Australia crowned Hockey World League champs, India stun Netherlands in shoot-out to claim bronze

Raipur, December 6, 2015: Australia are the men's Hero Hockey World League 2015 champions thanks to 2-1 win against Belgium in the tournament final here.

Penalty corner efforts from Jeremy Hayward and Matthew Dawson were enough for Australia's Kookaburras to take the title, with Simon Gougnard snatching a late consolation goal for Belgium's Red Lions.

The top-ranked Australians dominated the early stages of the gold medal match and were rewarded when Hero Man of the Match Hayward sent a penalty corner effort into the roof of the Belgian goal one minute into the second quarter.

Dawson doubled the advantage soon after half-time with another penalty corner, and it would have been 3-0 were it not for a goal-line clearance from Emmanuel Stockbroekx towards the end of the third quarter.

Belgium rallied in the latter stages of the game but were met by stern resistance from the Australian backline. Gougnard forced home a penalty corner in the final minute of the game, although it was not enough to stop the world champions from adding the Hero Hockey World League title to their ever-growing trophy cabinet.

"I am very happy with the teams performance as we showed in the last three games against Germany, Netherlands and Belgium that we can win big matches”, said Australia legend Dwyer after the game. “For me personally, I was quite happy to perform the way I did against the best teams in the world. It gives me belief that even at 36 that I can still play the game well.”

Earlier in the day, host nation India took the bronze medal with a dramatic shoot-out victory over the Netherlands.

A huge crowd witnessed Rupinder Pal Singh score twice in the contest but it was the shoot-out heroics of goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh that gave Asian champions India victory in what was one of the games of the tournament.

In the bronze medal match, European champions the Netherlands were the dominant force in the first two quarters, with Mirco Pruijser opening the scoring before Niek van der Schoot’s backhand effort into the roof of the net doubled the advantage ahead of half-time.

India came out fighting after the break and scored three times without reply to take the lead, with Ramandeep Singh netting twice either side of a Rupinder Pal Singh penalty corner before Mink van der Weerden made the score 3-3 with six minutes remaining.

Remarkably, four goals arrived in the final stages, with Rupinder and Akashdeep Singh giving India a 5-3 lead before Van der Weerden completed his hat-trick with a late double to force a shootout.

Sreejesh forced errors from Jeroen Hertzberger, Mirco Pruijser and Valentin Verga, with Birendra Lakra, Sardar Singh and Rupinder – who netted a penalty stroke after Manpreet Singh was fouled in the shoot-out – all scoring to seal a famous victory for the home favourites.

“The way that we have played this tournament - and it didn’t work out every time - we have shown that we are a serious competitor at international top level events and that is fantastic for the team”, said delighted India Head Coach Roelant Oltmans after the match.

“At the same time, we still made mistakes that can cost you games, but luckily today it didn’t cost us the game, thanks maybe to these two guys next to me”, referring to goalkeeper Sreejesh and team captain Sardar Singh.

“These two guys played an outstanding game, as well as a few others. After the break we were able to change the game completely. We changed quite a number of things at half-time and the way the team translated that into the second half was outstanding.”

The medal matches brought the curtain down on a high quality week of international hockey that has been enjoyed by big crowds at Raipur’s 3,500 capacity Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Hockey Stadium.

Australia’s Jamie Dwyer was named Hero Best Player of the tournament, while Arthur van Doren of Belgium was given the NMDC Best Junior Player award.

Netherlands shot-stopper Jaap Stockmann was named SECL Best Goalkeeper while Gonzalo Peillat of Argentina finished as Hero Top Scorer with eight goals. The NTPC Fans Choice Award went to Indian goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh.

