News for 05 December 2018
All the news for Wednesday 5 December 2018
Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 - Day 7
Bhubaneswar (IND)
Results 4 December
ENG v AUS (Pool B) 0 - 3
IRL v CHN (Pool B) 1 - 1
Fixtures 5 December (GMT +5:30)
17:00 GER v NED (Pool D)
19:00 MAS v PAK (Pool D)
Remaining Pool fixtures
6 Dec 2018 17:00 ESP v NZL (Pool A
6 Dec 2018 19:00 ARG v FRA (Pool A)
7 Dec 2018 17:00 AUS v CHN (Pool B)
7 Dec 2018 19:00 IRL v ENG (Pool B)
8 Dec 2018 17:00 BEL v RSA (Pool C
8 Dec 2018 19:00 CAN v IND (Pool C)
9 Dec 2018 17:00 MAS v GER (Pool D)
9 Dec 2018 19:00 NED v PAK (Pool D)
Pool Standings
Pool A
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Pool B
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Pool C
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Pool D
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Kookaburras Blitz England Late To Seal World Cup Quarters Spot
Ben Somerford
The Kookaburras have secured an automatic spot in the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals after a final quarter blitz sealed a 3-0 win over England in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday night.
Three pinpoint finishes in a 10-minute last quarter blitz from Jake Whetton (47’), Blake Govers (50’) and Corey Weyer (56’) sealed an important three points for the top-ranked Australia.
The two sides had been evenly matched in the first half, with seventh-ranked England coming closest when Phil Roper hit the post while Kookaburras keeper Tyler Lovell produced a stick save from Mark Gleghorne’s effort from a short corner to keep the scores level at the main break.
Australia stepped it up a gear after half-time, pressing with intent, before their hat-trick of goals in the final period which were all exceptional finishes.
Whetton fired into the backboard after Tom Craig’s fine run, before Govers powered in a stunning shot on the turn following Trent Mitton’s baseline raid.
Man of the Match Matthew Swann set up Weyer for the sealer, with the Gold Coast product nailing a centimetre-perfect shot.
The result, combined with the 1-1 draw between China and Ireland later on Tuesday night, seals top spot in Pool B and Australia’s spot in the quarter-finals.
Australia will play China PR in their final pool game from 10:30pm AEDT on Friday.
Swann said: “Team work makes the dream work. Our boys put some quality goals on. That last quarter was amazing. Whetty’s goal, Blake’s goal, Wiz’s goal, they were all incredible.”
Australia won all key statistics, with 23-12 circle penetrations, 3-1 penalty corners, 9-4 shots and 56-44 per cent possession in the opposition half.
Swann added: “It took three quarters to separate us. Fortunately in that last quarter we picked it up a gear and were able to come away with a win.”
Lovell made the first save of the game in the 12th minute when he blocked Barry Middleton’s reverse stick shot with David Condon lurking for a deflection.
Australia won the first PC of the game in the 21st minute with England keeper George Pinner saving well from Govers’ drag flick.
England went down the other end with Roper hitting the upright in the 22nd minute.
Australia almost punished the English after they went down to 10 men when Michael Hoare was green carded in the 27th minute, but Govers pushed a shot marginally wide after Tim Brand’s pass.
An onrushing Pinner thwarted Daniel Beale’s chance, before Lovell had to be alert with his stick to deny Gleghorne’s goalbound drag flick in the 30th minute.
After the long interval, Govers’ deflected flick was saved low by Pinner, who was also tested by Flynn Ogilvie after a baseline run.
Australia broke the deadlock two minutes into the last period when Whetton smashed a superb shot into the backboard from just inside the D after Craig’s slalom run.
Govers produced some magic with a scintillating shot two minutes later, before Weyer capped a fine Swann raid to make it 3-0.
Australia 3 (Whetton 47’, Govers 50’, Weyer 56’)
England 0
Hockey Australia media release
Late Goals Give Australia World Cup Victory Over England
Eng v Aus HWC2018
Three stunning final quarter strikes saw Australia beat England in a tough 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup encounter.
Jake Whetton, Blake Govers and Corey Weyer each produced immaculate finishes to give the reigning champions the win.
The scoreline was somewhat harsh on England, who were on even terms with the world’s number one outfit for much of the game, with Mark Gleghorne and captain Phil Roper coming close in the first half.
That left coach Danny Kerry feeling positive despite the final score.
"We competed well, particularly in the first half," he reflected.
"Credit to Australia for taking their chance in the fourth quarter to go 1-0 up.
"We'll look forward to the opportunity that the final game presents us."
In a circumspect first quarter, Barry Middleton drew the game’s first save with a dangerous cross on the reverse that Lovell just prevented from reaching David Condon.
Australia’s ‘keeper was busy in the second quarter too as the game lit up, keeping out Liam Ansell and brilliantly deflecting Gleghorne’s wicked strike just over the bar, while Roper hit the woodwork for the second straight game.
Pinner was also on top form at the other end, ensuring the teams were level at half-time with two impressive saves low to his right from Australian corners before charging off his line to tackle Daniel Beale as he shaped to shoot.
Gleghorne and Pinner combined to keep out Govers’ corner flick in the 35th minute as Australia ramped up the pressure, with the ‘keeper on hand once again to shortly after to thwart Flynn Ogilvie.
There was nothing he could do to prevent the goals though as Whetton swept the ball into the corner, Govers struck with an incredible no-look shot and Weyer slammed a 56th effort home.
England’s final group game sees them take on Ireland on Friday 7 December at 13:30, a game you can watch live on BT Sport.
England 0 (0)
Australia 3 (0)
Whetton (FG, 47); Govers (FG, 50); Weyer (FG, 56)
Starting XI: Pinner (GK), Ames, Gleghorne, Roper, Dixon, Middleton, Ansell, Condon, Waller, Gall, Sanford
Subs: Taylor, Martin, Sloan (C), Hoare, Calnan, Wallace
England Hockey Board Media release
Australia makes an impeccable winning record
Errol D’Cruz
Australia equaled a World Cup record with victory (3-0) over England in the World Cup in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. It brought the World No. 1 defending champions their 15th win in a row in the competition, starting with a 5-2 victory over India at the 2010 New Delhi World Cup and continuing the streak into the next edition in The Hague, the Netherlands four years later.
The Aussies are now level with Pakistan who, after losing the 1975 final 1-2 to India in Kuala Lumpur, registered 15 successive victories – eight at the 1978 World Cup in Buenos Aires followed by seven more in Mumbai four years later.
Pakistan, however, lost their opener in 1986 to Argentina 1-3.
Curiously, the last match Australia failed to win at the World Cup was against England – a 2-3 defeat in the opener in New Delhi. They now play China and, barring a result of epic proportions, should have the record for their very own.
Its already a record for the World Cups held on synthetic surface
THE WINNING STREAKS:
PAKISTAN: 1978 WC: bt Ireland 9-0, bt Italy 7-0, bt Netherlands 3-1, bt Malaysia 3-0, bt Spain 2-1, bt Argentina 7-0. Semifinals: bt Germany 1-0 (aet); final: bt Netherlands 3-2.
1982 WC: bt Argentina 6-1, bt Spain 4-1, bt New Zealand 12-3, bt Germany 5-3, bt Poland 4-1. Semifinals: bt Netherlands 4-2. Final: bt Germany 3-1.
AUSTRALIA: 2010 WC: bt India 5-2, bt South Africa 12-0, bt Spain 2-0, bt Pakistan 2-1. Semis: bt Netherlands 2-1. Final: bt Germany 2-1.
2014 WC: bt Malaysia 4-0, bt Spain 3-0, bt India 4-0, bt Belgium 3-1, bt England 5-0. Semis: bt Argentina 5-1, final: bt Netherlands 6-1.
Meanwhile, faced with long rest as many as five days rest between matches, teams have used the opportunity to not just rest and recuperate during matches but also to soak up the sun at the luxury resorts around Bhubaneswar, play golf or visit the many tourist spots especially the temples that Odisha is famous for.
Of course, team managements are mindful of boredom, staleness and the ensuing rustiness that could creep in. Australia coach Colin Batch said, “ It’s different for sure. We are coping with it for now but at the end we’ll find out with a review.”
The Australians earned themselves a really long break after qualifying directly for the quarterfinals by topping pool B and avoiding the cross-overs.
Barry Middleton, the England captain, looks at the positive side of things. “We are not used it but we have some fun during the long breaks. The hotel’s good and we mess around and have some fun and it gives us a chance to rest,” the veteran midfielder said.
The Canadian team made a trip to Puri where the beaches are inviting. Other teams like Pakistan and South Africa hit the mall and the fan park near the Kalinga stadium has drawn many a team.
If nothing else, players have had a chance to catch up on action on the pitch in front of their television sets in the hotel.
Stick2Hockey.com
Australia march into World Cup second round
By Jugjet Singh
BHUBANESWAR (India): Defending champions Australia blasted England 3-0 in Group B to qualify for the second round of the World Cup.
Australia only came alive in the third quarter with goals from Jake Whetton (47th), Blake Govers (50th) and Corey Weyer (56th).
Australia coach Colin Batch said: “England did well for three quarters. But in the end, our ability to turn half chances into goals paid off.
"Yes, we are slow starters and will have to work on it. The penalty corners also did not work. But then again, many teams are finding it tough to score from penalty corners. Even Argentina. So that is something we need to look at and improve,” he said.
England skipper Ian Sloan said they had a good start and were able to match Australia for three quarters.
“They were better in the fourth quarter, we should have defended better. But the goals were good (acute angles), and we cannot fault our goalkeeper.
“The result put us in a tough position and we will need to beat Ireland. Matches between the two teams have been close and I expect them to try and beat us as well,” he said.
In another Group B match, China and Ireland played to a 1-1 draw. Guo Jin (43rd) scored for China, while Alan Sothern (44th) equalised.
New Straits Times
England concede three late goals in 3-0 defeat by Australia
Defending champions Australia scored three late goals to beat England 3-0 in a pool game at the Hockey World Cup.
Barry Middleton and Mark Gleghorne went close for England in the first half and captain Phil Roper also hit the post.
But stunning strikes from Jake Whetton, Blake Govers and Corey Weyer in the final quarter gave Australia their second win of the tournament in India.
"We competed well, particularly in the first half," England coach Danny Kerry said.
"Credit to Australia for taking their chance in the fourth quarter to go 1-0 up.
"We'll look forward to the opportunity that the final game presents us."
England will play Ireland in their final Pool B game on Friday (13:30 GMT).
Kerry's side drew 2-2 with China in their opening game in Bhubaneswar and are third in the table. Australia lead the group and face China in their final pool game.
