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News for 07 August 2017

All the news for Monday 7 August 2017


Argentina, Canada secure top of their pool, Trinidad and Tobago, USA earn first victories

2017 Pan American Cups - August 4-13

Ali Baggott



MEN Pool B: Brazil vs. Canada (0-2)

Canada came away with a 2-0 victory over Brazil on Day 2 of the Pan American Cup but it took over two quarters for them to get one by Brazilian keeper Rodrigo Faustino. Floris van Son and Keegan Pereira each got on the board for the Canadians. The last time these two matched up Brazil lost to Canada in a shootout after a scoreless draw in the semifinal of the 2015 Pan American Games.

The opening quarter was a fast-paced and physical match up. Neither team gave up much in terms of circle entries, let alone shots and while Canada maintained most of the possession the ball spent most of its time being traded in midfield. A scoreless opening frame was well indicative of the conservative attack of both sides. Canada’s offence started to squeeze Brazil back into their half but Yuri van der Heijden and Lucas Paixao did well to limit the circle entries. In the 22nd minute Balraj Panesar slid a pass past Brazil keeper Rodrigo Faustino but a sliding Harbir Sidhu was unable to connect.

Patience paid dividends as Keegan Pereira’s skill clinic in the Brazilian circle gave Canada their opening penalty corner chance in the 25th minute but Gordie Johnston’s flick was deflected wide. Minutes later Johnston squeezed a pass through to Floris van Son and at a sharp angle his back-hand shot was steered away calmly by the outstretched glove of Brazil keeper Faustino. A lack of attack seemed to bother Brazil very little as their experience in defence proved valuable to keep the game scoreless entering half time.

Brenden Bissett has Canada’s best chances to break the deadlock. Faustino looked superb, first saving Bissett’s deflection then denying the close-range rebound all in the 35th minute. Just three minutes later the Canadians earned their second penalty corner of the game. Faustino made two-consecutive saves off the top of the battery but van Son was finally there to put in the rebound for a 1-0 Canada lead.

To open the fourth quarter Joaquin Lopez earned Brazil’s first penalty corner but Canadian defender Johnston calmly made the save at the post on a Matheus Borges low flick. In the 51st minute Pereira’s 3D skills on the left baseline freed him up and his intended pass across was deflected in by the Brazilian defence for a 2-0 Canadian lead. Faustino was called to action a few more times before the final whistle as Canada nabs another three points in Pool B with a 2-0 win.

MEN Pool B: Trinidad and Tobago vs. Mexico (3-2)

The second game of the day was so far, the closest of the 2017 Pan American Cup.

Pool B, Trinidad & Tobago edged Mexico 3-2 and won the first match in Lancaster.

Akim Toussaint was in charge of breaking the match by pushing the ball over the goalkeeper. His celebration was a true reflection of his wishes to win this match and keep his team on track.

Glen Francis, Trinidad & Tobago’s Coach put forward a game based on Kwan Brown experience who on several occasions was able to project himself as a striker and to cause several chances for a goal. Another outstanding player of this team was Kristien Emmanuel, who led the offensive, took advantage of a series of rebounds in the area, and found the opportunity to score the first goal.

Continuing with an offensive approach, TTO tried to increase the number of attacks, leaving open spaces that Mexico was able to take advantage of efficiently. At 35 'after a great individual action of Daniel Rangel ended with a shot in height, taken advantage of by Irvin Chavez and tied the game.

At 38 'the game entered a fast pace. Lyndell Byer was in the right place to catch a lost ball in the area and score 2-1 to seal the third quarter.

The tension in the field increased in the fourth quarter and the referees decided to calm the anxieties by applying yellow and green cards. 52 minutes into the match, after a great move Guillermo Pedraza scored a goal and tied the game.

Mexico mad a mistake and Trinidad & Tobago took advantage of it. After a perfect pass from Kristien Emmanuel, Akim Toussaint scooped the ball over the goalkeeper. Final Result 3-2 Trinidad  & Tobago.

Extra Info: The last time both teams played against in a Pan American Cup was in 2009 in Santiago de Chile, where Trinidad surpassed Mexico 5-3 in the 5th and 6th place match. Outside of this tournament, at Rio's Test Event in 2015 the results were:  TTO 9-2 and 3-1.

MEN Pool A: Chile vs. Argentina (2-9)

Gonzalo Peillat proved why he is the world’s best from the top of the circle, scoring four goals on penalty corners as Argentina beat their South American rivals Chile 9-2 in Pool A play. Vicente Goni and Vicente Martin scored the consolation goals for Chile.

The World No. 1-ranked Leones wasted no time scoring back-to-back goals in the 6th and 7th minute. Argentina’s opening goal came when Matias Rey was able to cut a 40-yard into the circle to the stick of Matias Paredes whose shot was drilled into the bottom corner. Less than a minute later Peillat, penalty corner ace, let rip a flick glove side into the mesh past Chilean keeper Adrian Henriquez to double his team’s lead.