Results – Day 10

Final
Australia 2, Belgium 1
Hero Man of the Match: Jeremy Hayward (AUS)

Bronze medal match


Netherlands 5, India 5. India win 3-2 in a shoot-out)
Hero Man of the Match: Manpreet Singh (IND)

Final Classification
1: Australia
2: Belgium
3: India
4: Netherlands
5: Argentina
6: Great Britain
7: Germany
8: Canada

Tournament Awards
Hero Best Player: Jamie Dwyer (AUS)
SECL Best Goalkeeper: Jaap Stockmann (NED)
NMDC Best Junior: Arthur van Doren (BEL)
Hero Top Scorer: 8 - Gonzalo Peillat (ARG)
NTPC Fans Choice: P. R. Sreejesh (IND)

FIH Press release

Belgium down India 1-0 to face Australia in World Hockey League final

Raipur, December 5, 2015: A solitary strike from Cedric Charlier gave Belgium a semi-final victory over host nation India, setting up a meeting with reigning World champions Australia in the title match at the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 here.

The contest at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Hockey Stadium was witnessed by a sell-out crowd that turned up in their thousands to watch the home favourites but did not get the result that they so desperately wanted.

The Red Lions dominated the early stages of the game and took the lead in the fifth minute when Cedric Charlier was allowed to cut in from the right before firing a backhand strike between the legs of India goalkeeper P. R. Sreejesh from the edge of the scoring circle.

Belgium could have been even further ahead at half time, but India raised their game considerably in the third and fourth quarters and would have equalised were it not for a number of excellent saves from Vincent Vanasch. Arguably the best of those chances fell to S.V. Sunil, who saw his goal-bound effort kicked away by the Belgian goalkeeper with three minutes remaining to give the Europeans victory.

“We knew it would be difficult today because they have the crowd with them”, said Belgium’s Sebastian Dockier, who made his 100th senior international appearance in the match. “We did a great job in defence, but maybe we could have scored two or three more goals earlier in the match, but I am really pleased that we kept them out. We did a great job.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s final against Australia, Red Lions Head Coach Shane McLeod said: “They [Australia] are used to the experience of playing in big finals, whereas for us it is the first time that we have been in the top four at a world level event, and now we are in the top two, so we are really looking forward to it.”

India Head Coach Roelant Oltmans said: “We did everything we could to score a goal. We created chances, sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you are not and that is just the way it is. In the third and fourth quarters the team played really well, giving everything they could to change the score. They fought their hearts out, but sometimes you need a little bit of luck.”

Sunday’s final – which will be witnessed by a capacity crowd of 3500 - will be a rematch of the first place match from the FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Final, which took place in Antwerp, Belgium, earlier this year.

The 7-8 Classification match also took place on Saturday, with Olympic champions Germany cruising to an 8-3 win over Canada to end a disappointing campaign on a positive, crowd-pleasing note.

Christopher Rühr scored twice inside the opening four minutes to put Die Honomas in charge, with Moritz Fürste, Niklas Wellen and Lukas Windfeder taking the score to 5-0 before Gordon Johnstone pulled a goal back just before half time.

Matthew Guest and Canada captain Scott Tupper found the target after half time to make the score 5-3, although any thoughts of a comeback were ended thanks to a trio of German goals, with Florian Fuchs, Olver Korn and Constantin Staib completing the match scoring.

Results – Day 9

Semi-Final
India 0, Belgium 1
Hero Man of the Match: Arthur van Doren (BEL)

7-8 Classification

Germany 8, Canada 3
Hero Man of the Match: Christopher Rühr (GER)

Match schedule
Times listed below are Indian Standard Time (UTC/GMT +5:30)

Sunday 6th December 2015
1830 – Bronze Medal Match - Netherlands v India
2045 – Gold Medal Match - Australia v Belgium

FIH Press release

Dwyer inspires Australia into Hero Hockey World League Final

Raipur, December 4, 2015: Jamie Dwyer marked his 350th international appearance with two assists to help World champions Australia defeat European champions the Netherlands 3-2 to reach the final of the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 here on Friday. The Kookaburras' opponents in the final will be either Belgium or India, who meet in their semi-final on Saturday.

