Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland: Spain and France men played out an exciting and end-to-end match with the win going to the home side after they drew ahead in the final quarter. In the women's match, China took to the field under the guidance of new Head Coach Alyson Annan and for the first time in the FIH Pro League since 1 February. Argentina continued their unstoppable winning streak as Victoria Granatto showed that class is a trait running through the Granatto family. Spain beat France (men) 4-2 The Spanish men’s team took to the field in front of a vocal and enthusiastic crowd in the Estadio Betero in Valencia. Spain took an early lead when Alejandro Alonso fired a penalty corner straight past Arthur Thieffry in the French goal. Aside from that goal, the first 15 minutes was evenly matched with both teams playing expansive, fast-paced hockey. Alejandro Davila had a chance to make it 2-0 but his shot was off-balance and easily saved. In a mirror image of the first quarter, France scored early to bring the goal tally level. Corentin Sellier won the team in blue a penalty corner and Victor Charlet stepped up to fire home an absolute rocket into the top corner of Mario Garin’s goal. Alejandro Davila scored Spain’s second goal in the 22nd minute when he pounced on the ball as it  bobbled temptingly in front of the French goal. The shot was created after a sustained spell of Spanish pressure. It was the first senior goal for a delighted Davila. Seconds later Antonio Sanz almost made it three when he ran into the circle and fired high. Thieffry made the save look relatively easy but the Spanish players were signalling their intent. If Spain had intent, France had resolve and just before half-time, Gaspard Baumgarten fired a shot from the top of the circle. The unexpected nature of the shot, plus the ferocity meant that Garin could only watch it fly past him into the goal to make it 2-2. The third quarter was goalless as both teams sought a way through the opposing defence. While the goals may not have been forthcoming, there was no let up in tempo and both teams created several attacks but both Thieffry and Adrian Rafi in the Spanish goal were up to the challenge. The breakthrough came in the 52nd minute of the fourth quarter. France had been pushing for a goal and Victor Charlet had rattled the Spanish crossbar with another penalty corner strike. This near miss galvanised the Spanish and they raced to the other end of the pitch. Alejandro Alonso’s shot was stopped on the line by a foot and Marc Miralles stepped up to put the penalty stroke home competently. At this set-back, France removed their goalkeeper and went all out for the equaliser. The plan backfired when Marc Recasens was able to break through the French defence and score into an empty net. The Player of the Match award went to Alejandro Davila who scored Spain’s second goal on just his fourth appearance for the senior team. He spoke after the match about the incredible work rate his team had shown to secure their second win of the FIH Pro League season. Argentina beat China 3-1 (women) A goalless first half was a clear indication of the way that China were approaching the game. A defensive half-court press meant that Argentina were posed the challenge of how to get past the tight defence and into the circle to create scoring opportunities. Despite two penalty corners and a lot of possession in the opening quarter, Argentina were unable to make inroads and Lui Ping in the China goal was not pressured too much. The second quarter saw China coming out of the half a little more as they set their press further up the pitch and put the Argentina defence under some pressure. However, it was Argentina who took the lead. A foul in the circle on Valentina Costa led to a penalty stroke, which Agustina Gorzelany duly dispatched. The second half saw Argentina extending their lead, not with their usual panache but through sheer hard graft. The second goal came from a passing move that saw Rocio Sanchez pass to Player of the Match Victoria Granatto. She slipped the ball to Agustina Albertarrio, who slotted it home. The third goal came purely from the skill and determination of Victoria Granatto. She picked up the ball and tore through the Chinese defence before pushing it past the ‘keeper. China scored a consolation goal, the first conceded by Las Leonas since they played the USA in April. The scorer was Chen Ling, playing just her fifth game for the national team. Player of the Match was unsurprisingly Victoria Granatto. She said: 'When we start the game, we think of doing everything right and following the plan. Every game we are going step by step. We did a good press and we ran for every ball. Every player just thinks; 'run, run and run.'