Against the run of the play Chile was able to break any hopes of an Argentine shutout. Chile’s Vicente Goni took a quick free hit inside the 23-m area and weaved his way through a planted Argentine defence only to beat keeper Agustin Abratte with a little flick in the 15th minute. Goni’s timely finish cut Argentina’s lead to 2-1 entering the first break.

After a series of attacks that were spoiled by the Chilean defence led by Axel Richter and keeper Henriquez, Argentina were finally able to find a third goal. Agustin Mazzilli send a booming pass out of the backfield to find Lucas Vila at the top of the circle. Vila’s magical reception turned his defender on a dime to set up a shot on the backhand that blazed into the backboard for a 3-1 Argentina advantage. Peillat displayed why he was the leading scorer at the 2016 Olympics after he scored two more penalty corner flicks in the 23rd and 29th minute to make it 5-1 by half time.

Agustin Araya came into net for Chile in the second half and denied a Peillat flick and a hard attempt by Pedro Ibarra but moments later Vila’s diving deflection lifted the Olympic Champions up 6-1. Martin Rodriguez sprung Richardo Achondo for Chile’s first attack of the second half but the resulting shot was blocked by Peillat. In the 43rd minute Ignacio Ortiz sent an 80-yard aerial to Maico Casella. Casella’s quick pass across the circle found a diving Marc Ganly for a 7-1 Argentina lead. After a wave of Argentine attack Chile were able to generate a penalty corner in the other end. The resulting penalty stroke call was buried by Vicente Martin to give Chile their second goal, down 7-2. Ortiz finished a rebound that hit the post off a Vila shot to make it 8-2, while Peillat finished his own penalty corner rebound to finish with four goals and a final score of 9-2.

MEN Pool A: USA vs. Venezuela (5-0)

In their first-ever encounter the USA men put away Venezuela 5-0 with five different goal scorers. Despite the score margin without Venezuelan keeper Junior Benitez’s instincts between the pipes it could have been a much bigger defecit. USA move to third in Pool A behind Argentina and Chile.

It took nearly the entire first quarter for the two teams to get settled and while USA seemed to control possession Venezuela did well to deny space in their circle. In the 13th minute the Americans were able to capitalize when 18-year-old Amardeep Khokhar had a give-and-go setup with Sean Cicchi to lift the home team 1-0. USA had a chance to double their lead on a penalty corner but Aki Kaeppeler’s flick was saved on the line by Venezuelan defender Yordano Castro.

Venezuela did well to stymie two well-executed USA corners including a save on the line, again by Castro, and then a high flick saved well by the glove of keeper Junior Benitez. In the 20th minute a free hit play found Cicchi on the left baseline and with a composed sense of urgency he flipped the ball under the bar and into the mesh for a 2-0 USA lead. 

USA captain Ajai Dhadwal set up Alexander Grassi for their team’s third goal. Grassi’s quick spin in the circle allowed him room to finish on a back-hand sweep in the 38th minute. Youngster Khokhar was an impressive spark up front for the Americans but Venezuelan defenders Dixon Abreu, Martin Lucena and Castro provided a difficult presence. Kaeppeler extended USA’s lead after a solo mission saw him eliminate three defenders and calmly lift the ball into the mesh for a 4-0 advantage. Tyler Sundeen buried a strike from the top of the circle after a quickly taken free hit to put the Americans up by five. USA will now prepare to play Chile for a spot in the semifinals. 

The final day for men’s pool play is on Aug. 8 with Pool B’s Trinidad and Tobago vs. Brazil (10:00), Canada vs. Mexico (17:00) and Pool A’s Argentina vs. Venezuela (12:00) and USA vs. Chile (19:00). Men’s semifinal cross-overs between the top two teams in each pool will take place on Aug. 10.All matches are streamed live via USA Field Hockey here and you can stay connected on facebook, Instagram and twitter @panamhockey or online at panamhockey.org.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



USMNT Rebounds With Big Win Over Venezuela in Second Match of PAC


Image courtesy of Mark Palczewski

LANCASTER, Pa. – August 6, 2017 – Following a loss in their opening match Friday night, the U.S. Men’s National Team rebounded in their second pool play game of the men’s Pan America Cup at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa. Five different goal scorers added their name to the score sheet and a dominant defensive performance earned the USMNT a 5-0 victory.

“Some areas we clearly were much better [tonight]," said Rutger Wiese, USMNT Head Coach. "We scored a couple goals obviously, although the passing was a little sloppy at times. A lot of passes were on the backend where we want to pass on the forehand which slowed us down a bit. But overall a win is a win."