In a high quality match, five times FIH Player of the Year Dwyer provided the perfect pass for Dylan Wotherspoon to open the scoring before forcing a save from Hero Man of the Match goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann only for Daniel Beale to fire home from close range. The Oceania champions could easily have scored more, but the Dutch fought back with excellent finishes from Constantijn Jonker and Mirco Pruijser either side of half time to level the match at 2-2.

The winning goal arrived in the 42nd minute, with Matt Gohdes getting the perfect touch inside the scoring circle to guide the ball just inside the right post, giving Australia a narrow victory over the defending Hockey World League champions.

"It doesn’t feel like I’ve played 350 games, to be honest with you”, said Dwyer after the match. “I just want to go out there and play hockey for my country, and to do it so many times, I’m very proud and honoured to do so. Every time I go out there I just really enjoy wearing the green and gold shirt and representing my country. I guess this year I had something to prove, both to myself and to those people who didn’t think I could do it at 36 years of age. It is good to be out there, not just participating but also having an influence.”

Netherlands goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann said: “In the first quarter we were nowhere, and we had to get into the game. I’m glad that in the second quarter we came back and scored a goal, and in the end we played way much better than the first quarter.” 

The 5-6 Classification match also took place on Friday, with Argentina securing a fifth place finish with a 4-2 win over Great Britain.

Argentina needed just 17 minutes to establish a 3-0 lead, with team captain Pedro Ibarra scoring two penalty corners either side of a trademark set piece from Gonzalo Peillat. Simon Mantell pulled a goal back for Great Britain in the fourth quarter before Peillat scored his second of the match and eighth of the tournament with six minutes remaining.

Great Britain’s Phil Roper completed the match scoring three minutes from time, but it was not enough to stop Great Britain finishing the competition in sixth place.

Results – Day 8

Semi-Final
Australia 3, Netherlands 2.
Hero Man of the Match: Jaap Stockmann (NED)

5-6 Classification
Great Britain 2, Argentina 4
Hero Man of the Match: Pedro Ibarra (ARG)

Match Schedule
Times listed below are Indian Standard Time (UTC/GMT +5:30)

Saturday 5th December 2015
1830 – Semi-Final – India v Belgium
2045 – Losing Q/F Match – Germany v Canada

Sunday 6th December 2015
1830 – Bronze Medal Match
2045 – Gold Medal Match

FIH Press release

India face Belgium in Hockey World League semifinal

Raipur, December 3, 2015: The line-up for the semi-finals of the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 has been completed following quarter-final victories for host nation India and Belgium’s Red Lions here on Thursday.

In the first of the day’s quarter-finals, India upset the form book with a fine win against Great Britain. The home favourites, who finished fourth in Pool B, claimed a 2-1 victory over the winners of Pool A to book their ticket into the semi-finals.

A packed house turned up to watch India produce their finest performance of the competition to defeat their higher ranked opponents, with penalty corner expert V.R. Raghunath finding the target in the 19th minute before Ramandeep Singh hit the crossbar just after half time.

Talwinder Singh scored what proved to be the winner in the 39th minute, smashing home from a tight angle after picking up a long overhead pass from Kothajit Khandangbam. Great Britain’s Simon Mantell reduced the deficit with eight minutes remaining, but India held on to move into the final four.

“We started great and scored two good goals”, said scorer Raghunath after the match. “We learned from the mistakes that we made in the Pool matches and we know that we can upset any team in the world on any given day. We will relax, rest and focus on the semi-final match now.”

India’s opponents in the semi-final will be Belgium, who recorded a 2-1 win over Argentina in their quarter-final match.

Alexandre hendrickx gave Belgium the lead with a low, powerful penalty corner effort in the 22nd minute, before Sebastien Dockier added a second three minutes ahead of half time, forcing the ball home following a goal-mouth scramble. A defensive error from Loick Luypaert was punished by Argentina’s Leones, with Agustin Mazzilli eliminating the goalkeeper with a perfectly placed pass into the corner of the Belgian goal. However, it proved to be only a consolation, with Belgium’s defensive line holding firm to see out the victory.