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland: A super opening goal from German forward Charlotte Stapenhorst signalled her team's intent as Germany put four goals past England to reverse the previous day's results. Later, in the men's match between the two nations, Germany showed their character as they clung onto a 3-2 lead despite spending most of the final quarter with 10 players on the pitch at Sparkassen Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany. Germany beat England (women) 4-1 A fantastically taken goal from Charlotte Stapenhorst in the second minute put England on the back foot in the second encounter between the two teams within 24 hours. Stapenhörst burst into the circle and slammed the ball without preamble past Miriam Pritchard in the England goal. Four minutes later and Germany were on the attack again. Cecile Pieper scrambled the ball towards the goal but it was Nike Lorenz who dragged the ball out of the melee and lifted it into the goal. England came back into the game in the second quarter, creating their own chances. A series of penalty corners saw England captain Hollie Pearne-Webb attempting to slap the ball past Julia Sonntag in the German goal but at the end of the quarter it was still Germany who held a 2-0 lead. The England penalty corner routine finally found the mark in the fourth quarter when Grace Balsdon's shot was deflected into the goal by Hannah Martin. This raised the tension on the pitch as England looked to build on the momentum provided by the goal. Germany's answer however, was two goals in the final quarter. First Hannah Gablac was on hand when a German penalty corner broke down. The initial shot by Leena Micheel was scuffed but the loose ball fell kindly for Gablac, who fired home. The match was put beyond any doubt when Pia Maertens picked up the ball on the edge of the England circle and drove into the danger area before attempting to unleash a shot. The fact she scuffed the top of the ball meant the speed fooled the defence and Maertens had the grace to smile wryly at the outcome. Player of the Match Sonja Zimmermann (GER) said: 'That was a really good game by us today, we had the right focus and the right mentality. We tried to do what the coach asked us and it worked.' The results from these two matches mean that Germnay move to fourth in the FIH Pro League, two points behind Argentina, while England are in fifth, eight points behind Germany but having played four fewer matches. Germany beat England (men) 3 -2 England took the lead in the opening minutes of this match when David Condon was on hand to tip the ball past Niklas Garst in the German goal after a super ball into the circle from Will Calnan. That lead lasted until the 18th minute but a series of penalty corners to Germany asked plenty of questions of the England defence. On the third attempt, Malte Hellwig was on hand to deflect Tom Grambusch's penalty corner strike into the goal past James Mazarelo. The next 20 minutes of action saw both teams working to take control of the game. The momentum swung as first Germany and then England put together some patient build-up play to try and work a way into the opposing circle. It was Germany who got the breakthrough when Tom Grambusch made another penalty corner count. His shot squeezed past England captain Tom Sorsby and snuck into the corner of the goal. England drew back level when Sam Ward was able to steer a penalty corner shot past Jean Danneberg who was now in the German goal. Seconds later Germany answered in emphatic style when Gonzalo Peillat sent a rocket of a shot high into the England goal to give his side a 3-2 lead. The atmosphere ramped up in the final 18 minutes of the game. Christopher Ruhr was given a 10 minute yellow card and England withdrew their 'keeper to gain a two player advantage on the pitch. Both sides were now bursting with the effort of scoring the all-important next goal. For England, it was the need for an equaliser; for Germany it was to cushion their lead, particularly as they were a player down. Ruhr returned to the pitch but first Johannes Grosse received a green card and then Michel Struthoff received a yellow, meanng Germany comntinued to player with fewer men on the pitch. Jean Danneberg pulled off a tremendous save from a shot by Ward and then James Albery stepped in to prevent an almost certain goal from Grambusch. Despite the best endeavours of both teams, there were no more goals but viewers and spectators could be forgiven for feeling breathless at the end of this encounter. Player of the Match Martin Zwicket of Germany said: 'I am happy because we won that tough game. I don't know why I got the award because it was a team performance. We keep looking forward and we have to improve a lot of things as we have Argentina and Netherlands next.'

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne (Switzerland):-Darcy Bourne opened her senior side scoring account with two goals against Germany, as England women defeated their European rivals in a close 4-3 encounter at Sparkassen Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany. In the men's game, it was again England who took all three points as they took an early 1-0 lead and then somehow kept the door shut on a continuous German onslaught at the same venue. England beat Germany 4-3 (women): This was a closely-contested match from start to finish with the two teams matching each other at every turn. The opening salvos saw Germany pressure Miriam Pritchard's goal and both Sonja Zimmermann and Katharina Kiefer saw shots just missing the mark. While Germany had the ascendency in the opening minutes, it was England who finished the quarter stronger. The goal count, however, remained at zero. The second quarter began in much the same fashion. Nike Lorenz sent a shot high over Pritchard's crossbar, while Hollie Pearne-Webb's penalty corner strike was deflected wide. The ever-busy Charlotte Stapenhorst created a chance for Hannah Gablac but that was also sent harmlessly wide of the post. It was Gablac who broke the deadlock however. In the 25th minute the England defence stopped as they anticipated a whistle. Gablac however took the opportunity to neatly