The top teams in each of the four four-team groups qualify for the quarter-finals, with the second and third-placed teams competing in crossover matches for the right to face them.
England have never won either the men's or women's World Cup, which is the sport's biggest event outside the Olympics.
BBC Sport
Australia down England 3-0
Harpal Singh Bedi
BHUBANESWAR: Three goals blitz in the space of nine minutes of the final quarter helped defending champions Australia demolish England 3-0 to record their second straight win in the pool B of the 14th World Cup Hockey at Kalinga Stadium here on Tuesday.
After barren 46 minutes, Jake Whetten (47th), Blake Govers (50th) and Corey Weyer (56th) scored a goal each to put their side Australia virtually into quarterfinals with six points and a match to go.
England have one point from two outing and will face Ireland in a do-or-die battle on December 7. Australia once again established their dominance over England beating them for the 21st time of the 28 matches they have played between themselves so far.
Earlier in the tournament, Australia’s quest for a record hat-trick of titles started with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ireland in the opening Pool B match on Friday. The World No.1 team were far from impressive and were made to toil by Ireland in their opener. Ireland gave Australia a run for their money with an impressive display in both attack and defence.
England, on the other hand were held to a 2-2 draw against China in their opening match of the tournament. Making their debut in the tournament, China scored a last-minute equaliser, stunning a higher-ranked English team. Even though England enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession and created numerous chances but couldn’t find a way past a resolute Chinese defence.
The Daily Times
Three-time champions Australia become first team to qualify for quarter-finals by beating England
The Australians are favourites to win the tournament, having enjoyed a long spell of dominance in the sport. Twitter@FIH_Hockey
Bhubaneswar: Australia firmly remained on course for another title by becoming the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the men's hockey World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over England in a Pool B match.
World number 1 Australia scored three goals in the final quarter to register their second consecutive win in Pool B at the Kalinga Stadium. The win took Australia to the top of Pool B with six points from two games and secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 16-team event.
The Kookaburras became the first to seal a direct quarterfinal berth after China sprang yet another surprise by holding higher-ranked Ireland to a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the other Pool B match. Jin Guo scored from a penalty corner for China in the 43rd minute before Ireland's Alan Sothern drew parity in the very next minute.
The Kookaburras had earlier defeated Ireland 2-1 in their tournament opener, while China drew 2-2 with England. While Australia will finish at the top of the pool, world number 17 China are placed second ahead of Ireland (1 point) and England (1).
Australia play China in their last pool match on 7 December, while England will be up against neighbours Ireland. The battle between world's number one side Australia and number 7 England witnessed a dull first quarter with both the teams struggling to make inroads into the rival citadel.
The few forays both the teams made ended in no significant result. England had the first shot at the goal in the 12th minute but Barry Middleton's reverse hit was easily padded away by Australia keeper Tyler Lovell.
It took Australia 21 minutes to create a real scoring chance in the form of back-to-back penalty corners but an alert George Pinner in front of England goal averted danger on both occasions.
Two minutes later, England came tantalizingly close to scoring when Phil Roper struck the left post. Blake Govers then came close for Australia two minutes from half time. After receiving the ball inside the box, he took a 360 degree turn to set up himself but his shot went just wide of the English goal.
England got their first penalty corner a minute away from half-time but wasted the chance as both the teams failed to break the deadlock in the opening two quarters.
The game continued in the same vein after the change of ends as the third quarter witnessed just a penalty corner awarded to Australia, which went abegging.
After the barren three quarters, the Kookaburras looked a completely different side in the final 15 minutes of the game as they pumped in two goals in a span of four minutes to race to a 2-0 lead.
Whetton finally broke the deadlock in the 47th minute when he scored after receiving a pass from Tom Craig. Three minutes later, Govers doubled Australia's lead by slamming from the top of the circle past England goalkeeper George Pinner.
Four minutes from the final hooter, Australia pumped in another goal through Corey Weyer whose reverse hit crashed into the England goal past Pinner.
Firstpost
Old in age, rich in experience Australia books last eight spot
The defending champion’s late strikes sink England; Ireland holds China
Y.B. Sarangi
Australian players celebrate one of their goals. Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout
A resolute Australia relied on its tactical innovation to pump in three goals in the final quarter and rein in a stubborn England 3-0 in a crucial Pool B match at the Kalinga Stadium here on Tuesday.
World No. 1 Australia, with six points from two wins, has become the first team to make it to the quarterfinals with one match to go. In the other Pool B match, China and Ireland played out a 1-1 draw to clear the passage for Australia.
Executing plans well
In an absorbing contest, England executed its plans beautifully to contain the Aussie aggression. The Englishmen did some tight marking and out-numbered the yellow-and-green brigade inside its penalty area.
The seventh-ranked England impressed by spreading out and compressing as per the need and forcing Australia to cut its flamboyance and focus on possession.
The defending champion put pressure in the opening quarter through a couple of penalty corners but could not beat the alert England defenders.
Missed chances
In the second quarter, Tim Brand missed the target by a whisker despite showing his creativity at the goal-mouth and Daniel Beale saw his chance neutralised by England ’keeper George Pinner’s timely intervention.
Dylan Wotherspoon spoilt a fine opportunity in the third period, but that did not deter Australia from pressing hard.
Australia’s diligence paid off early in the final quarter. Tom Craig’s pass from the back-line following an excellent move from the right was slotted in by Jake Whetton.
Within a few minutes, Blake Govers latched on to a chance with a reverse stick on the back of a quick counter-attack. Corey Weyer hit home a loose ball to seal the fate of the match.
The results (Pool B): Australia 3 (Whetton 47, Govers 50, Weyer 56) bt England 0; China 1 (Jin Guo 43) drew with Ireland 1 (Alan Sothern 44).
The Hindu
Defending champions Australia book quarterfinal berth
Hockey World Cup 2018 Bhubaneswar: Australia's Flynn Ogilvie vies for the ball during a match against England , PTI
Defending Champions Australia showcased their mettle in the second half of their clash against England, outclassing them by 3-0, to book a quarter-final berth at the ongoing Men's Hockey World Cup at Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday.
Three goals in the span of nine minutes by Jake Whetton (in the 47th minute), Blake Govers (in 50th) and Corey Weyer (in 56th), helped Australia retain their top spot in Pool B.
England began the proceedings for the first quarter. Both the sides had equal possession but did not result in any goal.
In the 14th minute, England created two good chances. However, it remained a tale of bad ball control inside the penalty area at both ends.
England carried their momentum from the first quarter as Zachary Wallace found Jack Waller on the left flank, but Australian defenders worked collectively to shake the forward off the ball.
In the 21st minute, Australia won two back-to-back corners but England's goalkeeper George Pinner made three excellent saves as he dived low to his right side to keep the ball out.
Australia, in the 28th minute, again secured two turnovers in its favour, but Tim Brand and Daniel Beale missed their chances to score, with the latter being denied by Pinner's timely intervention.
The intensity notched up with both the teams coming close to score-line multiple times. However, their goalkeepers maintained the level at 0-0 by half-time.
Australia won a penalty corner in the 35th minute of the match. However, Jeremy Hayward got a stick deflection from England's runner and Pinner got down to his right to make a save. In the 45th minute, Matthew Swann hit a cross from the right side but it went to Pinner, who once again saved the goal before ending the third quarter.
Jake Whetton made a big impact in the 47th minute of the match as he scored the first goal for Australia with a stunning finish. A superb run on the right by Tom Craig saw him set up Whetton in the centre with a cut back from the baseline. Whetton shot at the left corner, finally beating Pinner. In the 50th minute, Blake Govers helped his side double the lead as he scored a reverse hit with his back towards the goal after some good work by Eddie Ockenden.
Corey Weyer kept the goal-scoring momentum for Australia with a third quick goal in the 56th minute and finished the game with a 3-0 victory over England.
Australia will next clash with China, while England will lock horns with Ireland in their final Pool B league on December 7.
Daily News & Analysis
Ireland and England face key World Cup showdown on Friday
©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics
Ireland and England will showdown on Friday in a crucial battle in the World Cup with both of their tournament lives on the line following a couple of frustrating games.
The English lost 3-0 to Australia with all the goals coming in the final quarter. England had some great chances in the first half with Tyler Lovell making an exceptional glove save while Phil Roper’s chip shot hit the outside of the post.
As time wore on, the Kookaburras eventually turned the screw and had the best of the second half, going ahead via a powerful Jacob Whetton shot from Tom Craig’s skills down the right. Blake Govers hit the next with 10 minutes to go and Corey Weyer added to his impressive tournament for 3-0.
Later on, Ireland drew 1-1 with China as the European side were frustrated for long periods by the world number 17 side. China went in front from a corner from Jin Guo in the 43rd minute before Alan Sothern equalised with a cracking touch to Michael Robson’s cross a minute later. But Ireland could not make their statistical dominance count on the scoreboard and so have to settle for a draw.
"The No 1 goal before the start of the tournament was to reach the quarter-final and that hasn't changed,” Sothern said afterwards. "We came out here to win and if you look at the stats we edged the game but didn't make it count. The group is tight and it's coming down to the last game. We will fire on Friday.
"Teams like China defend really well and sometimes you need to get the ball to bounce in the right area, like it did for the goal. We weren't quite clinical enough in certain phases of the game. It cost us in the end in the result.”
The results mean Australia go straight through to the quarter-final while China are in second on two points.
Ireland and England are on one point with the Irish ahead on goal difference meaning a draw when they meet on Friday will be enough; the English have to win.
On Wednesday, looking ahead to the meeting between two European giants, Netherlands Head Coach Max Caldas said: “Germany has a very strong team. Their forwards are super-fast and the team knows how they want to play. They stick to their own game plan.
“For us it’s important to constantly improve our own game, that’s our main goal. Playing Germany is different than playing Malaysia; both teams force us to show different skills and tactics. We need to be prepared for just that.”
Germany Head Coach Stefan Kermas, who saw his team defeat Pakistan 1-0 in their opening game, said: "It will be an interesting one, because the winner has the best chance to finish top of the pool. We are happy with the result of our opening game, knowing that our structure and defensive performance was good.
“We have to improve our offensive skills and dynamic, otherwise we will not be able to attack the Dutch goal with results. The Dutch made a really good job offensively against Malaysia, so we have to put a lot of attention to keeping the sheet as clean as possible."
