Sports Bulletin

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.

Sports Bulletin Report BHUBANESWAR (India):-A tense shoot-out following a frantic end to the regular period, saw Indian men come away with a bonus point in their match against the English at Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar, India. A real up and down battle saw the lead change hands thrice and thrice the trailing team equalised, the last of which saw England score from a Penalty Stroke with mere 12 seconds left to play. Much like the game the shoot-out also saw multiple opportunities for both teams to get the win and India finally did, on the 7th shoot-out attempt. India beat England (3-2) on penalty shoot-out A dominant start to the first quarter from England got them the early lead as India took their time finding their rhythm in the match. The goal came from a penalty corner, scored by Nicholas Bandurak, who is quickly emerging as a star for the English team. But India found their rhythm towards the end of the quarter and a great run into the circle followed by a pass from Shamsher Singh found Abhishek who was quick to get his shot off before the defence could close him down. The second quarter was much more calculated from both teams as neither wanted to commit too many to the attack. India snatched the lead in the 27th minute as a 6-man struggle in the English circle lead to a push by Shamsher that hit the post and the rebound deflected into the goal off Sanford’s stick. England stuck right back however with another Nicholas Bandurak penalty corner conversion, as teams went into the break on level terms. The second half saw India impose themselves more into the game as the high temperatures looked to be taking its toll on the English team. India won its first penalty corner deep into the game in the 52nd minute. It was Harmanpreet who had won the penalty corner and he finished it with a perfectly placed flick. With 3 minutes to go, England switched their keeper out for an outfield player and within a few seconds India had won another penalty corner. India missed the golden opportunity to seal the game from that set piece though as they tried a different routine and ended up turning over possession. England got a penalty stroke with just 12 seconds left as a shot headed for goal hit Sumit on his leg. Sam Ward scored the resulting stroke and the match went into a shoot-out, where both teams scored 2 of their first 5 attempts. India went first in the sudden death and after both teams missed their first attempts, Abhishek scored the second one for India, while Ward missed his from the spot. Player of the match Harmanpreet asked about his goal said: “Happy with the goal, happy for the team as well. We played a complete game, scoring 2 field goals and one from the penalty corner, which is my job and I was happy I could convert it.” English captain Thomas Sorsby not too disappointed with the result said: “We had a great start to the game, and our aim for tomorrow will be to stretch that start and maximise it over the full 60 minutes.” Netherlands beat USA (3-0): Right from the start, Netherlands imposed their will on the Americans, who struggled all game to get out of their own half. With a suffocating high press, that the Americans found too difficult to play out of, the Dutch team had a total of 20 shots through the game and 41 circle penetrations, compared to no shots and 1 circle penetration from the Americans. Each quarter followed a similar pattern as the game stayed concentrated in the American half as their defence tried to fend off the Dutch attackers. After a dominant but goalless first quarter, Netherlands finally found a breakthrough via Moes Freeke in the 18th minute after a rare breakdown by the American defence gave her a lot of space and time to receive the ball in the circle, pick her spot and bury it beyond Kelsey Bing. Bing had a terrific game and could have been hardly asked for more. She pulled off save after save, but the Dutch attack was relentless and found a second goal in the 25th minute through Fiona Morgenstern on a penalty corner rebound after Bing had pulled off another save. The second half went much the same way, with the Americans unable to play out from the back and the Dutch trying to switch wings in repeated attempts to score more goals. The third goal finally came from the stick of Morgenstern again, but it was created by a magical run into the circle by captain Matla, who provided the pass that set up the goal. The Dutch players will have something to work on after their set pieces were sometimes ineffective. They won a total of 9 penalty corners, and converted one of them, which also came off a rebound, after Bing had saved the initial feeble attempt. For the Americans this was a third consecutive game of resolute defending after their 2 games against Germany last week. While they found no joy in attack, their defensive solidity in the face of non-stop attacks does provide them with positives going forward, given their 15th place world ranking compared to their opponents who are ranked 1st in the world. Xan de Waard won the player of the match and asked about the final scoreline said: “It’s difficult actually when the opponent sits so deep. You have to try and score against 11 players inside the 25. So sometimes it’s hard and our last pass in the D was a bit lacking and that’s why we didn’t score many goals today.”