twist past Pritchard and slot the ball home. This galvanised England and just a minute later Grace Balsdon fired home a trademark penalty corner shot, which flew past Noelle Rother in the German goal. Just before half-time, a great run and pass by Jette Fleschutz found Kiefer. The subsequent foul earnt Germany a penalty stroke, which Lorenz sent home without hesitation to give her side a 2-1 lead going into the break. England pulled level three minutes into the second half. This was the first of Bourne's double as she picked up on a cross from Alexandra Malzer and created herself the space to fire the ball home. For Germany, Anne Schroeder was unlucky to hit the side post, and Germany began to really pile on some pressure but the sides went into the third quarter break with the scores locked at 2-2. England took the lead for the first time in the match when Tessa Howard received a beautifully weighted pass from Grace Balsdon. For Howard this was a sweet moment as she has missed a year of international action after a knee injury. Germany answered through a penalty corner from captain Zimmermann but Bourne's second, scored three minutes from full-time gave her side a 4-3 lead and three more points on the FIH Pro League table. Player of the Match Darcy Bourne (ENG) said: 'I am absolutely thrilled. We had a downhill start but we came together really well. We are a side that are just coming together now.' England beat Germany 1-0 (men): This match started evenly enough with both teams showing flair and creativity, particularly in the midfield, and the game seemed to promise a lot of goals. England took the lead in the 12th minute when Nick Bandurak was the recipient of a skilful standing reverse stick pass from David Goodfield. Bandurak only had to place his stick on the floor to deflect the ball past Alexandra Stadler in the German goal. This galvanised Germany but the attempts by the higher ranked side (Germany are ranked 5th in the world; England are ranked 7th) were spectacular but not effective. On several occasions Christopher Ruhr burst through the England defence only to see his shots fly wide, while Oliver Payne was putting in an outstanding performance in the England goal as he parried and cleared shot after shot from the German team. After the half time break, Germany increased the pressure further and England were subjected to a barrage of aerial balls across the goal circle plus the ever-present threat of Gonzalo Peillat from the penalty corner spot. In all, Germany had 23 circle penetrations to England's 11 and more than double the number of shots. A dispirited Christopher Ruhr said after the game: 'You cannot win games without scoring goals. It will be different in tomorrow's match.' Player of the Match Oliver Payne (ENG) said: 'I'm super happy. This (winning Player of the Match) doesn't happen very often, so I will enjoy this one. Germany are a good side but our lads put in one hell of a shift. In the second half it felt like wave after wave of pressure.'

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne (Switzerland):-After a very even and scoreless opening half England was able to capitalize and take down the United States, 3-1, in North Carolina. Holly Pearne-Webb and Grace Balsdon capitalized from penalty corners while Elena Rayer, also named Player of the match, tallied on a brilliant deflection for England. Despite the score line both teams had quality opportunities. It was a bright moment for USA captain Amanda Magadan celebrating her 100th international at home, while both teams were able to give some youngsters an opportunity to get some experience including several just returned from the FIH Junior World Cup. United States beat England (women) 3-1 It was a scoreless and even opening half. Both teams traded penalty corner options while youth on both sides gave way for several counter-attack plays. England set the pace early on with a series of penalty corners earned. Hollie Pearne-Webb put a deceptive sweep wide of the right post and her second attempt was cleared by USA defender Julianna Tornetta. USA found their strides and had chances of their own. Ashley Sessa was the first to force a save out of England keeper Sabbie Heesh. Periods of brilliance did emerge in the scrappy affair including a fantastic off-ball lead from Hope Rose. Rose looked to find Erin Matson in front of the goal but Heesh calmly denied the cross. Late in the second quarter, Matson poached a ball and went in solo into the England circle but good defensive work by Grace Baldson and Pearne-Webb sparked a quick counter-attack. Holly Hunt fed Darcy Bourne who took to her back-hand to send a rocket cross. Elena Rayer came sliding in at the far post just missing at the far post. USA came out of the break with a strong attack. Captain Amanda Magadan, playing in her 100th international, did all the hard work on the right baseline but her cross trickled through traffic inches away from but parallel to the goal line and out the other side. Matson and Ashley Sessa had a nice combination play after a quick aerial from Tornetta but the ball was shot wide of the England goal. Against the rush and down a player, England turned the tides. Bourne and Rayer battled through traffic to earn a penalty corner. Pearne-Webb finished brilliantly in the bottom corner to lift England 1-0. USA’s Paityn Wirth nearly drew the game level on an open net but the ball was painfully touched wide. Kealsie Robles was then kept busy in the USA circle battling a few England attacks including another set of penalty corners. Following a long video review, England got to work and Bourne took to the baseline and fed Rayer who effortless one-touched the ball past Robles to double England’s lead. Grace Balsdon then converted on her fourth penalty corner attempt. A flick high, glove side beat Robles to make it 3-0 for England. Matson was able to bury a consolation goal in the final minute of the game to break the shutout and the 3-1 loss will give the USA something to improve on in the teams’ match up tomorrow. Argentina beat South Africa (men) 4-3 Argentina came out of the gate with two goals in the first five minutes of play. Federico Monja deflected a penalty corner