Euro Hockey League media release
Green Machine Draw 1-1 With China
It was a frustrating match for Irish fans as the Green Machine dominated much of the tie but struggled to find the back of the net. Eugene Magee forced the first save of the game from Caiyu Wang as he got the faintest of touches in front of goal from Chris Cargo’s sweep into the circle. Moments later, Alan Sothern released a reverse strike from a tight angle only to see it skim over the crossbar. The Irish pressure didn’t let up and Matthew Nelson evaded 3 defenders in the circle but his shot hit the side netting. The first penalty corner of the game belonged to the Green Machine but Wang saved Shane O’Donoghue’s drag flick. China’s scramble defence was just about holding up and they countered when possible but the half belonged to Ireland, and Mitch Darling sent a pass across the face of goal at the end of the opening 30 minutes but nobody could get the vital touch.
China disrupted proceedings in the opening minute of the second half by winning their first penalty corner but David Harte was on hand to save Talake Du’s effort. From there it was similar to the first half with both Mitch Darling and Sothern seeing their shots on goal go just past the post. However, it was China who took the lead in the 43rdminute from a well-worked penalty corner routine that saw Du slip the ball to Jin Guo who dragged home. But Ireland responded within a minute as Michael Robson sent a reverse pass into the circle at pace for Sothern to deflect into the goal from the penalty spot. Ireland continued to up the pressure and Magee created another clear-cut chance as he used his 3D skills to dart along the baseline and pull the ball back but there wasn’t a team mate on hand to fire home. Ireland remained composed as the clock wound down and won another penalty corner; Wang palmed O’Donoghue’s shot away and the sides played out a 1-1 draw.
Speaking after the fixture, captain David Harte said “We performed well but ultimately our lack of conversion infront of goal came back to haunt us unfortunately. All the statistics were in our favour but you have to take the opportunities presented to you, we know every game in a World Cup is going to be a difficult one”.
Ireland’s next match of the Odisha World Cup is on Friday (December 7th) at 7pm IST/1:30PM GMT against England.
Odisha World Cup, Bhubaneswar
Ireland 1 (Sothern)
China 1 (Guo)
Starting: D Harte (captain), J Bell, M Nelson, A Sothern, E Magee, K Shimmins, S O’Donoghue, S Murray, P Gleghorne, C Harte, S Loughrey
Subs: M Bell, C Cargo, M Darling, M Robson, D Fitzgerald, D Walsh, L Cole
Fixtures (all times listed are local)
Ireland’s Odisha World Cup Fixtures:
30/11/18 17:00 Ireland 1vs2 Australia
4/12/18 19:00 Ireland 1vs1 China
7/12/18 19:00 Ireland vs England
10/12/18 Crossover Match
12/12/18 Quarter Final
15/12/18 Semi Final
16/12/18 Bronze Medal Match
16/12/18 Final
Irish Hockey Association media release
Profligate Ireland held by China in Hockey World Cup
Cox’s side must get a result against England to keep quarter-final dream alive in India
Johnny Watterson
Alan Sothern celebrates his equaliser for Ireland against China. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty
Not for the first time Ireland’s future lies with the numbers. After playing out a hugely frustrating draw with China, where two explosive second half minutes provided a goal for each team, Ireland go into Friday’s final pool game of the men’s Hockey World Cup in India needing a result against England.
A draw would be enough to put Ireland into a crossover game for a first ever quarter-final place. If the number one side in the world Australia put four goals past China, a draw between Ireland and England would suit both teams, who will know exactly what is required as theirs is the last match of Pool B.
China on two points have a zero goal difference, Ireland on one point have a -1 goal difference and England on one point have a -3 goal difference going down the home stretch.
As it now stands China and Ireland are in the crossover games and England in an elimination position. Everything is to play for.
Ireland have beaten England before in must win matches. The European Championship in 2015 came down to the two sides with Ireland coming from behind to win 4-2 and claim a first ever European medal.
As it was then, it will be on Friday with the Gleghorne brothers again facing each other, Mark playing with England and Paul with Ireland.
Tuesday’s match was tortuous for Ireland and became a succession of missed opportunities throughout the four quarters where they dominated possession, circle penetrations and shots on goal.
Ireland held the ball for 60 per cent of the game, had 27 circle penetrations to China’s five and eight shots on goal to three from the Chinese. The last time the teams met, Ireland won 6-0. It could again have been something like that in the Kalinga Stadium.
China celebrate Guo Jin’s opener against Ireland. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty China celebrate Guo Jin’s opener against Ireland. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty
Ireland opened brightly holding possession with China falling back into their half. While David Harte and his side enjoyed possession it was captain Harte who was first forced to make a save.
Ireland settled into a holding game pressing into the Chinese half but without a great deal of penetration until a reverse stick deflection from Eugene Magee was touched wide and a reverse tomahawk from Nelson in the final minute found the side netting.
The second quarter frustrated Ireland further as they pushed even harder for the opening goal. The first penalty corner put low by Shane O’Donoghue was saved by Caiyu Wang before a reverse pass by O’Donoghue was deflected wide by Alan Sothern.
Referee Javed Shaikh confusingly indicated a goal but the ball had wrapped in the side netting. Matthew Nelson then went along the backline with Sothern missing a final touch while Mitch Darling blazed one across the mouth of the goal with no Irish stick on offer.
In all Ireland enjoyed 62 per cent of the ball and 16 circle penetrations in the first half, the sides going into half-time 0-0 and Ireland the most displeased.
It exploded to life on 43 minutes when Jonathan Bell was sin binned for a tackle and China awarded their second penalty corner. A beautiful spin and switch found Jin Guo, who catapulted his drag flick off the Irish upright for 1-0.
Within a minute Michael Robson made his way up the left and ripped across a reverse drive. Sothern somehow got his stick on the travelling ball for a wonderful deflection and 1-1.
From there on Ireland attacked in waves, Eugene Magee, Sothern, Nelson, Darling and O’Donoghue all causing havoc but not finding the net.
“We performed well but ultimately our lack of conversion in front of goal came back to haunt us,” said captain Harte. “All the statistics were in our favour but you have to take the opportunities presented to you.”
The World Cup is still in Ireland’s hands. One more game for an historic shot at a quarter-final, a path the women’s team took so sweetly in London last summer.
Ireland: D Harte, J Bell, P Gleghorne, C Harte, S Loughrey, S O’Donoghue, K Shimmons, S Murray, E Magee, A Sothern, M Nelson. Rolling subs: D Walsh, M Robson, M Bell, C Cargo, M Darling, L Cole.
The Irish Times
Ireland off the mark at Hockey World Cup but left frustrated by China draw
BHUBANESWAR, INDIA - DECEMBER 04: Lee Cole of Ireland walks off disappointed following the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup Pool B match between Ireland and China at Kalinga Stadium on December 4, 2018 in Bhubaneswar, India. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images for FIH)
Ireland were held to a 1-1 draw against China on a frustrating outing at the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar.
Alexander Cox's side dominated for large periods of the match and created more clear-cut scoring chances, but Caiyu Wang in the China goal kept Ireland at bay for the most part.
Ireland lost their opening game 2-1 to Australia, and although they will be disappointed not to have won today, the draw still keeps their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
Despite Ireland being on top, it was China who took the lead with three minutes left in the third quarter. Jonathan Bell was yellow carded for a robust challenge, which gave China a penalty corner.
The ball was worked to Guo Jin, whose shot off the left post beat David Harte in the Ireland goal. Ireland showed impressive resolve to hit back one minute later, with Alan Sothern equalising from close range with a powerful drive.
Ireland almost snatched a winner in the dying moments, but Caiyu Wang made a strong save from a penalty corner to preserve a 1-1 draw for his side and leave Ireland frustrated.
Ireland now face England on Friday, with a draw good enough to send them through to the knockout stages.
Irish Independent
Ireland held to frustrating 1-1 draw by China in India
Ireland were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by tournament debutants China in their second pool game at the World Cup in India.
The Irish must avoid defeat against England in their final pool game in Bhubaneswar to make the knockout stage.
Ireland missed a series of chances as they dominated the first half.
But Guo Jin's penalty corner gave China a 43th-minute lead and while Alan Sothern immediately levelled, the Irish could not force a winner.
Australia are guaranteed to top the group after their 3-0 win over England on Tuesday while China, who drew 2-2 with England in their opener, move to two points in the pool.
Both Ireland and England are on one point after two games but the Irish have the better goal difference.
Australia, who beat Ireland 2-1 in their opener, have earned direct passage through to the quarter-finals while the second and third-placed teams in the pool will go through to the crossover stage - effectively the final 12.
Sothern and Matthew Nelson missed first-quarter chances for the 10th-ranked Irish, with the latter firing into the side netting late in the period as Alexander Cox's side failed to exploit several other attacking opportunities.
Chinese keeper Guo Xiaoping saved a Shane O'Donoghue penalty corner early in the second quarter before Sothern flicked just wide as the dominant Irish had 62% of the first-half possession.
Against the run of play, the 17th-ranked Chinese forced a penalty corner early in the third quarter with Irish keeper David Harte blocking Du Talake's effort.
As the Irish resumed control, Mitch Darling had an effort disallowed and Sothern also went close but they were then stunned as Jin's penalty corner flew past Harte after Jonny Bell had been yellow carded.
Sothern levelled within a minute from Michael Robson's cross but despite having the full 15-minute final quarter, the Irish could not achieve a further breakthrough.
2018 Hockey World Cup: China 1-1 Ireland
China: Jin (43)
Ireland: Sothern (44)
BBC Sport
China hold Ireland 1-1 to stay alive in Hockey World Cup
Harpal Singh Bedi
BHUBANESWAR: Putting up yet another brave display, debutants China chalked out their second successive draw as they held Ireland to 1-1 draw in Pool B match to stay alive in the 14th Hockey World Cup at Kalinga Stadium here on Tuesday. China took the lead in the 43rd minute through Jin Guo who converted a penalty corner while Alan Sothern gave Ireland the equaliser in the 44th minute. China have two points from as many matches, having earlier drawn with much higher ranked England 1-1. Ireland had lost their opener to Australia 1-2. Ireland have themselves to blame for their failure to collect three points as they muffed chances galore and credit to China for battling it out till end.
Though China tried to take control of the proceedings by going on the offensive as the match opened but could not sustain the momentum for long. Their initial forays in the Irish citadel did rattle the defence but they failed to convert the attempts into goals. Suozhu Ao ran down the right flank into the circle without any success and then in the 6th minute Wenlong E created a fine opening from the right wing but Nan Meng failed to beat agile goal keeper David Harte.