Both teams had their share of possessions to open the first quarter. USA pressed first, but could not make anything of their first two offensive possessions. As the battle shifted back and forth down the field, the stalemate was finally broken in the 13th minute when Amar Khokhar (Valencia, Calif.) netted the first goal of the contest of a scramble in front of the net. The red, white and blue kept the pressure on quickly off the restart as they earned their first penalty corner of the contest. A drag flick chance by Aki Kaeppeler (Stuttgart, Germany) was denied by Venezuela's goalkeeper Junior Benitez.

Venezuela countered quickly to start the second period with a break down the near side but USA was there to force the stop. Back down the other end, USA’s earned a second penalty corner  and the chance was deflected away. A third and fourth penalty corner for USA followed a flurry of offensive strikes in the 25th minute. Although unsuccessful in both corner attempts, Sean Cicchi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) pocketed the team’s second goal of the night sending the ball high into the net seconds later. Venezuela quickly regrouped with multiple chances in the final minutes of the half, but ultimately could not penetrate a swift defensive effort by USA. The halftime score stood at USA 2, Venezuela 0.

In the second half, USA maintained possession patiently waiting for an opening by swinging the ball from sideline to sideline. Patience paid off in the 38th minute as Alexander Grassi (Brookeville, Md.) backhanded a shot into the net for the 3-0 lead. The team wasted no time in controlling the ball yet again, and in the 44th minute Kaeppelar was able to extend the USA lead after beating two defenders and putting it past Venezuela's Bentiez. With the clock ticking down, Venezuela penetrated the circle but with no support they quickly lost the ball to round out the third quarter.

In the final quarter, Venezuela continued to be tested on the defensive end and came up successful in warding off a USA penalty corner. Moments later in the 51st minute, Tyler Sundeen (Simi Valley, Calif.) converted on a hard shot that he buried in the right corner of the goal to make it 5-0. Venezuela responded catching an aerial ball deep and took it into the circle, forcing USA's goalkeeper Brandon Karess (Allentown, Pa.) to make the clear. Still relentless and hungry to find the goal, Venezuela matched USA step by step up and down the field late in the match. Despite the late surge USA was able to clear possession back to the offense end kill the remaining time.

“Compliments to Venezuela," commented Kaeppeler. "They gave it their all, a good job on defense. We focused on being more concentrated than we were in the Argentina game, and tried not to make the same mistakes again and take it step by step, quarter by quarter.”

The team appeared much more disciplined according to Wiese in comparison to the team's opening loss to top FIH Hero World Ranked Argentina. The discussion coming in to the game was to stick to the task at hand. It proved successful tonight as the win set the USMNT up for a critical matchup against Chile in terms of placement in the top two spots in pool play.

“We are going to watch some video," add Wiese. "Eat first tonight, relax a little bit and then the staff and I will start watching the video. You can be sure we will spend a lot of time watching and be prepared on Tuesday.”

The USMNT concludes pool play on Tuesday, August 8 against Chile at 7:00 p.m. ET. Watch the teams live in Lancaster, Pa. through the Support USA ticket package, while supplies last. Additional packages and single game tickets are also available by clicking here, and will be available for purchase at the door.

Games will also be streamed online on usafieldhockey.com. Click here for a full event program and broadcast details. #PAC2017 #CaptureTheCup

USFHA media release



Canada’s Men top Brazil 2-0 in tight second game of 2017 Pan Am Cup

Kori Sidaway


In game 2 of the 2017 Pan American Cup, Sukhpal Panesar stick handles through Brazilian defence. (Yan Huckendubler/PAHF)

The Men’s National team battled it out with Brazil today to earn their second victory within pool play of the 2017 Pan American Cup. The last time these two teams matched up was at the Pan Am Games Semi-Final, going into a 0-0 shootout, so the men were expecting Brazil to be a tough match up.

“[Brazil] has improved a lot,” forward Gordon Johnston stated, “and especially since Rio they’ve gained a lot of experience and you can see that in the way they’re playing.”

Teammate Keegan Pereira echoed his teammate’s sentiments. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and we’re pretty happy with 2-0,” Pereira added.

As the first whistle was blown, both teams launched immediately into a high tempo game. Canada and Brazil got their first touches in, with a little back and forth action. Canada maintained most of the ball possession with fast ball movement through their defence, as Brazil forwards held high in their forecheck to keep Canada situated mainly along the midfield.

Johnston said ball possession was part of the team’s strategy heading into today’s match up.

“From the get-go we said we wanted to possess the ball today. And I think we did that in the first half.”

Up until the 3rd quarter, the game was characteristically tight. Both teams had bursts of opportunities, but things seemed to open up in the 35th minute as Brenden Bissett smacked back to back open shots on net, testing Brazil’s goalkeeper, who denied any goal. The momentum was moving in favour Canada after the team was a awarded a penalty corner for a foot in the circle and forward Floris van Son was able to bury a rebound off the flick to open up the scoreboard 1-0 for Canada.