with extreme precision after a perfect delivery from Lauraro Ferrero to give the home side the 1-0 lead. Nicolas Acosta was able to find Federico Fernandez unmarked for the tap in to make it 2-0 in the fifth minute. Before the end of the quarter, hard work from Keenan Horne gave Nqobile Ntuli a chance to get on the board. Ntuli dug the ball out of Emiliano Bosso’s pads and calmly rolled the ball in to the net for South Africa to now trail 2-1. After half time the game seemed to sit heavily in favour of the home side, but things started to heat up after Argentina took a 3-1 lead. In the 38th minute, Ferrero scored Argentina’s third goal off a powerful flick through the legs of keeper Estiaan Kriek. It also marked Ferrero’s first international goal. With nothing to lose, South Africa’s press started to creep higher and it paid dividends. The Argentine back line uncharacteristically saw themselves panicking in their outlet allowing South Africa to show their precision on attack. In the 43rd minute Matthew Guise-Brown stepped up to the penalty corner battery and without hesitation flicked a low shot past Bosso to cut Argentina’s lead to one. But as they do, Argentina wasted no time in responding. A Juan Catan and Acosta combo set up Facundo Sarto at the stroke mark, for the tap in and Argentina’s fourth goal.  South Africa never let up and were back in the game on another penalty corner flick from Guise-Brown to bring South Africa trailing again by one, down 4-3. Ntuli thought he might draw the game level after a high press earned them a circle entry but the reverse stick shot was denied by a sliding Emiliano Bosso. Guise-Brown was then denied on back-to-back penalty corner flicks with outstanding goalkeeping from Bosso to protect Argentina’s 4-3 victory.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne (Switzerland):-Victoria Granatto scored two goals in a 3-0 victory for Argentina over the USA women. From start to end it was the Leonas who held the tempo of the game. While experience proved to be their enemy, the youthful American side showed they have a bright future ahead. Argentina beat United States (women) 3-0 It was the lions versus the lambs today as an experienced Argentina lineup, with 10 players with 100 caps or more, dropped a talented but youthful USA side 3-0. Packed stands at the Cenard in Buenos Aires roared on the Leonas who wasted no time turning on the heat. The returned Delfina Merino forced a save from USA keeper Kelsey Bing in the second minute of play. Victoria Granatto and Julieta Jankunas wreaked havoc all game for the American defence. A penalty corner in the seventh minute allowed Valentina Costa an opportunity but the drag flick and rebound were kept out by the defensive unit. Erin Matson what forward attack the USA could muster but Leonas keeper Cristina Cosentino was barely called in to action. Costa had another penalty corner strike in the final minutes of the opening quarter but Amanda Magadan was there to clear the ball. Despite their dominance it took 19 minutes for Argentina to find their first goal. A composed Granatto curled in tight to beat Jacqueline Sumfest and slide the ball between Bing’s legs to make it 1-0. Brave running from Brooke Deberdine denied a series of Argentina penalty corners to leave it a one-goal half at the break. In the third quarter Granatto doubled the lead. Jankunas did all the work to get to the right baseline and her cross was sent in to traffic where Granatto deflected in from the tightest of angles. Argentina continued to come in waves of attack but Bing did well to organize her back line and minimize the space. Delfina Thome fed the ball to Jankunas on the left baseline in the 47th minute. Jankunas patiently waited for a gap and flipped the ball towards a crowded stroke mark. Captain Rocio Sanchez deflected the ball out of the air and in to make it 3-0 for Argentina. The USA then sustained even more pressure with Granatto putting a blast over the net and then Bing saving a back-hand shot from Agustina Alonso and another from Granatto. France beat Argentina (men) 2-0 The tides turned in the Argentina-France Pro League double-header as France earned three points with a 2-0 win over Los Leones. The teams started at pace with both ends getting tested early on. Francois Goyet and Matteo Desgouillons were the first to test the Argentine defence but a quick interception and counter-attack allowed Tomas Domene to stir up trouble in the other end. France did well to put the pressure on as Jean-Baptiste Forgues fed Stanislas Branicki in the circle but the deflection was denied by Nehuen Hernando, who was in goal for Argentina. The pressure paid off in the 11th minute as Gaspard Xavier’s delivery was cleverly deflected by Branicki for a 1-0 France lead after the opening quarter. A stingy France defence frustrated the usual potent Argentine offence as runs from Ignacio Nepote and Agustin Mazzili were denied. Two green cards in the final minutes of the second quarter left Argentina on the backfoot. A penalty corner flick from Timothée Clément was booked for the top of the net but Hernando calmly made the save. Argentina had a promising break just before half time as a long aerial found the stick of Tobias Martins but his centering pass was well intercepted. Argentina’s closest chance was a penalty corner flick from but it was saved on the line by Masson and deflected off the end line. In the third quarter France continued to provide the energy and pace for the game but the craftiness of Domene almost drew the game level. A brilliant save from Arthur Thieffy denied a blast from Domene just four minutes in to the third quarter. The pace was high and both lines of defence were dialed in. Following a video referral France found themselves with a penalty corner and a clinical execution from Viktor Lockwood back to Masson to beat Hernando short side and give France a 2-0 lead. France did the work they needed in both ends of the pitch to protect their lead. Rey and Mazzili combined well in the final minute of the game to earn a Leones penalty corner but it was overturned after a video referral and France sealed the deal on the important three points and enjoyed a2-0 victory.