The defender Talake Du was quick to move forward to ward off the danger. A minute later Alan Sothern made a 360 degree turn and unleashed a reverse shot which flew past over the post. Ireland earned their first t penalty corner in the 19th minute. However Shane O’Donoghue’s drag flick was cleared by goalkeeper Wang Caiyu. Four minutes later, Shane with a reverse flick sent the ball home but the goal was disallowed because the ball slipped into the net after hitting the support beam which was outside the area of play. Against the run of play China earned their second penalty corner in the 43rd minute and the World Cup debutants took the lead through Guo Jin. The lead lasted barely a minute as Ireland equalised through Alan Sothern (1-1).
Both teams earned a penalty corner each after that but their goalkeepers brought off fine saves.
The Daily Times
Stats Speak: European giants Germany and Netherlands face off in 204th international meeting
B.G.Joshi (in Kalinga Stadium Bhubaneswar)
Formidable German striker Christopher Ruhr in action. He was the top-scorer in 2013 Junior World Cup. Photo (Courtesy hockey.de)
Germany (FIH Ranking 6) has played most numbers of matches (203) against their traditional rivals Netherlands (FIH Ranking 4). Today will be their match number 204, which is a record for two teams playing against each other in the annals of Hockey.
In World Cup history, Germany has beaten Netherlands thrice: 1-0 (1971), 5-1 (1998 pool match), 1-0 (2002). Netherlands have also beaten Germany thrice: 0-0, tiebreaker 4-2 (1973, semifinal); 3-2 (1990); and 1-0 (2014). The other three World Cup matches were draw: 0-0 (1994), 2-2 (2006) and 2-2 (2010). Here are the statistical highlights:
|
Particulars |
MP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
|
Total |
203 |
85 |
54 |
64 |
441 |
401 |
|
In World Cup |
9 |
3 |
3 |
3* |
13 |
9 |
|
Last Five |
5 |
4** |
0 |
1 |
10 |
14 |
|
*Lost in tie-breaker in 1973 World Cup Semifinal **Won in shootout in 2017 World League QF and 2016 Olympics Bronze Medal Playoff |
||||||
Note: The mention of Germany includes West Germany. In hockey, Germany is the successor of West Germany, not a separate team.
Fieldhockey.com
It’s going to be fast and furious when Holland play Germany
No surrender: Germany captain Martin Haner is bracing himself for a tough match against Holland.
One down, two to go.
After disposing of Malaysia 7-0 in their first Group D match last Saturday, Holland’s appetite has been whetted.
Next up are the Germans, who struggled to beat Pakistan 1-0 on Saturday.
It will be an interesting encounter between Holland and Germany as fans can expect to watch a high level of hockey plus fantastic field and penalty corners goals.
European champions Holland have a number of excellent forwards such as Thierry Brinkman, Roberrt Kemperman and Jeroen Hertzberger, who scored a hattrick against Malaysia.
In the 2014 World Cup in The Hague, Holland edged Germany 1-0 in a group match, with the goal coming from Hertzberger.
Hertzberger said the Germans are a strong team although they did not play in the Champions Trophy in Breda, Holland in June.
“The Germans might not have played well against Pakistan but they definitely have a team that can rise to the occasion to give a reasonably good fight until the final seconds,” said Hertzberger.
“They can play a fast attacking game and click well as a team. We have to be wary of them.”
He added that his matches with Germany have always been touch-and-go and it would be no different in the World Cup.
“We are here to play well in every match and hope to get the desired result,” said Hertzberger, who is featuring in his third World Cup.
German captain Martin Haner said they are expecting a good and interesting match.
“Yes, we did not play many matches this year but we have been training to improve every aspect of our game,” he said.
“We definitely will face a torrid time against Holland as they have proven to be solid team after outplaying Malaysia. We have to play a tight marking game,” said Haner.
The Star of Malaysia
Oltmans aims to do inside job against Pakistan
By Jugjet Singh
BHUBANESWAR, India: “I built it, so I know how to demolish it as well”.
That’s what Malaysia coach Roelant Oltmans said when asked about the rock-solid Pakistan defence which only allowed Germany to score one goal.
Pakistan team manager Hassan Sardar had said that during Oltman's eight-month stint with them, he had built their defence and they will use it in the World Cup.
Sardar and assistant coach Rehan Butt had worked to make the midfield and strike-force better.
Malaysia play Pakistan tomorrow to decide which team go into the play-off and which team head home early from the World Cup.
After this match, Malaysia have a tough encounter against Germany on Dec 9, while Pakistan play the mighty Dutch in the same day, and both matches favour the European teams.
The 16-team World Cup has a tough format, as the four teams who top their groups advance automatically to the quarter-finals while the second and third placed teams in each group are involved in a playoff to decide the other four.
Malaysia and Pakistan are fighting for the third place in Group D, — at least.
"I know the Pakistan players well and what I built in the team, I can take it down as well," said Oltmans.
When asked about Malaysia's losing streak to Pakistan from the Asian Games right up to the Asian Champion Trophy (ACT), Oltmans said the gap has been narrowed slowly.
"It was 4-1 in the Asian Games, then 1-0 in the ACT group stage and then narrowed down to 4-4 in the ACT semi-finals (Malaysia lost the shootout 3-1).
"I call that work in progress. The gap is being narrowed down and we know what to expect, and do, in the World Cup against Pakistan," said Oltmans.
The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) have left no stone unturned to help this team prepare for the World Cup.
And when Malaysia failed to win gold at the Asian Games, MHC hired Oltmans to help Stephen van Huizen prepare the team.
So, now is the time the players not only repay their staunch supporters but also their coaches and MHC by beating Pakistan.
New Straits Times
'I'm OK. Don't worry about me'
Jugjet Singh
BHUBANESWAR (India): The Malaysian hockey team had a morning training session at the Kalinga Stadium yesterday, where penalty corners were the main focus.
The players, as well as coach Roelant Oltmans looked stress free, despite a 7-0 drubbing by the Netherlands in their opening Group D encounter.
“I'm OK, I'm always Ok, . don't worry about me," said Oltmans when asked how was his morning.
“We had a frank discussion about the Dutch game and it’s understood that the margin of defeat was un expected. It was not necessary and could have been better.
“But our target has not changed, we came here to play in the next stage, and that is still our focus, nothing has changed after the Dutch match as we still have two more matchs to play, against Pakistan and Germany," said Oltmans.
Malaysia won only one penalty corner against the Dutch, and Monday was full of penalty corner set-piece training sessions.
“I can't say what and how we are going to execute our penalty corners but we are ready for every eventuality as we have studied the opponents on how they defend their penalty corners and we have our plans.”
Malaysia will play Pakistan tomorrow, and they can't afford a defeat if they do not want to exit the World Cup early as Germany are our last opponents on Dec 9.
“I would like to say once again that the morale of the team is still high and nothing has changed.
“We all know that the margin of defeat was too big and unnecessary, but I told the players to forget about it and concentrate on Pakistan, our main objective in the group stage right now.”
New Straits Times
Time for redemption
Hard at work: Malaysian players Faizal Saari (left) and Muhd Razie Abdul Rahim training at the Kalinga Stadium to prepare for their cruncher against Pakistan today.
Once bitten, twice shy.
After a 0-7 rout by world No. 3 Holland in the opening Group D match at the Kalinga Stadium last Saturday, the Malaysian hockey players are anything but demoralised.
Defender Muhd Razie Abdul Rahim said that they have learned a bitter lesson against Holland and don’t want to make the same mistakes twice.
“It was painful to lose by such a big margin against Holland. We hope to overcome it and recover our spirit and play a better game,” said Razie.
Malaysia need to collect full points against Pakistan today to finish in the top three to qualify for the second round.
“The match against Pakistan is crucial for us as we need to collect full points. If we fail to do so then our chances of qualifying for the second round will be virtually over as Germany have three points and have a better goal difference than us,” said Razie, who is a penalty corner specialist.
In their first group match last Saturday, four-time world champions Pakistan played well against Germany before going down 1-0.
Forward Faizal Saari said they want to win back the fans’ faith by playing a good game.
“It will be a tough match as Pakistan too will be going all out to beat us to move to the next round. But we vow to fight for every ball and make full use of the chances.
“We also need to create as many penalty corners as we only had one penalty corner against Holland,” said Faizal, who also failed to score in his first World Cup in The Hague in 2014.
Pakistan forward Umar Bhutta said the Malaysian players are mentally hurt after the match against Holland.
“They will be going with guns blazing against us. But we are ready to take them on as we too want a win over them to stay in contention for a place in the next round,” said Umar.
“Our matches against them have always been close and it will be no different tomorrow. We have the psychological advantage as we have beaten them three times this year,” said Umar.
Malaysia’s first defeat to Pakistan was in the group match of the Asian Games in Jakarta in August (4-1).
In October in the Asian Champions Trophy, Pakistan beat Malaysia 1-0 in the round robin match and they also won the bronze playoff with 3-1 win in a penalty shootout after both teams played to a 4-4 draw.
The Star of Malaysia
Pakistan play Malaysia in most crucial World Cup match today
LAHORE - Pakistan will play their second match of 2018 World Cup at Bhubaneswar against Malaysia, which is arguably the most crucial pool match for the men in green as the other two teams in the pool are European heavyweights Holland and Germany.
The Asian sides Pakistan (No 13) and Malaysia (No 12) have lost their opening games, as green shirts were beaten by Germany 0-1 while Malaysia lost against Holland 0-7. It will be a tall order for Pakistan and Malaysia to get some points from their last pool games against Holland and Germany respectively. As per this World Cup’s format, only the winners of the pool get direct qualification for the quarter final. Teams finishing second and third would play cross overs with the third and second from another pool. All this makes Pakistan-Malaysia encounter vital for both the sides.
Match starts at 6:30 PM
Pakistan and Malaysia have met four times in the World Cup with Pakistan winning each time. In their very first encounter in 1973, Pakistan overpowered Malaysia 4-2, in 1975, Pakistan beat Malaysia 2-1, in 1978, Pakistan thrashed Malaysia 3-0 while in 1998, it was once again Pakistan, who outclassed Malaysia 7-2.
Malaysia’s best performance at the World Cup was fourth position in 1975, when they hosted the event. Malaysia might not be a world beater but during recent times, they have been producing good results at least at the continental level. In 2010, they reached final of the Asian Games for the first time after failing to do so in the previous 13 appearances. In 2018 Asian Games, Malaysia almost won the gold medal. After taking a 5-2 lead, they allowed Japan to claw back at 6-6 and then win the shootout 3-1. In 2017, they had their maiden appearance in the final of the Asia Cup.
Pakistan and Malaysia have come across thrice recently, with green shirts winning each time. At the Asian Champions Trophy this October, Pakistan twice defeated Malaysia in the round robin and the semifinal, on shootout in the latter. While at the Asian Games in August, Pakistan had overwhelmed Malaysia 4-1. But what makes Pakistan favourites against Malaysia was their display in the match against Germany last Saturday. Most had predicted a runaway win for the Germans. However, the green shirts surprised everyone, playing almost at par against a side ranked seven places above before losing by a solitary goal.