“I think we had a very good game plan, very well structured, and we played it almost to perfection”, said Belgium defender Arthur van Doren. “We made one mistake and it cost us a goal, and we almost got into a bit of trouble, and we defended hard in the final minutes but we kept it together.”

Looking ahead to his team’s semi-final meeting against the competition hosts, Van Doren said: “It is a big honour to play India in India, so it is something that the whole team is really looking forward to. These are the kind of games that you train all year for, the chance to play against a good Indian side in a big stadium. We will prepare well and try to get the victory.”

As well the line-ups for the semi-finals, the classification matches have also been confirmed. India's win against Great Britain was bad news for Germany, pushing them into the 7-8 classification match against Canada. This is due to Germany and Canada having taken the least amount of points from the Pool phase. Great Britain and Argentina both earned more Pool points than Germany and Canada, and will play in the 5-6 classification match.

Results – Day 7

Quarter-Finals:

Great Britain 1, India 2
Hero Man of the Match: Birendra Lakra (IND)

Argentina 1, Belgium 2
Hero Man of the Match: Felix Denayer (BEL)

Updated Match Schedule
Times listed below are Indian Standard Time (UTC/GMT +5:30)

Friday 4th December 2015
1830 – Semi-Final – Australia v Netherlands
2045 – Losing Q/F Match – Great Britain v Argentina

Saturday 5th December 2015
1830 – Semi-Final – India v Belgium
2045 – Losing Q/F Match – Germany v Canada

Sunday 6th December 2015
1830 – Bronze Medal Match
2045 – Gold Medal Match

FIH release

Australia, Netherlands set up semifinal showdown

Raipur, December 2, 2015: Reigning World champions Australia will face European champions the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 following the completion of the first two quarter-finals here on Wednesday.

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Defending champions and Pool B winners the Netherlands became the first team to qualify for the semis, but were given a stern test by a Canada team that produced their best performance of the event.

Canada’s Red Caribous, who finished fourth in Pool A, made life extremely difficult for the European giants, who eventually emerged victorious with a 2-0 triumph thanks to goals from Constantijn Jonker and Roel Bovendeert. The Canadians had numerous chances of their own, but could not find a way past Netherlands goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak.

“The Canadians did very well out there, and I am very happy with the win because they had some good opportunities and our goalie was amazing today”, said Netherlands star Seve van As. “They are a tough team and they deserve to be here at the Hero Hockey World League Final, so I am really happy that we won.”

Australia claimed a 4-1 win against Olympic champions Germany in the second match of the day to set up their semi-final showdown with the Dutch. The game will be a replay of the competition final at last year’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup, where Australia triumphed 6-1 in The Hague.  

Clinical strikes Jeremy Hayward and Jamie Dwyer gave the Kookaburras a 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, while Germany wasted a big chance to reduce the deficit early in the second period when Oskar Deecke saw his penalty stroke saved by Australia’s Andrew Charter. It was a costly miss, with Australia taking a 3-0 lead into half time thanks to Matthew Dawson’s low, accurate penalty corner drag-flick.

Germany threatened a comeback when 2013 FIH Young Player of the Year Christopher Rühr volleyed home in the third quarter, but Glenn Turner added a fourth late on after Die Honamas replaced goalkeeper Nico Jacobi with an outfield player in an attempt to rescue the game.

“The Germans are a great team and historically it is always a tough match between Australia and Germany”, said Kookaburras defender Matthew Swann after the match. “When we get the chance to play them we always want to play our best, and we were happy to get away with a win. It could have been a lot closer but our defenders were really desperate in the circle and it made it very hard for them.”

The competition quarter-finals continue on Thursday (December 3), with Pool Great Britain taking on host nation India before Pan American champions Argentina play Belgium.