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne (Switzerland):-Argentina took down their North American rivals, the United States, 3-1 in the first of their two match-ups in Buenos Aires. Valentina Costa’s penalty corner double earned her Player of the Match in a game that marked the 100th international for Victoria Sauze. Danielle Grega scored the USA’s opening goal, also her team’s first in the Pro League. Argentina beat United States (women) 3-1 A familiar Pan American rivalry match up ended with Argentina grabbing another three points after a 3-1 win over the United States. The score line didn’t reflect the superb performance from the young USA team who were up 1-0 heading into half time. The game did mark big milestones for Victoria Sauze who played her 100th international, while stalwart keeper Belen Succi exited the pitch in the final seven seconds of the game with a standing ovation for her performance, worthy of her 255th appearance. For the USA, the recent return of Ashley Hoffman paid dividends for the composed back line, while the offensive return of Erin Matson, who didn’t compete in the FIH Pro League games in Holland, was key. At the break the USA wanted to continue their good work in the opening half but the Leonas overcame the discomfort of trailing by a goal. In the 34th minute Valentina Costa’s penalty corner flick beat the out-stretched left foot of USA keeper Kelsey Bing to draw the game level. Less than a minute later Argentina were back at the top of the circle. This time Maria Jose Granatto delivered from the top but the ball rebounded out. Attempts from Eugenia Trinchinetti and Delfina Merino couldn’t beat the crowd of USA defenders but Rocio Sanchez was able to find a way through to bring the Leonas ahead 2-1. The United States had back-to-back penalty corners in the fourth quarter but an untidy execution denied them any quality shots. Argentina nearly pulled ahead again through Sanchez. The ball beat Bing but Jacqueline Sumfest was there to calmly clear the ball from the goal line. With seven seconds to go the Leonas had another penalty corner and this time Costa unleashed a flick high over the shoulder of Bing to seal Argentina’s fifth FIH Pro League victory. Argentina’s finish in the circle was all that stood between the two teams as the USA put on a valiant performance in both ends of the field. Argentina move to third in the standings with 15 points and a perfect 5-0-0 record. Argentina beat France (men) 4-2 Argentina scored three goals late in the game to climb their way back from a 2-1 deficit against France and win 4-2. Los Leones opened with a penalty corner in the third minute and Tobias Martins buried the rebound after Federico Fernandez’s flick was saved. France had their early chances with a penalty corner in the eighth minute but Timothée Clément’s back-hand was denied by a charging Matias Rey. Early in the second quarter Clément had a penalty corner flick booked for the bottom corner but the ball ricocheted off Nicolas Cicileo’s foot on the line and a penalty stroke was awarded. Etienne Tynevez perfectly executed from the spot, finding the top corner, stick side on Emiliano Bosso, to bring France level. Les Bleus continued to make tough work for Los Leones with Eliot Curty’s long aerials stretching the Argentine defence. Before half time Argentina had a chance to pull ahead as they couldn’t convert on two penalty corner rebounds. Rey had the final blast but it deflected high over the net. The teams traded opportunities in the second half. Clement had a drag flick denied by the stingy Argentine penalty corner defensive unit. Then, Viktor Lockwood sent a hard ball across the Argentine circle and the ball deflected high and to the back post. Antonin Igau, in world-class fashion, knocked the ball from over his head, down and in to bring France ahead 2-1. France keeper Arthur Thieffry gave up a penalty corner late in the fourth quarter giving Tomas Domene a chance to strike from the top. Thieffry got a foot on Domene’s low delivery but the ball ricocheted into the net to bring the game to 2-2. Minutes later Argentina showed their strides in a brilliant counter-attack that allowed Nicolas Acosta to pick up the ball deep in France territory. Acosta drew the penalty corner that was finished by Lautaro Ferrero to give Argentina the 3-2 relief. France felt the pressure as Thieffry was called on big to deny a shot from Joaquin Leonel Coelho and then a diving effort from Agustin Mazzilli. Tobias Martins was there to tidy up the rebound and double Argentina’s lead, 4-2.