A series of short corner opportunities saw Johnston’s and team captain Scott Tupper’s drag flicks deflect high away from the goal. In the 4th quarter, goalkeeper David Carter came out big with back to back saves to calmly clear any chance Brazil had in front of the net, out of harms way.

Veteran forward Pereira found himself driving along the baseline with some more sneaky stick skills, and found the back of the net to bring the Men up to lead 2-0 in the 51st minute. When the final whistle blew, Canada clinched the tight match up 2-0.

Although the game was low scoring, Johnston said the team’s focus on maintaining possession of the ball what what eventually saw the game swing in their favour.

“A lot of our possession didn’t get goals, but I think we did a lot of good things, and got a lot of opportunities, and we did what we wanted to do.” Johnston added, “in the end we broke them down.”

Moving forward, the Men’s National team faces Mexico next on Tuesday August 8th at 2pm PT/5pm ET in final pool play before Semi-Final match ups.

Photos: Canada vs Brazil – August 6/17

Select photos from the Men’s National team’s 2-0 win over Brazil on August 6, 2017 at the Pan American Cup in Lancaster, USA. (Yan Huckendubler/PAHF)

Field Hockey Canada media release



Toussaint keeps Calypso Stickmen in semis hunt

Nigel Simon


GOAL CELEBRATIONS: T&T’s Kristien Emmanuel, second from right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal in his team’s 3-2 win in Pool B of the 2017 Men’s Pan American Hockey Cup at USA Field Hockey Headquarters, Spooky Nook Sports, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, yesterday. T&T won 3-2. Photo: Courtesy.PanAmhockey.org. Photo by:Yan Huckendubler

T&T’s Australian-based captain, Akim Toussaint scored the decisive item with three minutes left in the match as the “Calypso Stickmen” held off Mexico 3-2 for their win in Pool B of the Men’s Pan American Hockey Cup Tournament at the USA Field Hockey Sports, in Pennsylvania, yesterday.

With the win, T&T joined its next opponent Brazil on three points from two matches each, three behind Canada which blanked the South Americans 2-0 in day’s first match.

Coming off a 4-0 to Canada in Friday’s opening round of pool matches, Toussaint and his team-mates needed to avoid defeat to stay in the hunt for a main draw semifinal spot.

However, in Mexico, which went under to Brazil 3-1 in their opening clash the Glen Francis-coached T&T men found a stubborn opponent.

From the opening whistle, T&T dominated ball possession, but had to wait a minute before the end of the first 15-minutes quarter to go ahead through 19-year-old Kristien Emmanuel.

This after the Malvern teenager was on spot to hammered home a loose ball from less than five yards out, after Mexico goalkeeper Moises Vargas could only parry a shot on goal from a T&T penalty-corner set play.

That lead lasted until five minutes into the second-half as the T&T players were caught up field protesting a no call from the umpires, which resulted in a Mexico counter-attack.

T&T’s goalkeeper Andrey Rocke was able to get his pad onto the shot from Irvin Chaves, however the ball deflected high into the air, and then down into the T&T goal.

The Mexicans joy was short-lived though as another Malvern youngster, 22-year-old Lyndell Byer regained the lead for T&T in the 38th minute courtesy a strike from a penalty-corner set play.

With eight minutes left in the match, Mexico again drew level, this time thanks to Guillermo Pedraza.

T&T then created a few chances to go ahead for the third time, with England-based veteran 39-year-old Kwandwane Browne coming close as well in the 55th.

But three minutes later, there was no denying Toussaint who plays locally for Paragon as he capped off a fast-break by scooping his attempt over the sliding Vargas and into the far corner to put the “Calypso Stickmen” ahead for the third and final time to set up a winner take all clash with Brazil on Tuesday from 10am.

For Canada, Floris Van Son in the 38th and Keegan Pereira in the 51st minute were the players on target against a defensive minded Brazil line-up, which was mindful of conceding as few as possible ahead of their match with T&T. a virtual battle for second spot in the pool.

Last night in Pool A, first day winners, Chile and two-time reigning champions Argentina faced off followed by host USA and Venezuela two hours later.

At the end of the round-robin pool play the top two teams in each pool will advance to the main draw semi-final play-off and the two teams to emerge from this stage of the tournament will earn a berth at the World Cup next year.

The top six teams will also qualify for the 2021 Pan American Cup, and the teams placed seventh and eighth must play the 2019 Pan American Challenge.