Results – Day 6

Quarter-Finals:

Netherlands 2, Canada 0
Hero Man of the Match: Mark Pearson (CAN)

Australia 4, Germany 1
Hero Man of the Match: Tim Deavin (AUS)

Quarter-Final Match Schedule
Times listed below are Indian Standard Time (UTC/GMT +5:30)

Thursday - 3rd December 2015
18:30 - Great Britain v India
20:45 - Argentina v Belgium

Semi-Final Match Schedule

Friday - 4th December 2015
1830 - Australia v Netherlands

Saturday - 5th December 2015
1830 - Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2

FIH Press release

Great Britain emerge Pool A toppers, face India in quarterfinals

Raipur, December 1, 2015: Great Britain finished top of the Pool A standings on Day 5 of the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 courtesy of a draw with Belgium, a result which simultaneously brought the competition Pool phase to a close and confirmed the line-up for the quarter-finals here.

Reigning world champions Australia defeated Canada 6-0 to earn a second place finish in the Pool, ahead of Belgium’s Red Lions and the Canadian Red Caribous in third and fourth place respectively.

The first two quarter-finals will take place on Wednesday 2nd December, with European champions the Netherlands (1st Pool B) playing Canada (4th Pool A) at 18:30 (Indian Standard Time) before world champions Australia (2nd Pool A) take on Olympic champions Germany (3rd Pool B) at 2045.

On Thursday 3rd December, Pool A winners Great Britain (1st Pool A) face host nation India (4th Pool B) at 18:30, while Argentina (2nd Pool B) will go head to head with Belgium (3rd Pool A) at 20:45. 

In the first of the Day 5 matches, Canadian goalkeeper David Carter produced a Hero Man of the Match performance but it was not enough to stop Australia from taking a 6-0 victory.

The Kookaburras were at their brilliant best in the first quarter, establishing a 4-0 lead thanks to goals from Daniel Beale, Jeremy Hayward, Dylan Wotherspoon and Matthew Dawson. It was an electric start from the world champions, but Canada tightened up their defences and a string of excellent saves from Carter kept the Aussies at bay until the dying minutes when Kieran Govers found the target before Beale claimed his second to complete the scoring. 

“I think that there was a little bit of improvement from the GB game; at the very least it was a step in the right direction”, said Australia’s Eddie Ockenden, referring to his side’s defeat against Great Britain on Sunday.

That result was not quite enough for Australia to finish top of Pool A, meaning that both the Pool standings and the quarter-final line-up would ultimately be decided by the outcome of a pulsating encounter between Great Britain and Belgium.

The Brits lead on three occasions during the match, with Phil Roper, Alastair Brogdon and Alan Forsyth goals each cancelled out by efforts from Red Lions stars Thomas Briels, Tanguy Cosyns and Tom Boon.

Belgium threw absolutely everything at their opponents in the final stages, and even replaced goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch with an outfield player in a bid to get the goal, which would have put them top of the standings. However, excellent defending ensured that GB claimed the point that they needed to win the Pool, with Australia second ahead of third ranked Belgium and fourth placed Canada. 

“We know that we came to this tournament with a few players missing, but we’ve got such strength in depth that we knew we could string three good performances together, and we’ve done that tonight”, said Great Britain goalscorer Phil Roper, reflecting on a hugely successful Pool phase before turning his attention to the quarter-final showdown with the host nation. “Playing India in India is something I’ve never experienced before, and it is something to relish.”

Belgium’s Tom Boon said: “We played a good game today, and maybe we deserved a little bit better. But on the other hand it means that we will play Argentina on Thursday, instead of India in front of their home crowd, which will not be easy.”

Results – Day 5

Pool A

Australia 6, Canada 0
Hero Man of the Match: David Carter (CAN)

Great Britain 3, Belgium 3
Hero Man of the Match: Simon Gougnard (BEL)

Quarter-Final Match Schedule
Times listed below are Indian Standard Time (UTC/GMT +5:30)

Wednesday - 2 December 2015
Match 4 - 18:30 - Netherlands v Canada
Match 3 - 20:45 - Australia v Germany

Thursday - 3rd December 2015
Match 1 - 18:30 - Great Britain v India
Match 2 - 20:45 - Argentina v Belgium

Friday - 4th December 2015
SF- Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4 (time of match to be advised)

Saturday - 5th December 2015
SF - Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2 (time of match to be advised)

Press release

India lose to Netherlands, Argentina prevail over Germany

Raipur, November 30, 2015: The Netherlands continued their fine form at the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 by finishing top of the Pool B standings in Raipur thanks to a victory over host nation India on competition Day 4 here.