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland: India ended their home stint in perfect fashion taking all 6 points available from the two games against Germany. It was a different script from the game last night as Germany learned from their performance last night and limited India’s penalty corner attempts to just 3 all game. But it was the Indian youngsters who also lifted their game, with young Sukhjeet and Abhishek scoring a goal apiece from the field, to go with a Varun Kumar drag flick goal from a penalty corner, that gave India enough of a lead to see out the game without too much discomfort. Before the match started India’s coach Graham Reid said he was pleased with the result last night but the team would not be taking their opponents lightly as they viewed the final two games of their home leg as a semi-final and a final, so we would not see them take it easy against their relatively less experienced opponents. German coach Andre Henning was also pleased with his young team's performance last game as they created opportunities and hung around in the contest until the final quarter and hoped his team would convert any chances that fell their way today. Both teams played out the game as per their coaches’ instructions, with India trying to impose their will early, while the Germans played more aggressively, harrying the Indian midfield, that was largely untroubled in the first game. India still managed to create early chances, primarily through some great work by Manpreet, where twice he worked his way into the German circle and his pass only needed a touch to open the scoring for India. But Akashdeep and Sukhjeet both couldn’t get their sticks to the crosses and the teams went into the quarter break tied at 0-0. India came out stronger in the 2nd quarter, much as they did last evening after a goalless first fifteen. They threatened to open the scoring through Moirangthem who found acres of space on the right side of the circle after some good switch play by India caught Germany out, but his shot/cross deflected out off a German stick before it could threaten the German keeper. India finally made the pressure pay though, as a long corner saw some great work by a combination of Hardik, Manpreet and Nilakanta. Nilakanta then sent a fast pass towards the goal and Sukhjit smartly got ahead of Danneberg to deflect the ball in. Germany started to get on the front foot towards the end of the first half, but they could only muster one shot on target, that did not trouble Krishan Pathak too much, and he saved to maintain India’s lead heading into the second half. Graham Reid once again spoke at half time about missed opportunities and wanted his team to convert more of the chances they were creating, and his team didn’t let him down. 10 minutes into the 3rd quarter Lalit showed great skill to run into the German circle and baited the German defence into fouling him, winning India their first penalty corner of the game. It was Varun Kumar who took on the corner instead of Harmanpreet, and he showcased the depth India has in that department by blasting a low flick to the left bottom corner of the goal, giving India the 2-goal cushion they desperately desired. Germany were not quick to give-in though, and a great run into the Indian circle from the left baseline by Smith, forced Sreejesh to come charging out and Smith reversed the ball to Boeckel who had an empty goal to slot the ball into, right at the end of the 3rd quarter, setting up a wonderful finish to the game. India retreated a bit in the 4th quarter allowing Germany to commit numbers into attack. The strategy worked wonders for them as it opened up space behind the tight German mid-field and the dangerous Indian counter attacks started catching the German defenders out. India finally managed to convert one of their counter attacks into a goal as a long pass by Harmanpreet found the lively Abhishek at the top of the German circle, and his quick reverse hit was strong and perfectly placed into the corner of the German goal, leaving the otherwise excellent keeper Danneberg with no chance of stopping it. India finished off the last 5 minutes of the game with minimum fuss, except for one penalty corner that was won by the tireless German captain Zwicker. Krishan Pathak pulled off a stunning save on the resulting flick to keep India’s two goal lead intact and allowed them to play the final 2 minutes out with relative ease. The win gives India a 10-point lead at the top of the table, but as coach Reid pointed out before the game, India have played more matches than any other team, so the points buffer at the top is something they wanted to increase with this game and have successfully managed it with 6 points out of 6 taken against Germany.