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Two third-quarter goals propelled the Germany women over the visiting United States in Mönchengladbach to give Germany just their second-straight victory after their 3-0 win over Spain earlier in the week. Just 45-seconds in to his first match for the Germany men, former Argentine penalty corner ace Gonzalo Peillat gave the home side the lead. In late February, the Mannheimer HC defender gained his German passport and gave André Henning an interesting decision to make ahead of their first FIH Pro League games of 2022. It looks like Henning made the right choice as Germany dropped Spain 2-1. Women’s Fixture: Germany beat United States 2-0 It was an action-packed opening half that saw the fitness and physicality of the hosts dominate in both play and possession. Despite the Germany dominance, the USA had quality opportunities of their own. USA keeper Kelsey Bing and her counter-part Julia Sonntag were called to duty on multiple occasions to keep the game scoreless at half time. Germany’s Elisa Gräve was named player of the match and said after the game: ‘It was quite hard actually [about USA’s stingy defence]. We had to take our chances and get more specific on our actions in the circle and that’s what we did in the second half and that’s how we won. We are very happy about that result.’ Laura Saenger has the first quality chance for Germany but her penalty corner flick bounced low and wide of a diving Bing stick. The USA had a first-quarter penalty corner but Sonntag was able to deny Ashley Hoffman’s delivery and the near-post rebound. The Americans had back-to-back scoring attempts just before the first break. The first happened when a streaking Paityn Wirth picked up a brilliant midfield pass but her back-hand shot was squandered high and wide. Then, Sonntag’s left leg denied another close-range shot to keep the Americans at bay. Germany’s Sonja Kimmerman delivered a ball into the USA circle that was deflected to Hanna Granitzki and the striker did well to control and shoot but the ball bounced just wide of Bing. Germany continued to pounce on the Americans as Anne Schröder capitalized off a very quick free hit outside the circle and blasted a shot but Bing’s glove was there to redirect the ball wide. The American defence unit did well to match the speedy German strikers but it was the outstanding confidence of Bing that really kept them in it. In the 35th minute, Germany finally broke the deadlock. Some patient passing opened up Nele Aring on the left side of the circle. Aring did well to send a hard back-hand cross for an open Granitzki to confidently deflect past USA keeper Jennifer Rizzo in for a 1-0 Germany lead. Olivia Bent-Cole had a one-on-one chance for the USA but the 16-year-old’s sweep was calmy guided away by the pads of Sonntag. In the last moments of the third quarter Germany caught Hoffman’s foot to earn a penalty corner. Zimmerman’s low flick boomed towards the goal and the ball had enough power to ricochet up and in to secure the lead. Germany had a sloppy fourth quarter and the Americans did well to put their back line under pressure. Unforced errors gave the USA promising circle entries but Germany were able to do just enough to protect their 2-0 lead and eventual final score. Men’s Fixture: Germany beat Spain 2-1 It was Gonzalo Peillat’s first international match since the 29-year-old fell out with then Argentinian coach German Orozco following the 2018 World Cup. He has since played the last six seasons with Mannheimer HC and now joins Germany as the former top scorer at the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics where he was crowned Olympic champion with the Leones.  In the opening 45 seconds Germany earned a penalty corner and it was a sign of what was to come. Peillat, showing he had not missed a beat, stepped up and confidently delivered the 1-0 Germany lead. From there the Honomas dominated possession and the attack putting Spain keeper Mario Garin to work. Garin did well to deny a flurry of Germany chances including two from Jusus Weigans and a far-post opportunity for Christopher Rühr. In the 19th minute Spain post-player Ignacio Rodriguez made a mind-blowing goal line save on a fierce Peillat flick. Minutes later Garin’s out-stretched left foot denied Peillat on Germany’s third penalty corner. Germany continued to knock on Spain’s doorstep and clung to their 1-0 lead at half time. Minutes in to the third quarter Ruhr made quick work of Spain’s Alejandro Alonso and was able to spin and send a pass to a diving Weigand but the ball slid just under his stick and wide. Thirty seconds later and Ruhr cut through the German circle and blasted a back-hand shot just wide of the Spain goal. Max Caldas wanted his side to be more clinical in the German circle in the second half. Joaquin Menini started the charge as he collected a ball in tight and crafted an opportunity out of nothing but the ball bounced wide of Alexander Stadler’s goal. Germany made them pay as on the next rush Marco Miltkau slid a deceptive pass to Niklas Wellen who made no mistake with a blast in for a 2-0 Germany lead in the 35th minute. In the final quarter Rafael Vilallonga was leading Spain’s pressure up front but the German defence line was impenetrable and well quarter-backed by Mathias Müller. A yellow card to Germany’s Timur Oruz gave Spain the final five minutes with a big advantage. Spain captain Marc Miralles crafted his way through the German circle but blasted a shot wide. Villalonga then one-timed a shot with under three minutes to go and forced a penalty corner from a sprawled Stadler. Stadler made the save on the initial flick but Ricardo Sanchez showed no mercy to bury the rebound and break the shutout. Spain continued to pressure with Menini making quick work on the baseline but he was met at the post by the pads of Stadler. Then, Villalonga found Alvaro Iglesias alone but the one-timer went just wide – an agonizing result as Spain seemed so close to force a shootout. Time ran out to leave Spain just short and Germany celebrated the 2-1 victory at home.