The European champions sealed top spot thanks to a comfortable 3-1 victory over the home favourites, meaning that they will face the team that finishes fourth in Pool A, which concludes on Tuesday, in the quarter final phase. India have finished fourth in Pool B, and will now face a tough quarter-final meeting against the winner of Pool A.

India started the match brightly, but the Dutch were in control for long periods of the game before eventually taking the lead early in the third quarter thanks to a low penalty corner drag-flick from Mink van der Weerden. Mirco Pruijser added a second with a first time effort from close range before India’s Chinglesana pulled a goal back with a penalty corner rebound at the start of the fourth quarter. The result was put beyond all doubt when Roel Bovendeert fired home in the 54th minute, rattling in a shot off the underside of the crossbar. 

Netherlands captain Robert van der Horst, who was playing his 250th senior international, said: “To play my 250th cap against India in India, it doesn’t get much better than that. The crowd made it a little bit tough today, but we were so dominant during the game. We felt really strong today.”

In Pool B’s final match, Gonzalo Peillat scored a double for the third match in succession as Argentina defeated Olympic champions Germany 3-1, guaranteeing a second place finish and setting up a quarter final against the team that finishes third in Pool A. Germany finished third in Pool B, and will take on the second place finisher from Pool A in their quarter-final.

Los Leones took the lead thanks to Peillat’s 17th minute penalty corner before Germany's Niklas Wellen restored parity ahead of half time.

There was a moment of drama in the third quarter when Argentina’s Joaquin Menini was brought down by Germany goalkeeper Nico Jacobi, who was subsequently yellow carded. Remarkably, the resulting penalty stroke was brilliantly saved by substitute goalkeeper Andreas Späck, who dived to his right to deny Juan Gilardi.

Two goals in two fourth quarter minutes settled the contest, with Matias Paredes pouncing from close range ahead of another Peillat penalty corner.

Argentina goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi, who played his 200th international match today, said: “We are very proud of this game. After the result against the Netherlands the other day our goal was to make a similar game against a tough German team, and I think we played very smart, very solid and were very effective in the circle. Today was a special day for me, and I really enjoyed the game.”

Results – Day 4
Pool B:
Netherlands 3, India 1
Hero Man of the Match: Billy Bakker (NED)

Argentina 3, Germany 1
Hero Man of the Match: Gonzalo Peillat (ARG)

FIH Press release

Great Britain shock Australia, Belgium outplay Canada

Raipur, November 29, 2015: On Day 3 of the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015, Belgium found form with a big win over Canada while Great Britain stole headlines with an impressive victory over world number one Australia here on Sunday.

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The first match of the day saw Belgium’s Red Lions take on the Canada’s Red Caribous, with the Europeans emerging as 7-2 winners in a Pool A encounter that saw Jerome Truyens marked his 300th senior international appearance with a goal.

Belgium were in sparkling form in the first quarter, powering in four fantastic goals through Sebastien Dockier, Florent van Aubel and Thomas Briels before Truyens – who was also named Hero Man of the Match - netted in his milestone game. Canada were vastly improved in the second and third quarters, with Mark Pearson pulling a goal back ahead of a beautiful flicked finish from Devohn Noronha Teixeira. However, Belgium moved back into top gear in the final quarter, with Arthur van Doren and Tom Boon on target before van Aubel claimed his second to give the Red Lions their first win of the competition.