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne (Switzerland):-An experienced Indian team gave a dominant attacking and defensive performance to outclass their young German counterparts in a thrilling game that saw non-stop attacking action throughout the 60 minutes. Penalty Corners once again proved to be India’s greatest ally as they converted from 3 of their 6 opportunities form the set pieces. Harmanpreet got the first two goals, taking his season tally to 16 goals, with player of the match Abhishek getting the 3rd goal, by getting a deflection on another Harmanpreet penalty corner attempt. Andre Henning, the German head coach, said before the match that he would be thrilled to get a point from this game given the very young and relatively low experienced squad he was working with and their realistic goal was to learn as much as they could from this game, while Indian head coach Graham Reid warned of complacency, reiterating that any German side, no matter their age, presented a dangerous challenge. India for their part took their coach’s words seriously and were relentless in their attacks from the first minute to the last. They started the first quarter on the front foot looking to exploit gaps in the German defence and mid field early. They had plenty of opportunities, primarily through Shilanand Lakra and Abhishek who were electric all game, but the German defence was resolute. The first penalty corner of the game went to India and it was Jugraj who took it, but the German defence closed him down before he could get his shot away, ending the quarter at 0-0. India kept up the pressure after the restart and if anything, their attack was even more dominant in the second quarter. A mazy run by Manpreet Singh resulted in the 2nd penalty corner for India and this time it was Harmanpreet who took the shot and he blasted it to the bottom right corner, leaving the post defender and Stadler with no chance of stopping the powerful shot. Germany had a chance to get a goal back right away from the restart, as a powerful cross into the circle caught Indian captain Rohidas out, and his attempted block left the ball at the stick of Wolff with just the Indian keeper to beat, but his shot went off target and India regained their composure. 2 minutes before the half ended, India got another penalty corner after Glander’s attempted clearance hit the back of his stick. Once again India went to Harmanpreet as Jugraj was off the field, and despite the ball stopping in an awkward position for him, he dragged it close to him and sent a low shot to the bottom left corner of the goal, doubling India’s lead into the halftime. Indian coach Graham Reid was not very pleased with the half-time score and warned against the danger Germany posed with 2 goals not being enough of an advantage. The third quarter felt like a repeat of the first as India continued to press and look for a third goal that could seal the game for them, while the German defence, led by captain Martin Zwicker continued to hold steady. Just as the teams looked ready to go into the final quarter with the game still very much open, India got themselves a penalty corner with 1 second left on the clock and they did not fail to convert it. Harmanpreet again went low to the left and Stadler looked like he had it covered, but Abhishek got his stick right in front of Stadler, and the ball deflected into the opposite side of the goal, giving the German keeper and his defence no chance of stopping it. With a 3 goal lead in the 4th quarter, India started to slow the pace of the game down. They still were on the front foot, but no longer needed to force the issue. Germany had big stretches of possession in the quarter, but they often looked to find an Indian foot in the circle, but the Indian defence, were excellent at keeping their sticks low and avoiding any foot contact inside the circle. India ended the match without conceding a single penalty corner in a clinical performance in attack and defence.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-India and Netherlands played out another close game of hockey under a scorching sun in Bhubaneswar, with 60 minutes proving inadequate to separate the two sides, requiring a shoot-out; where the young Dutch eves finally got the better of their experienced Indian counterparts. The match started off with a complete turnaround of fortunes for India, who had to endure a lot of pressure on their goal in the first quarter last evening. It took them a total of 34 seconds to get their first goal today, as their attack from the starting whistle led to a penalty corner that was deflected by a Dutch defender and then turned in by Rajwinder in front of the goal. It was a perfect start for India, and not what Netherlands were looking for after a close loss in the previous game. India, confident from the goal, took control of the game and their high press turned the ball over, often in the Dutch half. Netherlands finally found their feet in the game at around the 12-minute mark and they forced the Indian team to retreat into their own half as the first quarter came to a close. Second quarter again saw momentum swing India’s way to begin with, as they won the mid-field battle, cutting off the passing lanes that Netherlands like to use to build their attacks, but with the conditions taking their toll, Netherlands finally started getting the better of India to close the first half and forced Savita into three saves in the final 2 minutes, but she was up to the challenge and India took the 1 goal lead into the half. The half time break was exactly the momentum breaker India needed and they started the second half on the front foot. Jyoti and Monika both were recipients of chances after some great work by the Indian mid field and attack to set up scoring opportunities coming from their left wing. But while Jyoti’s effort was saved well by Remmerswaal, Monika couldn’t get the connection she wanted on a bouncing ball, and Netherlands survived the early pressure. For Netherlands, it felt like a repeat of last evening as they piled up a whole host of circle entries, but each time it amounted to very little, as the Indian defence made sure it didn’t leave any passing lanes open for the Dutch strikers to make the final pass that would open up opportunities to score. The 4th quarter