Remaining Matches

Tomorrow

T&T vs Brazil, 10 am
Canada vs Mexico, 5 pm
USA vs Chile, 7 pm

Thursday

Main Draw Semifinals

Pool A winner vs Pool B runner-up, 5 pm
Pool B winner vs Pool A runner-up, 7.15 pm

Friday

Fifth to Eighth semifinals

Third Pool A vs Fourth Pool B, 9.15 am
Third Pool B vs Fourth Pool A, 11.30 am

Saturday

Seventh place, 10 am
Fifth place, 12.15 pm
Third place, 3.30 pm
Final, 5.45 pm

The Trinidad Guardian



T&T stickmen bounce back against Mexico

Trinidad and Tobago’s hockey men kept their chances alive of a semi-final spot at the Pan Am Cup taking place in the United States with a hard-fought victory over Mexico in their second Pool B match yesterday.

In Lancaster, Pennysylvania, skipper Akim Toussaint literally kept his team alive in the group with his match-winning strike in the 57th minute to silence the determined Mexicans 3-2.

T&T never trailed and took the lead through Kristien Emmanuel in the 14th minute, only for Mexico to hit back through Irvin Chavez in the 35th. But Lyndel Byer put T&T back ahead three minutes later and that is the way it stayed until the 52nd minute when Guillermo Pedraza pulled Mexico level for a second time only for Toussaint to snatch the win for T&T and take them level with Brazil in second on three points behind leaders Canada who followed up their 4-0 shutout of T&T on Friday with a 2-0 win over the Brazilians yesterday.

Trinidad & Tobago Express



Day 1 - Men's EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow

After a full day of play at the National Hockey Centre in Glasgow it’s Ukraine and Russia that sit on top of Pool A and B respectively. But the match of the day was the final game Scotland v France, where Scotland pulled off a greaat 2-1 win over the highest ranked team here.

Match 1: Russia 3-2 Switzerland

The first match of Men’s EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow was a 3-2 for Russia over Switzerland in a fantastic encounter to get the tournament underway.

The opening quarter was very evenly-matched with Russia probably edging possession. Switzerland however created the better chances early-doors but found Andrei Ivanov sturdy in the Russian goal. Russia created a couple of opportunities in the second quarter and found Jonas Verest on top form, making a string of good saves to keep the score level.

Then just before half time Switzerland struck and scored a great goal through Jan Hodle. A quick move into the right of the D found Hodle who rattled the ball across the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. 1-0

Right after half time Russia issued a very quick response to going a goal down. Sergei Spichkovskii equalised three minutes into the half when he scored from close range after a scramble in the D at a penalty corner.

Russia almost took the lead when a quick break opened up the Swiss defence but Verest in goal for Switzerland was out quickly to make a great diving save to his left.

Russia made it 2-1 soon enough and it came from a penalty corner rifled low on the reverse into the bottom right corner by Konstantin Nikitin.

It was 3-1 in the fourth quarter when Pavel Plesetskii converted for Russia. Switzerland was up for a fight however and Hodle showed tremendous reactions to score from close range to make it 3-2 with four minutes remaining.

The Swiss battled to the end but it was Russia who held on for their first victory of Men’s EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow.


Russia Euros 2017

Match 2: Czech Republic 1-2 Wales

Wales won their opening match of the tournament with a competitive 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic.

It was a very tentative opening to the match with both teams examining each other’s tactics and set-up. There were no real chances for either side but it was the Welsh who enjoyed the majority of possession.

As the half grew older Wales found their groove but the Czech Rep backline did a good job to counter the Welsh attack.

Wales took a deserved lead when Gareth Furlong converted from a penalty corner. It was teed up nice for Furlong and he hammered it into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0 to Wales.

It was 2-0 just before half time. The attack started deep but Wales tore forward at great pace down the left. The ball was cut back for James Kyriakides who finished neatly to put his side two up.

Into the second half and Wales continued to dictate the play, causing particular problems down the left.

Czech Republic won a penalty corner and made it count. The Czechs had to be patient as the ball bobbled around the D but Michel Barta was clinical and fired the ball home to make it 2-1.

A very competitive end to the match saw Wales hold tight to a 2-1 lead for victory.


Wales Euros 2017

Match 3: Ukraine 7-2 Portugal

It was a nine-goal thriller between Ukraine and Portugal with Ukraine rattling home seven goals in a highly entertaining game.

Ukraine started the stronger of the two playing an aggressive powerful blend of attacking hockey.

It was Portugal who had the first chance to score, a penalty corner was well saved at the bottom left corner.

Ukraine were rewarded for their forward play with an early goal through Dymtro Lupa slammed home from a penalty corner. Lupa found the bottom right corner to put Ukraine 1-0 up.

Portugal were under the cosh as the first quarter came to a close but did well to stay in the match as Ukraine piled on the pressure.

Ukraine doubled their advantage in the second quarter when a penalty stroke was awarded. Andrii Koshelenko found the top left corner to make it 2-0.

Portugal battled back into the match in the third quarter. They were rewarded by an absolutely spectacular goal. Pedro Pinto blasted an unstoppable strike into the top left corner of the net to make it 2-1.