“It is always great to have a win in such circumstances, and also to score”, said 28-year-old Truyens, who started his international career in 2004, after the game. “The fact that my team has won and everyone has been congratulating me has been really special. You always want to score on such occasions, so I am happy that I have done that. What matters is the three points today.”

Canadian captain Scott Tupper said: "There were some part of the game when we played quite well, which is of course tough to say when you have lost 7-2. But we did play two of the four quarters very well. Hopefully we can build on that moving forward, and aim at keeping our game at a high level during the full 60 minutes."

Also in Pool A, Great Britain claimed a 5-2 victory over reigning world champions Australia, a result which moved the Brits onto six points.

Henry Weir and Chris Grassick were both on target for GB in the first quarter, before Jeremy Hayward pulled a goal back for the top ranked Kookaburras two minutes into the second period. However, an Ian Sloan penalty corner restored Great Britain’s two goal cushion with David Condon pouncing moments after half time to establish a 4-1 advantage against the illustrious Australians. A brilliant backhand strike from Matt Gohdes early in the second quarter gave the Aussies hope, but a Phil Roper strike sealed an impressive win and put Great Britain clear at the top of Pool A.

“We had to defend well at the end but you are always going to have to do that against Australia”, said Great Britain Head Coach Bobby Crutchley, reflecting on the match.

“We don’t just want to be known for one result, we want to keep going. I’ve learned a lot about them tonight that has really impressed me, and I’ll learn more about how they show up for the next game. That is because after a good win it is often the next game that is the biggest challenge.”

“We were off the pace today”, said Australia goalkeeper Andrew Charter, who made his 100th international appearance for the Kookaburras in the match. “We were a bit sluggish and GB came out with a little bit more pep than they have done against us for a while, and they really punished us for it. We’ll go back and learn a few things from this and look towards the next matches.”

Results – Day 3
Pool A:
Belgium 7, Canada 2
Hero Man of the Match: Jerome Truyens (BEL)

Australia 2, Great Britain 5
Hero Man of the Match: Dan Fox (GBR)

FIH Press release

Great Britain defeat Canada; Australia edge past Belgium; Netherlands beat Argentina; India hold Germany 1-1

Raipur, November 28, 2015: The second day of action at the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 saw wins for Great Britain, Australia and the Netherlands, while host nation India returned to form with a deserved draw against Olympic champions Germany here on Saturday. 

Simon Mantell scored twice as Great Britain got their campaign off to a flying start with a 3-1 win over Pool A rivals Canada. Mantell needed just two minutes to open his account with a tap-in before Mark Pearson restored parity with a speculative cross from the right that found the bottom left corner. Second quarter goals from Mantell and Alastair Brogdon gave Great Britain a 3-1 advantage at half time, a lead that the dominant Europeans would never relinquish.

Also in Pool A, a solitary goal from Australia veteran Jamie Dwyer was enough for the top ranked Kookaburras to edge past Belgium. The 36-year-old five times FIH Player of the Year fired home from a tight angle in the 22nd minute to give the Aussies victory in a replay of the first place match from the Hockey World League Semi-Final in Antwerp earlier this year.

Speaking after the match, Australia striker Kieran Govers said: "It is always a good challenge to start off with Belgium, and we always have very close games with them. It was a scrappy 1-0 win, but we will look at the video, see what we need to improve on and look forward to taking on Great Britain tomorrow."

In Pool B, host nation India thrilled the fans by holding Germany to a 1-1 draw. For the second evening in succession, a large, passion-fuelled crowd turned out to cheer on the home team and was rewarded with a very good display from India, who rediscovered their form following their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Argentina on Friday evening. Germany were the first team to strike, with an unmarked Niklas Wellen finishing from close range just six minutes into the match before Akashdeep Singh scored a brilliant equalizer in the final quarter.

“We made far fewer unforced errors today than we did yesterday”, said India Head Coach Roelant Oltmans, referring to his team’s opening day defeat to Argentina. “Sometimes you need a result like that to show the way to play. I’m proud of the way we played, and this is where the tournament starts for us.”