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the FIH Hockey Pro League participating nations have agreed on a new schedule for the fourth season of FIH’s global league celebrating ‘Hockey at its Best’. The season, which will run from 28 October 2022 to 5 July 2023, will be divided into a series of date blocks, agreed by all parties, to assist with international and domestic competition planning, within which “mini-tournaments” will be played where several teams will gather in one venue to play two matches against each other. This move will have a major positive impact on players’ welfare and the environment, thanks to a substantial reduction in the amount of travel needed for each team and the officials. Another great advantage of this revised format is that it increases the number of dates available for athletes to compete in their domestic leagues and club competitions. FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “The FIH Hockey Pro League is still a relatively ‘young’ competition. Therefore, it is our duty, together with the participating nations, to proceed to a regular review and make adjustments as appropriate for the enhancement of the experience. This new schedule will be better for athletes, better for hosts, better for fans and better for the environment!” For the first season with this new schedule, matches will be hosted in the following seven nations:  Australia, Argentina, Belgium, England, India, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-A magnificent display of goalkeeping by Nathalie Kubalski, playing on her home ground in Dusseldörf, kept an ever-threatening Spanish attack at bay and brought home three points for Germany for the first time this Pro League season. With Spain dominating possession and sometimes by-passing the German midfield and defence with ease, this was an outcome completely against the run of play. Germany 3-0 Spain Germany took the lead in the first quarter through an excellent strike from Pia Maertens. The attacking midfielder turned at the top of the Spanish circle to create the room to fire a shot at goal. This was one of only a few German attacking opportunities as most of the first 30 minutes saw Spain on the attack and playing with energy and fervour. The only thing the Red Sticks were missing was a goal. If Kubalski was frustrating Adrian Lock's Spanish team in the first half, she put up an inpenetrable wall in the second half of the game. Spain were playing the ball through the centre of the pitch with an ease that will have given German Head Coach Valentin Altenburg headaches. Experienced players such as Lucia Jimenez, Begona Garcia and Belen Iglesias all found themselves foiled by the sheer brilliance of Kubalski as she dealt with overhead shots, deflections and one-on-one encounters. While Germany were worryingly porous in defence, they were ruthless when on the attack. Die Danas only had four shots in the entire game but they scored from three of them. In the 36th minute, Lena Micheel was the beneficiary of a swift counterattack down the righthand side of the pitch. Maertens added her second with a classy strike while in full forward motion. The talented player dinked the ball up and over Melanie Garcia's foot. The goal moves her to third place in the FIH Pro League top scorer's table. Spain, for their part, created plenty of chances and had a total of 14 shots on goal. While Valentin Altenburg said he was not pleased with the performance and will have plenty to work on, in terms of getting his players to keep possession of the ball and shore up their defence; for Adrian Lock, the difficulty will be unravelling why his team were unable to score depsite some quite mesmerising build-up play.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-A hesitant start by both sides saw late drama as Germany thought they had won the match before Marta Segu's goal equalled the scores and sent the game to a shoot-out at Deutscher Sportklub, Dusseldorf Germany. Germany 2-2 Spain (women-Spain win shoot-out 3-0): This was a match in which both teams showed glimpses of brilliance but also made costly errors. For the German side, it was hesitancy when on the ball that slowed their play and allowed Spain opportunities to attack. The Spanish side showed much creativity and energy, particularly in midfield, but will be looking to make more focused and aggressive forward moves in the next match – which takes place tomorrow (Wednesday 23 March). The first quarter saw most of the action taking place in the midfield, with Germany shading the possession and opportunities as the Spanish players struggled to break through the German last line of defence. Going with the run of play, Germany took the lead through Pia Maertens. Some strong stick work at the top of the circle by Anne Schröder saw the midfielder pick out Sophia Schwabe. She, in turn, flicked the ball goalwards for Maertens to scramble home. Spain's equaliser came from the quick thinking of Laura Barrios, who was the only player who didn't stop moving when umpire Celine Martin-Schmets signalled advantage. Barrios crashed the ball past Noelle Rother in the German goal. At half-time, neither Head Coach was satisfied with the teams' performances. Germany's Valentin Altenburg called for his team to show greater 'courage' as they attacked, while Adrian Lock called for Spain to play with 'more intent and purpose'. In the third quarter, Spain thought they had scored through a Maria Lopex penalty corner but the video review, called by the German team, showed the ball had hit a Spanish foot. Germany's second goal came with just four minutes left to play. Captain Sonja Zimmermann showed great individual skill to run the ball around the Spanish defensive circle and then struck it into the goal. With the clock ticking down, this looked like a German victory but Spain's Marta Segu had other ideas. The midfielder had played with creativity and energy all match and she was rewarded with the goal that gave Spain a draw. In the shoot-out Spain were clinical, scoring their first three attempts, as Germany were unable to find a way past melanie Garcia in the Spanish goal. Result: Women's Match 21 Germany 2, Spain 2 (Spain win bonus point on shoot-out 3-0) Player of the Match, Marta Segu (ESP) Umpires: Alison Keogh (IRL) Celine Martin-Schmets (BEL), Ben Goentgen (GER, Video Umpire)