Germans have not advanced to the semi-finals. The previous occasion was in the inaugural World Cup in 1971 when Kenya made the semi-finals at the expense of Germany (West Germany as it was in 1971). Germany have six points from four matches after suffering 0-1 defeats against Argentina and hosts The Netherlands.
Despite the disappointment, Germany will be ready for the 5/6 play-offs against Belgium. Asked whether Germany would not rather go home instead of fighting to go into the play-offs, Weise responded: "No, that would be unprofessional. We are not football players."
So while Germany's fortunes have been uncharacteristically poor, for Tobias until this event, 2014 had been a good year. Talking about his award as Player of the Year Tobias said: “I didn’t expect it. It was a big surprise for me and I am very proud of it. But hockey is a team sport and for me it’s more important to be successful with the team. We are all working to be the best, but I want to win more titles like the Olympics and of course, one day, the World Cup."
FIH site
“The best Masters tournament ever”
In Rotterdam the finals of the FIH Masters 40+, 45+, 50+ en 55+ took place
(Photo: Willem Vernes)
As the men’s semi-finals took place in the Kyocera Stadium, in Rotterdam the finals of the FIH Masters 40+, 45+, 50+ en 55+ were being played. The day began at 9.00 with the 50+ men’s teams from England and Germany and ended with the Netherlands – Australia in the 40+ event. “This was the best Masters tournament ever” said Jan Meurer chairman of the FIH Masters organising committee. “I hope this event will help promote hockey for older age groups all over the world.”
Usual suspects
Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, England and South Africa – all the usual suspects – dominated the Masters finals. “But we also had teams from Ghana and Egypt,” said Meurer. “They did not win medals but it was great to have them as part of the hockey community.” Australia emerged as the big winners, taking four of the nine titles on offer. England won three, the Netherlands one and Germany 1.
Success
In total, Rotterdam hockey club hosted 74 teams (men and women) from 21 countries during the tournament, which lasted 11 days. “The enthusiasm, the public, the dynamics, the friendship, the weather – everything went very smoothly,” said Meurer. Once the winning teams are handed their medals, then they realise ‘we are world champions’, says Meurer. “That is a fantastic moment. I’m so pleased to have been a part of this.”
Canberra
After the medal ceremony, complete with national anthems, the flag was symbolically handed over to Australia - the organisers of the next FIH Masters World Cup. That event will take place in Canberra in 2016.
W40 The Netherlands - Australia 1-1 (SO 2-3)
W45 The Netherlands – South Africa 2-0
W50 England - Australia 2-1
W55 England - The Netherlands 4-0
W60 England - Australia 0-3
M40 The Netherlands - Australia 1-1 (SO 1-2)
M45 England - Australia 3-3 (SO 1-2
M50 Germany - England 1-0
M55 England - The Netherlands 1-1 (SO 4-2)
FIH site
Netherlands sets the bar high
FIH successfully completes Observer Programme during Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014
(Photo: Grant Treeby/Treebyimages)
As the Rabobank Hockey World Cup enters the business end of the competition, it is garnering praise and admiration from hockey players and fans around the world for the fabulous and exciting platform it is giving to hockey. Full stadiums, a vibrant retail and hospitality area, top class facilities for players and spectators alike, the latest technology and full use of social media to promote the event, has meant that this World Cup has been seen and enjoyed by more people than any previous hockey event. Using The Hague's offering as a benchmark, FIH and KNHB staff led a comprehensive Observer programme, a part of FIH's Hockey Academy, designed to offer nations who are preparing to host hockey tournaments in the next four years a chance to learn, discuss and plan for their event.
Hosted at the Kyocera Stadium over two days, the programme used the shining example set by the Netherlands at this World Cup as a measure of what other nations can aspire to. While acknowledging that not every nation has the hockey traditions or social infrastructure enjoyed by the Netherlands, nonetheless the organisation and planning processes that have gone into making this Rabobank Hockey World Cup such a spectacular success can be used to partial effect by all nations aspiring to run major sports events.
Among the presentations that took place, the 30 plus delegates were able to listen to sessions on the athlete experience; the provision for the media; how to organise and run the volunteer programme, looking after the officials; protocol at such events; marketing and promotion; and of course the experience of the fans. Looking in more depth at one programme in particular, the host of the 'athlete experience' presentation, Martyn Gallivan said: "We looked at the athlete journey as a whole. This included looking at the pre-event journey such as team briefing, logistics and training schedule requests; the qualification process; the logistics of visas, insurance, travel and accommodation, though to the event itself, the closing ceremony and departure. It is a totally comprehensive programme exploring and discussing every aspect of the athlete's experience.
No stone was left unturned as the delegates heard about organising accreditation for media and players; organising back of house offices and front of house customer services. The delegates also saw how the organisation of a tournament can marry into FIH targets of bringing hockey to a wider audience. Speaking after the event, FIH chief executive, Kelly Fairweather said: "This was the ideal situation for representatives from the nations who will be hosting hockey events over the next four years to see for themselves excellent organisation in action. The presentations will provide invaluable information and guidance, but what better way to show just how well an event can run than to actually experience it first-hand. The KNHB has really shown what can be achieved by working with the international federation with a common aim of providing the very best showcase for our sport."
England's Sue Catton was a delegate on the course, she said: "The FIH Observer Programme has provided England Hockey with real insight into the opportunities and objectives for the next cycle of FIH world level events, in addition to a very valuable understanding of the scale and delivery of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup. We look forward to working in close partnership with the FIH to deliver entertaining hockey events and provide a great experience for all our stakeholders."