Ukraine restored their two goal lead through an equally spectacular goal. Bohdan Kovalenko was at full stretch at the far post to slam dunk the ball home to make it 3-1.

It was 4-1 from a penalty corner when Viacheslav Paziuk thundered the ball into the top corner. A fifth goal came from a penalty corner at the end of the third quarter – Paziuk with the strike again.

Portugal pulled one back when Vasco Ribeiro finished from a tight angle to make it 5-2. Then a penalty flick for Ukraine had Koshelenko fire it into the roof of the net for 6-2. Oleh Polishchuk made it 7-2 towards the end to complete the scoring.


Ukraine v Portugal Euros 2017

Match 4: Scotland 2-1 France

Scotland defeated France, the highest-ranked team in Men’s EuroHockey Championship II, 2-1 to get their tournament off to a winning start on home soil. A heroic goalkeeping performance and clinical finishing ensured it was Scotland’s day in front of an excellent home support.

It was a very even opening to the match with both teams working to stifle the other. However it was the French who managed to create the first clear openings of the match.

A great save denied France the opening goal. The French tore into the Scots D from the right and cut it back for the rushing attackers but Tommy  saved the ball from point blank range, padding it high into the air.

Then Alexander was on hand again to save from point blank range with his leg guards as France pressed for the opener.

Scotland then settled into the match in the second quarter, playing quick hockey. Alan Forsyth and Kenny Bain combined well but found the French defence well marshalled.

Still France looked dangerous and Alexander was again called into making a top save from a penalty corner, saving well with his legs from a low and hard strike at goal.

Then Scotland opened the scoring. Jamie Wong took the ball out wide on the right and fizzed it into the D for Kenny Bain who deflected it home to make it 1-0.

An improvised Scotland penalty corner saw Lee Morton crack a hard shot towards the bottom corner but it hit a Scots foot and France survived.

Then a French attack took advantage of some slack defending but Alexander was on hand to make another excellent reaction save.

As the third quarter progressed the French were piling on the pressure. Scotland hit them on the break, Morton showed some tremendous skill to open the French defence and the ball found its way to Alan Forsyth who finished from close range. 2-0.

France continued to attack and Alexander was prompted into a simply outstanding save. On the ground he managed to cover his top left corner and save to keep his clean sheet intact.

Bain nearly scored a third at the start of the final quarter was crowded out in the D in front of goal.

Alexander then made a world-class save when France was awarded a penalty flick. The flick was arrowing for the top left corner before Alexander made a heroic save to put the ball over the bar.

The French did manage to pull one back as the match reached a close when Simon Martin-Brisac converted expertly from close range. It made for a nervy last few minutes for the Scots but it was Scotland’s day and they got off to a winning start on home soil.


Tommy Alexander Save Flick France

Photos by Mark Pugh and Duncan Gray

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Scotland defeat France in opening match of the Euros in Glasgow


Tommy Alexander saves the flick against France

Scotland defeated France, the highest-ranked team in Men’s EuroHockey Championship II, 2-1 to get their tournament off to a winning start on home soil. A heroic goalkeeping performance and clinical finishing ensured it was Scotland’s day in front of an excellent home support.

It was a very even opening to the match with both teams working to stifle the other. However it was the French who managed to create the first clear openings of the match.

A great save denied France the opening goal when the French tore into the Scots D from the right, and cut it back for the rushing attackers, but Tommy Alexander saved the ball from point blank range, padding it high into the air.

Then Alexander was on hand again to save from point blank range with his leg guards as France pressed for the opener.

Scotland then settled into the match in the second quarter, playing quick hockey. Alan Forsyth and Kenny Bain combined well but found the French defence well marshalled.

Still France looked dangerous and Alexander was again called into making a top save from a penalty corner, saving well with his legs from a low and hard strike at goal.

Then Scotland opened the scoring. Jamie Wong took the ball out wide on the right and fizzed it into the D for Kenny Bain who deflected it home to make it 1-0.

An improvised Scotland penalty corner saw Lee Morton crack a hard shot towards the bottom corner but it hit a Scots foot and France survived.

Then a French attack took advantage of some slack defending but Alexander was on hand to make another excellent reaction save.


Forsyth goal France v Scotland Euros

As the third quarter progressed the French were piling on the pressure. Scotland hit them on the break, Morton showed some tremendous skill to open the French defence and the ball found its way to Alan Forsyth who finished from close range. 2-0.

France continued to attack and Alexander was prompted into a simply outstanding save. On the ground he managed to cover his top left corner and save to keep his clean sheet intact.

Bain nearly scored a third at the start of the final quarter was crowded out in the D in front of goal.

Alexander then made a world-class save when France was awarded a penalty flick. The flick was arrowing for the top left corner before Alexander made a heroic save to put the ball over the bar.