Famed Dutch coach Roelant Oltman, who was with Pakistan team till before the Asian Champions Trophy, is now coach of Malaysia. However, Pakistan twice defeated Malaysia at the Asian Champions Trophy with Oltman at the Malaysian bench.
AUSTRALIA THRASH ENGLAND 3-0 TO QUALIFY FOR NEXT ROUND
Two-time defending champions Australia thrashed England 3-0 in their second Pool B match of the 2018 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.
The win helped Australia become the second team after Olympic champions Argentina to progress to the next round of the tournament. In their first match, Australia had defeated Ireland 2-1. With a draw and a defeat after two outings, seventh-ranked England are in the third position after the match. Pool winners directly qualify for the quarter-finals, while the second and third place teams go through the crossover round. The contest remained goalless for the first three quarters before Jake Whetton found the back of the net in the 47th minute to put Australia ahead. Three minutes later, Blake Govers’ goal extended Australia’s lead to 2-0, while Corey Weyer also scored in the 56th minute to make the scoreline read 3-0.
“We competed well, particularly in the first half,” England coach Danny Kerry said. “Credit to Australia for taking their chance in the fourth quarter to go 1-0 up. “We’ll look forward to the opportunity that the final game presents us.”
IRELAND HELD BY CHINA 1-1
Ireland men were held by China in their second Hockey World Cup clash in India. China - competing in their maiden World Cup - took the lead in the third quarter through Jin Guo. Ireland responded in the 44th minute through man of the match Alan Sothern, however Alexander Cox’s profligate side were unable to force a late winner. They now lie third in Pool C behind China and Australia, but ahead of England on goal difference.
The Nation
Pakistan to face Malaysia in Hockey World Cup today
Pakistan face Malaysia in the second match of the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India today (Wednesday).
A must win match for both the sides, Pakistan lost their opening match 1-0 to Germany while Malaysia were thrashed 7-0 by Netherlands.
Both sides have met four times in the World Cup with Pakistan winning each time.
1973: Pakistan beat Malaysia 4-2, 1975: Pakistan beat Malaysia 2-1, 1978: Pakistan beat Malaysia 3-0, 1998: Pakistan beat Malaysia 7-2
In their most recent encounter during the Asian Champions Trophy in October, Pakistan defeated Malaysia twice, once in the round robin and then in the semi-final on a penalty shootout.
The match between Pakistan and Malaysia will start at 6:30pm Pakistan Standard Time.
The Nation
Pakistan face Malaysia in must-win hockey clash today
BHUBANESWAR: Pakistan and Malaysia face each other in a must-win Pool ‘D’ clash on Wednesday with both sides having opened their Hockey World Cup campaigns with losses and both fully aware that their only realistic chance of making it to the knockouts is against each other.
A spirited Pakistan went down 1-0 to Germany but it was much worse for Malaysia as they were thrashed 7-0 by the Netherlands and the two Asian rivals will be gunning for victory which will at least make them eligible for the crossover games if not directly for the quarter-finals.
“Coming into the tournament, both Malaysia and Pakistan know that they have their work cut out against Germany and Netherlands,” Pakistan midfielder Umar Bhutta said.
“We had a better outing against Germany but that does not mean we can take Malaysia lightly just because they lost by a big margin to Netherlands. Luck, I believe, will separate both the teams in this crucial World Cup match.”
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The two teams head into the game with Pakistan having won each of their last three encounters. Malaysia will be counting on their coach Roelant Oltmans, previously with Pakistan, to provide them with the inside knowledge of their opponents.
During his eight-month stint with Pakistan, Oltmans helped forge a resolute defence, which showed when they restricted Germany to just one goal in their first match.
“I know the Pakistan players well and what I built in the team, I can take it down as well,” said Oltmans. “We are targeting a win against Pakistan. We are realistic about our chances at the World Cup.”
Dawn
Pakistan's Umar has prowled Tigers' backyard
By Jugjet Singh
BHUBANESWAR, India: Pakistan’s Umar Bhutta has played five seasons with Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), and so he knows what to expect in a crucial Group D match against Malaysia at the Kalinga Stadium tomorrow.
The fact that Malaysia have played Pakistan three times this year alone will also come into the picture when both these teams try to qualify for the next round.
Pakistan only lost 1-0 to Germany, while Malaysia were hammered 7-0 by Netherlands.
“Not only myself, but every member of the Pakistan team knows Malaysian players very well as some of them have played in the MHL, while the others have met regularly at the international scene this year (Asian Games and Asian Champions Trophy).
“Luck, I believe, will separate both the teams in this crucial World Cup match,” said the midfielder with 163 caps.
The last match for both teams is against giants of the game — Malaysia will play Germany while Pakistan take on Netherlands.
“Coming into the tournament, both Malaysia and Pakistan know that they have their work cut out against Germany and Netherlands. We had a better outing against Germany but that does not mean we can take Malaysia lightly just because they lost by a big margin to Netherlands.
“That is not how Malaysia play, we know they can play much better than that, and so it will be a tough match when we meet Wednesday,” said Umar.
Four years ago at the Kalinga Stadium, Pakistan upset hosts India 4-3 in the Champions Trophy semi-final before losing 2-0 to Germany in the final.
“Pakistan are the lowest ranked team in our group (13th) and so, realistically we have to beat Malaysia before thinking of any other plans in he World Cup,” said assistant coach Rehan Butt.
New Straits Times
Malaysians laughing again after beating
By Jugjet Singh
GOALKEEPER S. Kumar was a punching bag for the Netherlands, as they poured an avalanche of 25 shots at goal in 36 circle penetrations in their 7-0 victory on Saturday.
But he was back at his jovial self yesterday, and is looking forward to the Pakistan battle tomorrow.
Coach Roelant Oltmans said they lost a battle, but the war is still being fought.
So, how are the Malaysian players coping with a four-day break after such a big disappointing opening match?
“All the players are more relaxed now after we underwent a few video sessions, talks and team-bonding games and we know our objective in this tournament.
“Even though there is a big break between matches, we are enjoying ourselves with many other activities.
“There are plenty of things to do at the players' lounge in our hotel (official hotel for all teams), and right now, and there is no need to go out to visit or look around the city just yet," said Kumar.
The players from other teams have been seen regularly touring the city's ancient as well as shopping sites to pass their time while waiting for their next match.
For Malaysia, sightseeing can wait wait until after the Pakistan mountain is conquered.
New Straits Times
Chasing new challenges and greener pastures
Out of the 16 teams participating in the World Cup, seven are playing under foreign coaches
Indervir Grewal in Bhubaneswar
Roelant Oltmans
Malaysia had a rough start to their World Cup campaign with a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of the Netherlands. The Dutch are a lethal side and can destroy teams on their day. One person knew that exactly. "We all know how dangerous Holland can be when they get into their flow," said Roelant Oltmans, Malaysia's coach. Having coached the Dutch women's and men's teams for over 10 years, Oltmans knew what his former team was capable of. Did it help? "I don't think it benefitted, looking at the scoreline," said Oltmans before breaking into a self-deprecatory laughter.
On Wednesday, Malaysia take on Pakistan, another one of Oltmans' former teams. Oltmans has had two stints in Pakistan, in the early 2000s and recently this year. In fact, Oltmans quit the Pakistan job only two months before the World Cup. But having been in this profession for over three decades, and having travelled so much, the 64-year-old said he didn't feel any emotions about his former team. "I had developed a good relationship with the players and staff but there are no emotions before the match. Right now, it is a do-or-die match for both teams," he said.
Flexible guy
Apart from Pakistan and Malaysia, Oltmans also worked in India, as the high performance director first and the national coach later. It cannot be easy to have to constantly adapt to different styles and cultures? "Everywhere it's different of course. The good part is that I am quite a flexible person, so I try to understand what is important in the culture of the players I am working with, along with the staff and the board (federation). I try to adapt so I can be myself and work properly in the culture of the country," he said.
No wonder he lasted five years in India -- the longest stint by a foreign coach in the country. Oltmans has been away from his family for over six years now. It must be difficult? "I have been away from my family for so long, so they are used to it," Oltmans said. "The good thing is, the world has changed from 50 years back. You can have a video chat. It makes life easier, but it is still not easy to be away from home and family for so long. But it is my profession and my family understand it. Also, I have been able to learn about different cultures."
However, the 64-year-old "young man" isn't planning to stop anytime soon. "Of course, you have to realise you are getting older. But I don't feel I have to make that decision (to retire) at this moment. I feel young, feel good, feel fit. I still enjoy what I am doing," he said.
Small pool of experienced coaches
It has been 20 years since Oltmans led the Dutch to their third world title. Though he has not coached a major team since, he still seems to be in popular demand in Asia. Is it his reputation? "Of course, it (Olympics and world titles) is history, but it is still part of who you are as a coach," Oltmans said. "But the people are not asking you to be their coach because of history but because of what you can deliver," he added.
Oltmans is not the only one to have moved out of his home nation in search of either greener pastures or new challenges. Out of the 16 teams in the World Cup, only nine have a coach of their own nationality. Apart from India's Harendra Singh, Pakistan's Tauqeer Dar, Germany's Stefan Kermas, Australia's Colin Batch, Argentina's German Orozco, England's Danny Kerry, Spain's Frederic Soyez, Canada's Paul Bundy and New Zealand's Darren Smith, the rest of the coaches are plying their trade in foreign lands.
Apart from Oltmans, Batch, New Zealander Shane McLeod and South Korean Kim Sang-Ryul, who is here with China, are the other big names who have coached more than one national team. Batch was also the coach of Belgium and New Zealand before he took over Australia. Belgium's coach Shane McLeod explained why there was a demand for certain coaches. "There is a relatively small coaching pool if you want an experienced national coach," said McLeod, who had coached New Zealand previously.
McLeod said a big reason for the small pool was that not many got the opportunity to become a national coach of their country. "There are only a few teams, or only one national coach per country. So, if you want to become a career coach, you have to move away to either learn your trade or to get more established to become the coach of a top nation," McLeod said.
While these few coaches have built a reputation, there are many who are still trying to make a name for themselves. Ireland and France have relatively young Dutchmen at the helm - Alexander Cox and Jeroen Delmee, respectively. Two-time Olympics gold medallist Delmee's reputation as a player got him a big job fairly early in his career. But the Belgium job didn't last for too long and he is here with world No. 20 France. Then there are innumerable foreigners in the support staff. Trying to establish his coaching career, former Australian player Chris Ciriello has become India's analytical coach.