For more about FIH Hockey Academy and other programs, visit: www.fih-hockey.academy
FIH site
First-ever World Cup Beach Hockey Festival in Scheveningen
Beach hockey is all about technique
(Photo: Frank Reelick)
Playing hockey in sand might seem like an impossible task. But if you’ve ever watched a game of beach hockey or had a go yourself, then you will know it is a tough sport in itself. From June 12 to June 14, the first ever festival for beach hockey is taking place in The Hague Beach Stadium – a must see for all hockey fans.
In the air
A couple of German lads are practising at the Beach Stadium at the Dutch seaside resort of Scheveningen. The game involves a bigger, lighter ball and special sticks and looks spectacular. It is the first time Paul Kaufmann and Samuel Holzhauser, both 18, have played the game. “We’ve come from Mannheim and there is no beach there,” says Paul. “Luckily we’ve got the technical skills because you really need them. Beach hockey is all about technique.” Teammate Samuel adds: “That’s what makes it such fun. But it is also seriously heavy work. There is a reason why a match only lasts a few minutes.”
A beach hockey team is made up of five players and an official match lasts 2x12 minutes. Beach hockey players run in their bare feet. The difficult playing surface adds a new dimension to the game and provides a real test of the players’ individual skills and teamwork. The ball is in the air for much of the game – creating spectacular airborne tackles and dribbles and acrobatic displays from the keepers. On average there are 30 shots at goal in a beach hockey match, so plenty of action is guaranteed.
A group of German women from hockey club St. Pauli in Hamburg agree. They think beach hockey a lot more intense than the game on grass. “We’ve been playing beach hockey for six years but we really only play once a year at a local tournament, so we still have to get used to it again,” says Vanessa Schmoranzer. The team, made up of old hands, are taking part for fun. “Of course, secretly we really hope to take home gold,” Schmoranzer says. “You never lose your will to win.”
Everyone welcome
The official start of the World Beach Hockey Festival is at 14.00 on Friday after which the first qualification matches will be played. The finals take place on Saturday June 14. You can also just come along and have a go. A number of practise pitches have been laid out and sticks and ball are available for all-comers. The tournament ends with a massive beach party. Everyone is welcome.
FIH site
PHF to bid for 2020 Champions Trophy: Akhtar Rasool
ROTTERDAM: Pakistan has decided to bid for the 2020 Champions Trophy hockey tournament, president of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Akhtar Rasool said on Friday.
“We will be submitting our written bid and security plans to the FIH within the next few weeks,” he told APP sports correspondent Ehsan Qureshi in an exclusive interview.
Akhtar expressed his confidence that international hockey will be returning to Pakistan soon with the support of the International Hockey Federation. The former Olympian thanked the FIH chief Leandro Negre for his strong support and assurance for helping in the revival of international hockey in Pakistan. “The FIH has assured us their best support and assistance in perusing international teams for take part in the Prime Minister’s Gold Cup hockey,” he said.
“FIH’s approval for PM Gold Cup is a major breakthrough and a very good news for Pakistan hockey,” he maintained.
The former centre-half said Pakistan is getting a lot of respect from the FIH and world hockey community because of their tremendous contribution in field hockey during the past decades which includes the launching of World Cup and Champions Trophy almost four decades ago.
Akhtar said he alongwith former PHF president Qasim Zia and secretary Rana Mujahid are holding meetings and establishing liaison with other hockey nations to ensure that Pakistan remain alive on the hockey map.
Akhtar admitted that security is a big issue but added that they are doing their best to convince nearly half a dozen teams to come to Pakistan for the PM Gold Cup. He sounded quite confident that they will be able to attract the teams to feature in PM Gold Cup which will be staged in Lahore between November 2014 and January 2015.
He expressed his optimism that the standard of hockey will improve with return of international hockey to Pakistan. “We are making strenuous effort for the international hockey revival in Pakistan and Inshallah our efforts will bear fruit,” he concluded.
Dawn
First phase of Pakistan's senior hockey camp concludes
By Nabil Tahir
KARACHI: Thirty-seven probables for the senior national hockey team concluded their five-week training camp in Islamabad on Friday. The camp was set up to prepare players for the upcoming Asian Games to be held in Incheon, South Korea in September.
Head coach Shahnaz Sheikh said he was pleased after targets set for the first phase of the camp were achieved.
“It was a productive first phase of the camp,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune. “We worked on various aspects that included fitness and skill-enhancing drills. Besides this, the players were also given match practice.”
Regarding the upcoming event, Sheikh appeared confident of his players’ form.
“All the players have improved their fitness and are in rhythm. The high altitude has also helped them to gain further strength.
“The presence of a high profile coaching team, which includes Nasir Ali, Muhammad Shafqat, Syed Sameer Hussain and Syed Abuzar Umrao has proven beneficial, and after the end of the first phase of the camp, I feel optimistic.”
Pakistan will face their four toughest rivals, hosts South Korea, Malaysia, Germany, and India in the Asian Games, which will also serve as qualifiers for the 2016 Olympic Games 2016 in Rio, Brazil.
Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Mohammad Imran believes his side desperately needs to go for the gold in Korea.
“The Asian Games is the most important assignment for us this year, and we’ve been training and practicing for months now just to keep our focus on it,” said Imran.
“We’re aware of its importance because only a gold medal can take us to the Olympics.”
Earlier, Pakistan finished at third position in the last years Men’s Hockey Asia Cup and came thirteenth in the Men’s FIH Hockey World League, which led to their absence in this year’s World Cup.
The Express Tribune