however saw the match swing again as Netherlands, desperate for an equalizer, started instituting a high press of their own. They finally managed to hassle and harry the Indian defence into conceding possession in their own half, and it led to a slew of penalty corners for the Dutch, as the Indian defence started showing signs of fatigue. Savita though kept the Indian lead intact with save after save from the penalty corners, but the Dutch were unrelenting. They finally got a goal back through captain Yibbi Jansen in the 54th minute, who finally got a lot of power behind one of her flicks and Savita couldn’t react in time to stop the ball sailing over her right shoulder. India had an instant opportunity to strike back though as they won a penalty corner of their own from the restart, and Gurjit, who had also been having trouble getting power behind her drag flicks, finally got one flying towards the Dutch goal, but the shot that looked destined to restore India’s lead, hit the post and Netherlands breathed a sigh of relief. The regular time expired without either team creating a big opportunity and the teams headed for a shoot-out. Netherlands went first and scored through Jansen who calmly slotted a second shot in after Savita had saved the first one. Jyoti and Neha missed the first two shoot-out attempts for India, while Fortuin scored the 2nd attempt as well for Netherlands, leaving India with a mountain to climb. Savita tried her best, saving Morgenstern’s shoot-out attempt and Navneet followed it up with a calmly taken goal of her own. But Barentsen scored the 4th attempt for Netherlands and another great save by Remmerswaal from Rajwinder’s attempt sealed India’s fate as Netherlands took the extra point from the contest. Marente Barentsen won the player of the match and spoke of the learnings the young Dutch team took from the two matches saying: “It was a tough loss yesterday, but we had created chances and it was the same today. So happy that as a young team we could improve and get a better result today.” Indian captain Savita wasn’t too disappointed with the result, saying: “Shoot-outs are a bit of a coin toss, and Netherlands were very clinical in their attempts today. Overall, the draw in regular time felt about right, because while we started well Netherlands were really attacking in the end so the draw was a fair result.”

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-India and England played out another thriller as a back and forth match saw 7 goals, all from penalty corners, 4-3 in favour of India. England took an early lead in the match as they had done last night. But India went back level through Manpreet and never trailed again. India’s Harmanpreet Singh scored a hat-trick notching his 100th goal for India and while England twice managed to reduce the deficit to 1 goal, they could not find a leveller and India took all 3 points. India vs England (men) - Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar (IND) England coach Zak Jones spoke before the game about the threat India posed from the Penalty Corners and after a terrific effort from his team in yesterday’s game on that front, the floodgates opened up today as India won 10 of them, converting from 4, to snatch a win in another thrilling contest that kept the fans on the edge of their seats till the 60th minute once again. The game started much more evenly, but England once again got the first goal through an innovative penalty corner that was deflected in by Sanford, who scored his first ever international goal for England. India countered back with a similar routine from a penalty corner routine and scored via Manpreet Singh who got his first goal since 2019. Two more penalty corners from India in a dominant 2nd quarter saw Harmanpreet give India a 3-1 lead into the half time, but the English team never stopped believing. England crucially got the first goal of the second half through a Sam Ward drag flick from a penalty corner that took a touch from David Condon and went in. India then struck back, once again through Harmanpreet Singh who competed his hat-trick with a vicious flick into the bottom left corner. England weren’t done though and stuck back in the very next minute to set up a tense final quarter. India refused to stay back and looked for a goal to double their lead in the final quarter, but neither team got many opportunities in the final 15. England removed their keeper in the final minutes and tried a repeat of last night’s game where they equalised with 12 seconds left on the clock, but the Indian defence led by Harmanpreet and captain Amit Rohidas dealt with the threats well and India emerged victorious, taking all 3 points today and 5 out of the possible 6 from the two contests against England. Netherlands vs USA (women) - Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED) Netherlands team spoke yesterday about the difficulty of scoring against a packed defence of USA, while the Americans promised a more attacking performance today. USA delivered on their promise with an attempt to play a lot higher up the pitch through the game, committing big numbers to each attacking opportunity, but they couldn’t breach the Dutch defence. Netherlands however showcased how dangerous they are in attack when their opponent gives them any room at all. A 10-0 scoreline rarely signifies positives for both teams, but having tried an extremely defensive strategy yesterday, USA will take positives from their different approach to today’s game. They didn’t get a goal for their efforts, but they did manage to force Dutch keeper Josine Koning into a couple of saves. Netherlands were relentless in their attacks and the open spaces behind the American defence provided them with ample opportunities. A total of 6 players got on the scoresheet for the Netherlands, with player of the match Yibbi Jansen scoring a hat-trick from penalty corners, while Joosje Boorg and Frederique Matla scored a brace each. Matla especially had a great game creating plenty of chances for her team, getting 2 assists in the game to go with her two goals. Kelsey Bing once again put in a stellar performance for USA, pulling off brilliant saves throughout the game, but with 58 total circle penetrations and 22 shots from the Dutch, there was not much more she could do to keep the Americans in the game.