Familiar conditions for foreigners
Cox, meanwhile, came up through the Dutch club system. So did Max Caldas, which is why the Dutch federation appointed an Argentine as the Netherlands coach. Kim has been the national coach of China for two terms, but he has also been working in Inner Mongolia for almost a decade.
McLeod also didn't get the Belgium top job on a platter. He was part of the club scene for many years before becoming the national coach in the run-up to the Rio Olympics. "I have been living in Belgium since 2012. I had been doing club tournaments before I was asked to take over the national side," McLeod said.
But why come back to club system after getting the chief coach's position with New Zealand? "My wife is Belgian, so I went back there to be with her and my son," he added.
Has it helped the coaching in anyway? "I have a pretty good understanding of French and Flemish, though most of the hockey is taught in English. Having learnt my coaching craft in Europe has made it easier to coach in Belgium, and understand their system," he added.
The Tribune
India coach doesn't care about rankings
By Jugjet Singh
BHUBANESWAR, India: Rankings don’t matter when one is playing in major tournaments like the World Cup, or Olympics.
This is opinion of India coach Harendra Singh, who has set his sights on lifting the World Cup on home soil.
India’s only victory in the World Cup was in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur, while the Olympics had been much kinder as they are holders of eight gold medals.
“China, Canada and France have shown that rankings can’t be taken into consideration when playing in a major tournament like the World Cup. I have never approached a team based on their ranking, but based on their current form.
“Did anybody think that the Ireland women can reach the final of the hockey World Cup? And did you believe before the tournament that Croatia can reach football World Cup’s final?
“All these teams have achieved greatness by disregarding rankings or history when playing. India want to end this tournament with the World Cup trophy in their hands, and that’s what we will plan for,” said Harendra.
So far, only World No 12 Malaysia have played to their ranking and were whipped 7-0 by World No 4 Dutch.
Canada, No 11 in the world, lost only 2-1 to No 3 Belgium; 20th ranked France lost only 2-1 to No 9 New Zealand; 17th ranked China surprised 7th ranked England 2-2.
And France surprised No 8 Spain 1-1 in their second match of the tournament.
New Straits Times
Minnows France are no pushovers at the World Cup
THE Malaysian hockey team can learn a thing or two from the dedicated French team.
France are the lowest ranked team in the hockey World Cup and don’t have professional players.
But the world No. 20 ranked French team, who are featuring in their third World Cup, showcased an excellent game of hockey and played with pride.
They proved that they can match any top team in the world by giving a good fight to world No. 7 New Zealand before going down 2-1 in their first Group A match.
In their second match against world No. 10 Spain, France took the lead before Spain equalised.
France had the golden chance to upset Spain as they were awarded a penalty stroke in the fourth quarter.
Hugo Geneset stepped up to take the stroke to give his country full points but his high flick was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Quico Cortes.
France are coached by Jeroen Delmee, a double Olympic gold medallist with Holland in the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Delmee, who became the France national team head coach in November last year, said it is a challenge for him to help the team play well against others in their group.
“Hockey is not a popular sport in France and we don’t have a large number of hockey players like in India or in Spain. We have a few players who are students who use their own money to play the game,” said Delmee.
“But I am pleased that we are making progress in the World Cup as we play as a unit to give a strong challenge against top teams such as New Zealand and Spain.”
Delmee added that in preparation for the World Cup, they played 15 international matches.
“We have one point and we will go all out to give our best against Olympics champions Argentina in our last group match.
“It will be tough but possible,” said Delmee.
“We are ranked 20th in the world and we hope to break into the top 10 in a year’s time. We also hope to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”
The Star of Malaysia
Given state of Pakistan hockey even I would’ve played cricket: Hasan Sardar
Once a force in world hockey, Pakistan is struggling for survival now and its Olympic gold-winning former captain Hasan Sardar says even he would have been driven to play cricket given the current state of the sport in the country.
Sardar, who was a member of Pakistan’s 1982 World Cup and 1984 Olympic gold medal winning sides, feels the rise of cricket and “unprofessional” attitude of the national federation (PHF) has led to hockey’s slow demise in the neighbouring country.
“There is no hockey culture in the country (Pakistan) now. People are into cricket more, people follow cricket more. I think that if I was a kid now with talent in hockey, I would prefer playing cricket than hockey. People are charmed by cricket,” Sardar told PTI in an interview.
One of the most lethal centre-forwards of his generation, Sardar, who is here as the manager of the team participating in the ongoing World Cup, said Pakistan hockey had failed to produce any heroes in recent times.
“Now kids want to become hero, they want role models. Hockey doesn’t have any such heroes at the moment till we start winning.”
Currently ranked 13th in the world, Pakistan boasts of a rich history in hockey having won three Olympic gold medals besides a record four World Cup titles. But the team has been suffering poor form for over a decade now and official apathy is one of the causes.
Sardar squarely put the blame on the national federation.
“Our federation is facing plenty of problems. If the federation is in problem, then the players, coaches all will suffer. We also lost coach Roelant (Oltmans) because of this reason only,” he said.
“We need to work on grassroots and give importance to school and college level. There is no grassroots hockey in Pakistan. There are a handful of academies and no domestic hockey is happening except for the National Championship. The fault lies with the federation,” he said.
Pakistan’s participation in the ongoing World Cup was in serious doubt over lack of funds and only a last-minute intervention by a private sponsor made the trip possible.
A home appliance company pumped in nine million Pakistani rupees to cover the team’s expenses in the World Cup.
Sardar said Pakistan hockey’s rise is directly proportionate to its performance and exposure against top teams of the world. He emphasised that the revival of India-Pakistan rivalry could do wonders for both the countries.
“The biggest disadvantage for us is that we can’t play international matches at home in front of home fans. But there are places like Muscat where plenty of Pakistanis live and easily travel. So we need to play more and more matches there,” he said.
“If our performance becomes better, people will come to watch us anywhere in the world. We don’t have any problem in playing at neutral venues. We are ready to play in India and if India doesn’t want to travel to Pakistan we can play at a neutral venue,” he added.
The Tribune
World Cup 2018: Team Canada’s Youth Movement
Jamie Wallace and Oliver Scholfield fresh faces at major games
Photo: Yan Huckendubler
Jamie Wallace remembers the day he was selected for the Canadian World Cup roster. He didn’t go to class that day, he was anxiously refreshing his email inbox, just waiting for the message saying one way or the other.
“I remember, I was at the pharmacy when the email came in. I was completely ignoring the person I was talking to. Just scrolling through the team list,” Wallace said. When I saw my name on the list, I walked outside and called my grandparents.”
Wallace’s grandparents live in Mississauga and have been number-one fans of Wallace’s field hockey career. They first saw him play at the 2016 Junior Pan Ams in Toronto and ever since, Wallace has made sure to keep them in the loop.
“They were thrilled,” Wallace said. “They researched and looked up what the World Cup is all about and they just said they were so proud.”
The 19-year-old Vancouver resident played his first senior cap in August during the Canadian summer home series against China. Despite his age, Wallace was clear about his goals.
“For me the goal isn’t to play one cap,” Wallace said. “It is to be consistently selected for rosters, it’s to score goals and win games.”
According to veteran midfielder Mark Pearson, Wallace possess the skill and size to be an all-world striker.
“Oh man, I wish I had his size,” Pearson said. “He has a great mentality, he moves really well. I think he’s going to be a special talent.” High praise coming from one of the most experienced players in Canadian hockey history.
Canadian Youth Movement
Wallace is the youngest player on the current team but represents a movement of youth that features the likes of Brandon Pereira and Balraj Panesar. Moving up a few years, another fresh face on the 2018 World Cup roster is Oliver Scholfield. The 2013 Junior World Cup team member and UBC graduate has been in the national team pipeline for a number of years.
Where Wallace went straight from juniors into the senior ranks, Scholfield battled his way off the development squad and is making good of his opportunity on the national team.
“It’s been a lot of hard work over the past five years,” Scholfield said. “To crack a major tournament, it feels like it really paid off to see my name on that list.” Now for Scholfield, the mentality shifts from trying to make the team to making a difference on the field.
“Our team has a lot of talent and I know we can compete with any team in the world,” he said. “For me, rather than trying to make a team, now I’m focused on performance and contributing to the team.”
Panesar and Pereira were members of the 2016 Junior World Cup team and were selected to their first major games roster in April at the Commonwealth Games. Since then, the two have been staples on Canada’s starting unit.
Balraj Panesar (top), Brandon Pereira (centre) and Oliver Scholfield represent the surging youth movement on the 2018 World Cup roster. Photos: Yan Huckendubler
Coach’s Seal of Approval
All year long, Canadian Head Coach Paul Bundy has been bringing extended rosters to events whenever possible. The goal was to give many athletes chances to prove themselves and keep the competition environment as competitive as possible. That strategy has paid off as we can see the younger players that played themselves onto rosters over the past 10 months. For Bundy, the younger players inject new energy into the team and really challenge the older guys for their spots.
“It just shows that our men’s national pool is a bit broader that it has been in the past, but it’s also very competitive,” Bundy said. “It’s nice having guys like Jamie [Wallace] and Oli [Scholfield] pressuring for spots.”
Both Scholfield and Wallace are offensive additions for the world cup; an intentional decision by the coaching staff to add more firepower up front. After a disappointing Commonwealth Games on the offensive side, the staff made moves to bring more goal-scoring prowess to the team.
“It was deliberate moving Jamie from midfield into the striker position,” he said. “he has a unique frame. He’s very dangerous and he makes our defenders uncomfortable in training which was a really good indicator for us.”
After two games at the 2018 World Cup, Canada sits 1-1 with a good chance of advancing into the next round. Although they haven’t filled the net with goals, Wallace has already made an impact, looking threatening when he has the ball in offensive zone.
Watch Canada live on beIN Sports Connect as they take on the host nation India at 5:30am PST (8:30am EST) on Saturday, December 8.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Hockey World Cup Memories: Jagbir Singh remembers hostility and heartbreak in Lahore
Jagbir Singh
Jagbir Singh (Centre) is a TV commentator now. Image: Twitter/ @jagbirolympian
A former centre-forward, Jagbir Singh represented India in two Olympics (1988, 1992), 1990 World Cup and was an integral part of the national team for a decade. He also played two Asian Games (1986, 1990), the 1989 Asia Cup and Champions trophy. Jagbir spoke to Shantanu Srivastava.
I played the 1990 Hockey World Cup in Lahore, and the political relations between India and Pakistan were not very good then. The conditions were very hostile for us, and that, I think, was the only reason why we fared so poorly in that event. The team, otherwise, was an excellent unit and didn't lack anything.