The final match of the day was an absolute thriller between the continental champions of Europe and Pan America, with the Netherlands taking a 3-2 win over the ever-impressive Argentina to move to the top of Pool B at the end of Day 2.

Defending champions the Netherlands were irrepressible in the early stages, establishing a 3-0 lead thanks to spectacular strikes from youngster Thierry Brinkman and Seve van Ass before Roel Bovendeert tapped home a fine team move. However, two goals from Argentine penalty corner expert Gonzalo Peillat dragged Los Leones back into the game and set up a tense final quarter. Despite great pressure from their South American rivals, excellent defensive work ensured that Oranje held on to claim all three points.

Results – Day 2
Pool A:
Great Britain 3, Canada 1
Hero Man of the Match: Nick Catlin (GBR)

Australia 1, Belgium 0
Hero Man of the Match: Matt Gohdes (AUS)

Pool B:
Germany 1, India 1
Hero Man of the Match: Sardar Singh (IND)

Netherlands 3, Argentina 2
Hero Man of the Match: Robert van der Horst (NED)

FIH release

Argentina too good for India, Netherlands and Germany play goalless draw

Raipur, November 27, 2015: The men’s Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 got underway here on Friday, with Argentina defeating India before Germany and the Netherlands played out a draw in Pool B.

Penalty corner expert Gonzalo Peillat scored twice as Argentina claimed a 3-0 win over host nation India in the opening match of the competition in front of a near capacity crowd.

Following a vibrant, colourful and entertaining opening ceremony, the home fans turned out in large numbers to witness the host nation in action.

However, it was Argentina’s Leones (Lions) that came away with all three points.

The team, coached by Carlos Retegu,i were in excellent form in the opening two quarters of the match, establishing a 2-0 lead ahead of half time.

Prolific goal-scorer Peillat opened the scoring in the third minute with a deflected penalty corner rocket that left Indian shot-stopper P.R. Sreejesh stranded, before Joaquin Menini scored from close range with another set piece.

Despite a powerful Rupinder Pal Singh shot being cleared off the line, Argentina were well worth their lead and continued to play excellent hockey in the third and fourth quarters.

Eventually, a third goal arrived, with Peillat grabbing his second with a penalty corner drag-flick that sailed into the roof of the Indian net in overtime.

"We started very well, the intensity was very good”, said Argentina’s two goal hero Gonzalo Peillat after the match. “We earned enough corners. Now we need to think how we play against Holland as they have a really good team."

India coach Roleant Oltmans was disappointed by the result, stating: "The first half could have been better. We did more in the second half but it was still not enough. Today we didn't deserve anything. We need to recover quickly now because the next match is tomorrow."

The day’s other match was also in Pool B, as Germany and the Netherlands battled to a 0-0 draw in a rematch of the EuroHockey Championship Final.

The last meeting between the teams saw the Netherlands power to a 6-1 win to claim the European title, but today’s match was all about the defensive lines.

Both goalkeepers were in good form in the game, with Germany’s Nico Jacobi pulling off a number of world class saves while Stockmann was deservedly named Hero Man of the Match. 

“It is always good to play against the Netherlands at a tournament like this on the way to the Olympic Games”, said Germany midfielder Tobias Hauke. “I think it was interesting today after our last meeting in the EuroHockey Championship Final, where we lost pretty hard. It was important to see today, with different teams of course, that we are close now and it was a hard game for both sides.”

Netherlands Head Coach Max Caldas said that Germany were arguably the better side in the first half, but was happy with his team’s display in the second period. 

“I am a big fan of the German players and the German style, and always look forward to playing them”, said Caldas. “It was a tough game but I think we took more control in the second half, although our goalkeeper saved us a little bit in the first half.”

Results – Day 1

Pool B:
Argentina 3, India 0
Hero Man of the Match:  Agustin Mazzilli (ARG)

Germany 0, Netherlands 0.
Hero Man of the Match: Jaap Stockmann (GK - NED)

FIH Press release