The French did manage to pull one back as the match reached a close when Simon Martin-Brisac converted expertly from close range. It made for a nervy last few minutes for the Scots but it was Scotland’s day and they got off to a winning start on home soil.

Photos by Mark Pugh and Duncan Gray

Scottish Hockey Union media release



4 Nations: England defeated by Netherlands

England Men suffered a heavy defeat to the Netherlands in their 4 Nations opener in Terrassa in Barcelona.

Mirco Pruijser, Robert Kellerman, Jorrit Croon, Bob de Voogd and a strike from Valentin Verga saw the Netherlands dominate, Barry Middleton scoring England’s consolation strike in the 9-1 defeat.

Inside three minutes the Dutch had raced into a two goal lead through Pruijser’s emphatic strike and Kellerman’s neat deflection.

De Voogd then pounced on a rebound to make it 3-0 and a ferocious reverse stick hit from Verga gave the Netherlands a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Croon grabbed his first goal in the second quarter before Kellerman completed his brace before half time. The third quarter saw England improve and the fifteen minutes were closely contested.

However in the final quarter the dutch turned on the style, scoring three further goals in the final ten minutes. The final action saw Middleton score his 111th international goal.

Up next for England are Germany who they face at 11am UK time on Monday.

England Hockey Board Media release



ONGC wins Murugappa Gold Cup

Subdues Bengaluru HA in the final; Machaiah scores a brace

K. Keerthivasan



A seasoned ONGC put all its experience to fruitful effect by subduing Bengaluru HA 4-2 in the final of the 91st MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup all-India hockey tournament here on Sunday.

Both teams played their hearts out in an entertaining contest. The major reason for ONGC’s triumph was its excellent defensive organisation. Most of its counter-attacks were measured, and during turnovers, the defence seldom allowed Jenjen Singh, Rajkumar Pal or any of Bengaluru’s forwards any leeway. This was especially so in the second session.

Drag flick specialist Diwakar Ram, who had put up a sterling show throughout the tournament was spot on in the final too.

There was little to choose between the two teams in the first half. For every ONGC attack, Bengaluru reacted equally well. No wonder at half-time, the teams shared four goals each.

Coming back after the break, ONGC changed its tactics. On counters, it didn’t go all out as it strengthened its defence, and the ploy worked.

Sumit Kumar ran in from the right, dodging past two defenders to close in on the goal. But nearing the post he passed it to Machaiah, who moved lightning quick to slot it home.

Bengaluru too raised the pace, but ONGC’s defence was up to the task.

Mandeep Antil, who was the anchor for most of the moves in the last 20 minutes, finally made an assist. His pass from the right found Machaiah, who deftly pushed it home.

International Raghunath, a penalty corner specialist, was stopped in his tracks. Off the two corners Bengaluru had, one was a flop, the other though well-struck by Raghunath, was legged away by goalkeeper Simranjeet Singh.

A delighted coach

ONGC’s coach Sandeep Sangwan was delighted with the win, having last coached the side to a trophy seven years back in 2010.

“It feels really good. I am proud of my boys. If I have to pick one player, it has to be goalkeeper Simranjeet Singh. After we conceded two goals I changed our first choice ‘keeper Dinesh Ekka, who was not feeling well. The young Simranjeet stood up to the pressure,” said Sandeep.

ONGC went home richer by ₹5 lakh while Bengaluru had to be content with ₹2.5 lakh.

A. Vellaiyan, chairman, Murugappa Group, gave away the prizes.

The result (final): ONGC 4 (Diwakar Ram 3, Mandeep Antil 28, Machaiah 52 & 70) bt Bengaluru HA 2 (Rajkumar Pal 5, Bijju Yirkal 13). Man of the match: Rajkumar Pal.

The Hindu



ONGC beats Bengaluru Hockey Association 4-2, wins MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup

ONGC, after a mixed performance in the round-robin phase, raised its game in the semifinal to knock out defending champion Indian Railways. They continued in the same vein this evening and made their intentions clear from the beginning.


The victorious ONGC team received Rs five lakh prize money while BHA got Rs 2.5 lakh. (Source: Hockey India Twitter)

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) capped a fine run by beating surprise finalist Bengaluru Hockey Association (BHA) 4-2 in the final to emerge champion in the 91st All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament here today.

ONGC, after a mixed performance in the round-robin phase, raised its game in the semifinal to knock out defending champion Indian Railways. They continued in the same vein this evening and made their intentions clear from the beginning.

Diwakar Ram, one of the key players in the tournament, gave ONGC a flying start by scoring from a penalty corner in just the third minute. With the two teams looking to assert their supremacy and to stay aggressive, there were quite a few quick moves. The Bengaluru team hit back within two minutes of conceding the goal when Rajkumar Pal sent one past the rival custodian to level things.