After finishing at the bottom of the table in 1986 World Cup, the team showed great character to return to top six (in world rankings) by 1988. In 1989, we played some good series in Europe and were ready and raring to go for the World Cup. However, the situation in Pakistan really turned ugly and it played on our minds, for sure. One of our games was stopped midway due to the crowd's behaviour. Bottles were hurled at us from the stands and we were offered to abandon the game, but our coach Mr MP Gamesh decided that the play must go on. We thought it was not right to allow such outside factors and interference to stop an international game.
I would not say there was not adequate security. The players knew they were safe. But in every big tournament, a player needs the right atmosphere to focus solely on his/her game. That ecosystem was sadly not there in the 1990 World Cup, and we lost four of our five group matches. One match ended in a draw.
We wanted to explore Lahore, but there were clear instructions from the coach not to venture out alone. Even when we moved in groups, there was a heavy security cover with us.
Things were not that bad earlier. Just two years back, in 1988, we had gone there for a series and Pakistan had also come to India for some matches. The bonhomie and reception that we got then was unbelievable. We had gone to Quetta, Karachi, Islamabad, and some other cities, and the hospitality everywhere was just excellent. We played in front of packed houses and Pakistani fans were always eager to meet us. But things changed dramatically in two years.
World Cup is a dream event for any player, and doing well at that stage is the dream of every athlete. Not being able to do that because of factors that were not under our control is something that I regret to this day.
I don't think we struggled because of turf. Post the 1982 Asian Games, almost all our hockey was played on artificial surface. I feel hockey has become more assured and beautiful post the arrival of turf. We couldn't take advantage of this innovation because we didn't have enough turfs in the country. The Europeans had countless of them, while we played domestic hockey on grass. Naturally, we struggled internationally where all competitions were played on astro turf.
We had prepared very well for that World Cup. We had a good young bunch. A lot of us had graduated from the 1985 Junior World Cup, so the coordination and bonding was excellent in the team. The young squad had finished sixth out of 12 teams at the 1988 Olympics. That was a time when guys like Merwyn Fernandes and Mohammed Shahid were on their way out, and people like me, Pargat Singh, Dhanraj Pillay, Jude Felix, among others, were coming in. All of us wanted to play a long innings in Indian hockey and the team was being built with the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in mind.
A defender like Pargat comes once in a generation. Like the late Surjit Singh, Pargat was not only an excellent defender, but he had excellent skills also. He had a good attacking, power game and his game sense was also very good.
Dhanraj had speed and skill. His sudden bursts were a novelty in Indian hockey. If Pakistan's Shahbaz played with his skills, Dhanraj played with speed. After Mohammed Shahid, such skills were seen only in Dhanraj, and that's why he was so talked about.
We had our training camp in the SAI Bangalore centre. It had world-class facilities and the weather was perfect to train.
Our biggest strength was our overall, well-rounded nature. We were good in deep defence, midfield, and attack, and there were no real weak areas. Unfortunately, we could not win a single match in that World Cup, and it has hurt me all my life. That malaal (regret) will stay with me forever.
Firstpost
Could emulating football be the key to the future success of U.K hockey?
Hockey is a great sport. It has many parallels with the other, common team sports like football. Both consist of 11 players and the aim is to get a ball into the goal. However, one is the most popular sport on the planet, played by millions and watched by billions. Whereas the other is played on a far more modest scale. So out of these two sports, why is football so much more popular than hockey and could it be beneficial for the latter to emulate the former?
Why is football so popular?
Football and hockey as we know it in the modern games, have a scarily-similar history in terms of when they came to the forefront as established sports. Although the origins of most sports can be dated back to ancient times in some various form or another, both sports originated from English public schools, reportedly in the south. Both had various clubs founded before the existence of an authority, such as the Football Association.
In the mid-1850s, the first football and hockey clubs were established. Random games, what would today be called friendlies, were mostly played, with no organised leagues in place. Towards the latter part of the century, associations and regulatory bodies were created, giving the sports a lot more structure as regional and national cups and leagues were introduced. So with similar beginnings, why have the two sports taken such contrasting paths to the present day?
One main factor is the barriers to participation that exist in hockey compared to football. Football can be played anywhere with any object that resembles the circular shape of a ball – meaning even the poorest of people living in stark poverty can play a form of football. Hockey however, requires a stick at the very least. You’re never going to have an opportunity to join in an impromptu hockey game, but kickabouts are regular occurrences in many countries.
The success of football in the U.K is also partly down to the Premier League. It’s one of the most competitive and unpredictable leagues around. At present for instance, Brighton are 8/1 to be relegated, and yet at the start of the season a mere three months ago, they were an odds-on favourite to go down. Similarly, Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson has never scored over eight goals in the league, not even making the top 25 scorers last season. This season though, he already has six goals to his name and is hot on the heels of the likes of Mo Salah and Sergio Aguero for the golden boot. Even at the top of the league, Chelsea, a team that ended last season in complete disarray under Antonio Conte, are now firm favourites to challenge for the title after an impressive unbeaten start to the season.
This ever-changing state of football’s top division in the U.K makes it so exciting for fans. It is tough for hockey to emulate the success of the Premier League exactly, but it must take notes and try implement aspects into the Premier division of U.K hockey.
What does football do well at?
It’s got to be said that the marketing behind football is hugely successful. Leagues such as La Liga and the Premier League and also the Champions League is watched around the globe. But perhaps it isn’t the way these leagues are marketed, but simply how marketable these leagues naturally are.
The popularity of such leagues though, is what generates the huge amounts of money in the game – with the Premier League alone predicted to generate around €5.6 billion this season. This money is circulated throughout the sport, in that it’s invested to increase things like supporter interest and player talent, and subsequently a cycle is established where the more money the game generates, the more all different aspects of the game benefit. As the general level of the game raises as a whole, more interest is then generated and the cycle continues.
With hockey, there is clearly a lot less money in the sport and the game’s grass roots level has been brought into question. Perhaps if finances were better invested, hockey could similarly build upon an improvement of certain aspects of the sport.
What are the current problems in hockey?
If you ask a random person to name a famous footballer, most people, even a person with a strong hatred towards the sport, will be able to list off ten or so names without hesitation. Ask the same regarding boxing, MMA, golf, tennis, cricket, whatever sport, and most could list one mentionable name. But as for hockey, a lot of people would struggle to even name a club, let alone an individual player.
So that could be what hockey is missing; a role model? An icon. Somebody who has skill and charisma in equal measures of abundance to engage with a mainstream audience and be a role model for younger players. Someone who is going to line the back pages of the papers, and not always for the right reasons, but ultimately bring exposure to the sport.
Another opportunity hockey has to boost interest in the future by emulating football is commercially. Football has become incredibly commercialised. From video games to movies, it can be seen in many different areas of life. Hockey is far from saturated in terms of being marketed to the mainstream.
One additional aspect of football that is hugely popular is the Champions League. Hockey does have something similar in the Euro Hockey League, but it is way off reaching the relative success of its football counterpart.
What can hockey do to emulate football’s success?
So, what can be done? In terms of exposure, hockey in the U.K is practically kept a secret. Its recent addition to BT Sport, broadcasting the Euro Hockey League, is a step in the right direction. But free-to-air channels is where maximum exposure to the mainstream will be gained. If more money was also put into the game at grass roots levels, that would definitely make a difference. Football is criticised for its professional leagues being so distant to the amateur game, but with pro hockey being very modest, the sport could do with a gap of wealth to somewhat propel the pro game.
Furthermore, football’s popularity from the fans is down to ideology of supporting an area or place and being part of one identity with others. In foreign countries such as Turkey, Greece and even Spain, basketball teams use the same identity as the country’s football sides. For instance, FC Barcelona is one of the biggest football teams in the world and the basketball side in the city goes under the same name (sometimes changed for sponsorship reasons), same badge and same kit. If hockey clubs in the U.K directly associated themselves with football clubs, that would surely spark more interest, as people feel a connection and responsibility to follow a team representative of their ideology and identity.
Hockey is a great sport, and we should use football as a guideline to follow. The two are very different in many other ways, and hockey will never realistically reach the heights of its counterpart, but emulating some of the successes of football could be a good start.
The Hockey Paper
New Zealand says Kia Ora to the FIH Pro League
On 27 January 2019, New Zealand will play host to the Netherlands, the first of a series of teams travelling to the Southern Hemisphere for the first set of FIH Pro League fixtures.
First the women, currently ranked sixth in the world, will attempt something 43 previous opponents have failed to do – beat the world’s top ranked team. Two hours later and it will be the turn of the Black Sticks men’s side, currently sitting at ninth in the world ranking, five place behind their European visitors.
For both the men and the women, the FIH Pro League is a fantastic opportunity to showcase hockey to its population. The women's FIH Hockey World League Final in 2017 was a taste of what New Zealand could offer. Among players from across the globe, New Zealand is one of the most often mentioned countries when the athletes are talking about places they are excited about visiting.
Five of the 2019 Pro League fixtures in New Zealand will take place at the North Harbour Hockey Stadium in Auckland, the venue that so successfully hosted the HWL Final. The other fixtures – against Germany men and women, Pakistan men, China women, Spain men and USA women – will take place at Ngā Puna Wai, Christchurch.
Organisers at the two stadium promise: “Two venues set up to not only provide an avenue for great international hockey but also a festival atmosphere where there will be food and games designed for the whole family to get a taste of what the visiting nations have to offer.”
The Auckland venue is the largest hockey facility in New Zealand and boasts three water-based turfs, while the hockey facilities in Christchurch will be seeing international action for the first time as two brand new water turfs will be opening at the beginning of 2019.
For both the men’s and women’s teams, the FIH Pro League will be a chance to re-establish themselves after a relatively disappointing 2018.
The men, who are currently competing at the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup have held steady in the top 10 but they only narrowly managed to qualify for the World Cup – they had an anxious wait after finishing sixth in the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in Johannesburg – is indicative of a team that has struggled to perform to their best of late.
And the Black Sticks women slipped down the rankings from fourth to sixth after a poor showing at the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup.
That said, New Zealand women came within a whisper of defeating the Netherlands in the HWL Semi-Finals in Brussels. New Zealand thought they had won the shoot out with an Olivia Merry goal but a canny video referral saw the goal disallowed and the Netherlands went on to win the contest.
The Black Sticks women also beat the world number three team and Oceanic rivals Australia in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. A result made all the sweeter as the victory look place in the Hockeyroos’ backyard.
Both the men’s and women’s teams have an experienced core of players who will be crucial to their FIH Pro League campaigns.
For the men’s team, Shea McAleese and Arun Panchia have more than 500 caps between them, while the women’s team boasts Stacey Michelsen on 261 caps and Sam Charlton on 226 caps. There are also some exciting youngsters, in the men’s team Hayden Phillips is fast becoming a stalwart of the team, while for the women, Olivia Shannon looks to be a bright prospect for the future.
FIH site
National Senior Women’s Squad Announced For 2019
Ben Somerford.jpg)
Hockey Australia today announces the 27-member 2019 National Senior Women’s Squad as the team builds towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Hockeyroos, who finished the 2018 year ranked third after being runners-up at the Champions Trophy in November, will compete in the inaugural FIH Pro League from January to June next year, followed by the Oceania Cup which is the qualification event for the Tokyo Olympics.
The Selection Panel considered a number of priorities upon selecting the squad, with a long-term view to medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics along with achieving performance benchmarks in 2019 at the Pro League and Olympic qualification.
The Selection Panel also looked to reward impressive performances within the daily training environment and national/international matches throughout 2018.
Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin said: “We’ve selected the 2019 squad with a good eye on Tokyo.
"We’re looking to narrow our focus towards Tokyo and have identified the key skills we believe necessary to enable success.
“It’s been a tough process. There’s a lot of good players who’ve missed out.
“But we want to give some opportunities to people who’ve been performing well in our national level, internationally or in their domestic environment.”
There are five new inclusions in the 2019 National Senior Women’s Squad, with Rebecca Greiner, Greta Hayes, Hayley Padget, Penny Squibb and Sophie Taylor added after all debuted in 2018.
Greiner, who is a 19-year-old forward who hails from Bundaberg, debuted for Australia at the 2018 Champions Trophy in November where she scored on debut, having finished as the joint top scorer at the 2018 Australian Hockey League (AHL) and having won the 2018 Under-21’s National Championships Player of the Tournament in July.
“Beck is a young fast striker who can score goals,” Gaudoin said. “She’s got a great heart and works really hard. She’s been fantastic.”
Sydney University midfielder Hayes, 22, also debuted for Australia at the 2018 Champions Trophy, where she provided an assist in her second cap. Hayes was part of Australia’s 2016 Junior World Cup team and played a key role as the NSW Arrows won the 2018 AHL, including scoring in the final.
“Greta is a hard-working midfielder,” Gaudoin said. “She’s got a great engine that will allow her to go with a lot of opposition midfielders internationally.”
Victorian midfielder Padget is a great tale of determination, overcoming years of injury and frustration to debut for the Hockeyroos as a 26-year-old in September’s Four Nations in Japan where she scored in her maiden appearance.
“Hayley is a fast attacking midfielder who can create goals and create chances,” Gaudoin said.
Tambellup defender Squibb joins the squad as a 25-year-old after several years in the National Development Squad. She also debuted at the Champions Trophy, scoring in her fifth cap, while she was a joint top scorer at the 2017 AHL for the WA Diamonds.
“Penny is a strong defender who has a great penalty flick and reads the game well,” Gaudoin said.
Victorian defender Taylor memorably debuted for Australia on her 23rd birthday at September’s Four Nations in Japan. She was part of Australia’s 2016 Junior World Cup team and helped the Victoria Vipers win the 2017 AHL title.
“Sophie is another good young defender who has a great out-letting range,” Gaudoin said.
Queensland pair Ashlea Fey and Jordyn Holzberger and Victorian forward Emily Hurtz are omitted from the 2019 squad, while WA forward Kathryn Slattery has opted to step away from the National Program indefinitely.
“It’s difficult to make these tough decisions,” Gaudoin said.
“Performances have been taken into account over the past year and more. Whilst it’s disappointing for those who miss out, we’re excited about those coming in as well.”
On 25-year-old Slattery, Gaudoin added: “We wish Slatts all the best and we’ll see where it takes her. The door is definitely not closed with her on returning.”
The squad, whom are now on a break after finishing runners-up at last month’s Champions Trophy, will reconvene for training in Perth on Monday 14 January.
The Hockeyroos will play world number one Netherlands in their opening game of the inaugural FIH Pro League in Melbourne on Saturday 2 February on FOX SPORTS. Tickets are on sale now via ticketbooth.com.au.
2019 National Senior Women's Squad:
Athlete (City, State)
Jocelyn Bartram (Albury, NSW)
Kristina Bates (Port Melbourne, VIC)
Edwina Bone (Orange, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Lily Brazel (Sydney, NSW) *Plays for VIC
Jane-Anne Claxton (Adelaide, SA)
Kalindi Commerford (Mollymook, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Madison Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Savannah Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Rebecca Greiner (Bundaberg, QLD)
Greta Hayes (Sydney, NSW)
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD)
Stephanie Kershaw (Townsville, QLD)
Rachael Lynch (Warrandyte, VIC)
Karri McMahon (Berri, SA)
Ambrosia Malone (Burleigh, QLD)
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW)
Kaitlin Nobbs (Newington, NSW)
Hayley Padget (Melbourne, VIC)
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT)
Emily Smith (Crookwell, NSW)
Penny Squibb (Tambellup, WA)
Grace Stewart (Gerringong, NSW)
Renee Taylor (Everton Park, QLD)
Sophie Taylor (Melbourne, VIC)
Ashlee Wells (Morwell, VIC)
Mariah Williams (Parkes, NSW)
Georgia Wilson (Mahogany Creek, WA)
Hockey Australia media release
Hockey celebrates success at the Scottish Hockey Awards GALA 2018
Players with awards (left to right): U16 Boys’ Player of the Year Alex Wilson; U18 Girls’ and U21 Women Player of the Year, Emily Dark; Masters Men Player of the Year Donald MacFarlane. Photo by Avodah Media
It was an exceptional night at the Scottish Hockey Awards GALA as people from across hockey came together at the Caledonian University Conference hall to celebrate success.
Scotland U18 Girls’ were crowned the Team of the Year after the public vote saw them take over 50% of the vote following their incredible summer U18 Gold medal success at EuroHockey Championship II.
GB and Scotland stars Alan Forsyth and Nicki Cochrane took the senior Player of the Year awards with Emily Dark scooping both the U18 girls’ and U21 women Player of the Year Awards for her efforts at both age groups, while Cameron Golden won the U21 Men award.
Donald MacFarlane and Jackie Wilson took the Masters awards and Sarah Wilson was announced as Official of the Year. Jessica Buchanan and Alex Wilson were voted the U16 players of the year, and Ben Pearson won U18 Boy’s Player of the Year.
Nominees on the night ranged in age from 15 to 76 years old showing hockey truly is a sport for life.
Scottish Hockey CEO David Sweetman said, “I’m absolutely delighted to see so many of our athletes recognised in the nominations, and would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners for their success. The awards have been a tremendous occasion and really show what a wonderful sport hockey is, and I look forward to celebrating the success of our athletes again in the future.”
Double award winner, and member of the Scotland U18 Team of the Year, Emily Dark said, “I’m really happy, it’s been a great season. The nominees are great and I’ve enjoyed playing with them all. It’s been an amazing year, super busy, and I’ve really enjoyed playing my hockey for Scotland.”
Photo by Avodah Media
The Winners
The U16 Girls’ Player of the Year Award, sponsored by Arthur Beverley Financial Management
Jessica Buchanan
U16 Boys Player of the Year Award, sponsored by Arthur Beverley Financial Management
Alex Wilson
U18 Girls Player of the Year Award, sponsored by MVP
Emily Dark
U18 Boys Player of the Year Award, sponsored by MVP
Ben Pearson
U21 Women Player of the Year Award, sponsored by Willow Grove Cafe
Emily Dark
U21 Men Player of the Year Award, sponsored by Willow Grove Cafe
Cameron Golden
Official of the year, sponsored by PSL
Sarah Wilson
Masters Men, sponsored by DVM Interior Solutions
Donald McFarlane
Masters Women, sponsored by DVM Interior Solutions
Jackie Wilson
Scotland Senior Women Player of the Year, sponsored by Regis Roofing
Nicki Cochrane
Scotland Senior Men Player of the Year, sponsored by Regis Roofing
Alan Forsyth
Team of the year, sponsored by Graham’s the Family Dairy
Scotland U18 Girls
To see all the photos of the evening, check out our Facebook gallery HERE.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Putting South on hockey map
Hockey club ready to roll.
Sibonelo Mtshali
PARTNERSHIP: Waterstone College principal Vernon Rorich and Michael Richards seal the deal at the astroturf from which club hockey players will benefit. Photo: Sibonelo Mtshali.
THE Johannesburg South Hockey Club (JhbSouthHockey), under the leadership of Michael Richards, a former premier hockey league player, is paving a way to make an impact in hockey in the southern areas.
With lots of experience and expertise in hockey, Michael wants to develop and empower aspiring hockey players.
He started playing hockey at the age of eight in Cape Town for Central Hockey Club, a club known for producing national coaches and captains. In Johannesburg, he played for various clubs including Wits Technikon, New Rover and Beaulieu Hockey, with renowned hockey trendsetters such as Allister Fredericks, who is supporting Michael in this venture.
“In the South, including areas such as Mondeor, Glenvista, Eldorado Park, Soweto, Lenasia South, Ennerdale, there are no hockey structures. These areas have been neglected when it comes to hockey, and that’s shocking. I am here to try to change that,” said Richards.
The club seeks to strive for excellence in every aspect of the game and has opened its doors to all players who wish to register.
A number of ex-provincial and premier league players have indicated they want to sign up. Based on what happens, the club might already be looking for top league spots for the 2019 outdoor season. Additionally, the club will give their members to rub shoulders with current campaigners and legends in the sport.
Also, the club aims to work hand in hand with Waterstone College, which will serve as their home ground.
Waterstone has proven itself to be an ambitious school with great aspirations. The club will mark their open day on February 2 at the college’s astroturf field.
It is planning an exciting, fun day to include skills development clinics and exhibition games.
The club will conduct tournaments and fun days throughout 2019 to keep its members and players motivated.
The club does not only seek to develop young players but also aims to be competitive in the Southern Gauteng Hockey Association leagues.
“I want the club to be a powerhouse in the next coming five years not just in the south but also in the province. There is talent around. Many people in the south used to play hockey but due lack of infrastructure this has faded,” said Richards
The club is making an appeal for sponsorships and funding to keep alive the dreams of aspiring players.
This will uplift the community and motivate those who had lost hope in becoming hockey professional players.
TURF: JHB South Hockey will use this turf as their home base.Photo: Sibonelo Mtshali.
For registration and more information you can contact Michael Richards on 083 461 7971 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Southern Courier