The BHA team, which had impressed many on its way to the final, kept attacking, which brought another goal, in the 13th minute through Bijju Yirkal’s field goal.

Mandeep Antil restored parity for ONGC when he got one through from a penalty corner in the 28th minute. The two teams went into the break locked at 2-all. In the second half, the experience of ONGC showed as they raised their game a notch and the third goal came against the run of play when Machaiah scored in the 52nd minute.

He was at it again with a goal in the final minute to end Bengaluru’s fine run. The victorious ONGC team received Rs five lakh prize money while BHA got Rs 2.5 lakh.

Murugappa Group executive chairman A Vellayan gave away the prizes in the presence of MCC president Srivatsan Subramaniyam.

Special prizes: Best forward: Jenjen Singh (Bengaluru HA), best mid-fielder: Machaiah (ONGC), best goalkeeper-defender: Diwakar Ram, Most promising player: Sanjay Xalxo (Odisha), man of the final: Rajkumar Pal (BHA).

Indian Express



13 unfit hockey players shown door by Pakistan team management

In an apparent move to improve the current state of matters in the hockey structure, the new team management has dropped 13 players on fitness grounds.

The players were attending national camp at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium in the federal capital, ahead of the Hockey Asia Cup which will be held in Bangladesh this October.

The action was taken on the report submitted by physical trainer Nasrullah. The report identified that 13 of the players attending the camp couldn't attain the minimum standard of the physical fitness.

The dropped players include Muhammad Ateeq, Qazi Asfandyar, Zeeshan Bukhari, Sohail Manzoor, Kashif Ali, Faisal Rasheed, Asad Aziz, Awaisur Rehman, Faraz, Usman, Nadeem, Ali Akbar and Mohsin Sabir.
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The said action will, however, benefit the remaining players in the camp and even those players who had initially been excluded from the camp.

Dawn



Meet Eduardo Leonardo, the 'face' of the Rio 2016 legacy



Eduardo Leonardo could be described as the face of the Rio hockey legacy. From the first moment he discovered he had been appointed as Hockey Venue Supervisor at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2007, until the final whistle blew at the end of the last game of the 2016 Rio Olympics, Eduardo was one of the people leading a hockey revolution in Brazil. Now he works at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) office in Lausanne as Sport Manager, running international events across the globe.

“Last year I saw snow for the first time,” says Eduardo. A year on, he is relishing both his role at FIH and life in Switzerland. “Since I started with FIH, every day is a learning opportunity. I now understand the wider objectives and strategy of the federation and how it is not just about one event but about the growth of the sport in a global way. This macro view is the biggest change for me.”

The past few months have been a whirlwind of hockey activity in a variety of very different settings for the quietly-spoken Brazliian. He was at the centre of the action for the Women’s Junior World Cup in Chile, World League Round 2 in Bangladesh, World League Semi-Finals in London and the World League Semi-Final in South Africa.

During these events, Eduardo was able to bring two very different perspectives to the organisation and running of the competitions. There is the knowledge and training he has undertaken since joining FIH, but this is married with knowledge gained as an organiser from the host nation.

“The most important thing I can bring is the first-hand knowledge of the difficulties that sometimes the other side faces to meet FIH standards. Often it is lack of money, for others it may be lack of structure (people, facilities, etc) to host an event. With this understanding we can prioritise what we need to deliver and make sure that even with all the challenges we will be able to deliver a good event.”

And Eduardo speaks with a voice of experience. He was Sport Manager at Rio 2016 and says, “Being Sport Manager is more than being a person that runs the competition. In Rio, for example, I was very involved in all the build up, mainly because no-one knew hockey very well in Brazil, so you need to teach them and explain the culture of the sport. I had 12 paid staff and 200 volunteers: these people needed to know everything about hockey players, for example what they like to eat, how they like to arrive at the venue, the whole culture of being a hockey player. It was the same for the officials, they have ways of doing things and certain requirements to do their job effectively. I needed to drum into my team how to think like a hockey player."

Much of the role as a local organising committee Sport Manager is about building relationships says Eduardo. "Establishing a good relationship between the local organising committee and the FIH is essential for a successful tournament," he says, "but equally important is the quality within the local organising team. You must find the right people to work with you. I have learnt that these are not always the most expensive people, but they are the right people. The most important thing is to be confident in this person; even if they do not know everything, they will do what you are requesting and they will deliver the best that they can.”

Now in his role as FIH Sport Manager, Eduardo has a global oversight of the game, but he thinks the fundamentals of running a competition remain the same, whichever side of the organising team you are with. “I believe the recipe for overcoming any challenge is to create a good relationship with the group of people you work with. In any event there will always be problems, what changes is how you respond to them and how you interact with the others to solve and create alternative solutions.”

FIH site

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