Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland:-Hero (Hero MotoCorp), the world's largest manufacturer of two wheelers and a long-time partner of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and hockey in general, has been named title sponsor of the first-ever senior World Hockey5s event organised by FIH, which will take place on 4 and 5 June 2022, in Lausanne, Switzerland. ‘Hero FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2022’ will combine a thrilling competition involving some of the powerhouses of international hockey (Women: Switzerland, India, Poland, South Africa and Uruguay; Men: Switzerland, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland) with an initiation to hockey offered to the public and a musical entertainment throughout both days. Bharatendu Kabi, Hero MotoCorp, said: “Hero MotoCorp has been one of the largest corporate promoters of sports across the world. In keeping with this commitment, we are glad to support Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) in staging the inaugural Hockey 5s, a brand-new format added to the sport of Hockey. As the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, Hero has always been at the forefront of sustainable technology and innovation. We congratulate FIH for introducing a new format with a fast-paced game that involves high levels of skill and aimed at further increasing the reach and popularity of the sport. With 5s, fans around the world will get to watch a great exhibition of hockey in action over the course of two days in Lausanne in the summer.” FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “We’re delighted to have Hero as title sponsor of our inaugural Hockey5s international tournament in Lausanne. This demonstrates once more the deep commitment of Hero to be a leader in the development of hockey worldwide. FIH is determined to grow hockey globally and we’re convinced that Hockey5s has a great potential to contribute significantly to the fulfillment of this objective. It is therefore particularly encouraging to be supported in our vision by such a strong and faithful hockey partner. On behalf of FIH, I would like to extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to Hero.” In 2019, in order to further boost the development of hockey globally through Hockey5s, the FIH Executive Board decided to create an FIH Hockey5s World Cup - with the inaugural edition planned in 2024 in Oman - and, in the near future, a Hockey5s World Tour, which will consist of events similar to Lausanne’s.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Hosts Belgium defeated Pakistan 5-1 in the 3rd fixture of the ongoing Europe tour. According to the details, during the tour of Europe, the Belgian hockey team defeated the Pakistan hockey team 5-1. Belgium scored one goal in the first quarter while in the second quarter Belgium scored the second goal and took a two goal lead in the match against zero. In the second quarter Pakistan played aggressively and unfortunately lost several chances. Rizwan scored first goal for Pakistan in the third quarter with the help of a short corner. Later, Belgium scored three consecutive goals to take a 5-1 lead and win the match. The national hockey team will have a practice session in Belgium on April 30 and will leave for Spain on May 1 to play a two-match series against the Spanish team. The national team will return home on May 5.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan hockey team defeated hosts Netherlands 5-3 in their 1st match of Europe tour, as Rizwan was the star after scoring three goals to make a hat trick. According to the media department of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Green Shirts overcame Netherlands 5-3 in the first match on the tour of Europe. At the beginning of the game, Pakistan's Ijaz scored a goal to give his team 1-0 lead. Hosts Netherlands scored two goals in a row to take a one goal lead. The second match of Pakistan's tour of Europe will be played on April 27 against the Netherlands in Breda.

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 LAHORE:-The National Selection Committee (NSC) of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) named the 20-man squad for the upcoming Europe tour, as Umer Bhutta would be the skipper of national Pakistan hockey team. According to an official of PHF, the team will be headed by Umar Bhutta, whereas Ali Shan will vice-captain. The duties of goalkeepers will be performed by Mohammad Akmal and Abdullah Ishtiaq. For the tour, the other players comprised Mubashir Ali, Amad Shakeel Butt, Abubakar Mahmood, Mohammad Abdullah, Moin Shakeel, Umar Bhutta, Ali Shan, Rana Abdul Waheed, Ghazanfar Ali and Ajaz Ahmad. Besides this, Hammad Anjum, Junaid Manzoor, Salman Raziq, Roman Khan, Abdul Hannan Shahid, Abdul Mannan, Arbaz Ali and Rizwan Ali are also part of the team for the European tour. Olympian Khawaja Junaid will be the team manager, while Siegfried Aikman will be the head coach. The national hockey team will be headed to Holland and will play one match each with Holland and Belgium, respectively. The team will also take on the Belgium hockey team in three matches.

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 Potchefstroom (South Africa):-Netherlands have won the title of FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup after beating Germany 3-1 in the final at North West University Potchefstroom, South Africa on April 12, 2022. Netherlands beat Germany 3-1 (Final for Gold Medal): Coming into this game, Netherlands had scored 46 goals and conceded none. Germany, by contrast, had lost a pool match but had used that as a springboard to get better with every game. The question was whether the German side had what it takes to breach the Dutch defence. The need to find a way to score against Netherlands increased when Danique van der Veerdonk sent a magnificent drag flick penalty corner past Mali Wichmann in the German goal. The goal came after a sustained period of pressure by the team in orange on the German defence. As the half progressed, Germany withstood a period of play where the Netherlands just didn’t let up possession. The team in white looked to be run ragged as they chased the ball around the pitch. However, as the half counted down, the German resistance paid off and they started to make in-roads of their own. The final action of the half saw the Netherlands defence being asked questions for perhaps the first time this tournament. And finally it happened! The 200th game of this tournament and the first against the Netherlands was scored by Germany’s Sophia Schwabe. This followed a period of confident and aggressive hockey from the German players. The scores remained even for two minutes before Tessa Beetsma was able to restore her team’s lead. Maria Steensma worked the ball down the baseline and slipped it goalwards. Beetsma needed no second invite to flick it home. It was Beetsma again just 10 minutes later. The ever excellent Noor Omrani ran down the baseline and her cross found Beetsma waiting in the circle. Not even Wichmann could stop the sharp shooter from scoring her second and Netherlands’ third. In the final quarter, Germany threw absolutely everything at the Netherlands but the entire team in orange dug deep and defended as well as they attacked. This was a final with class written all over it, but in the end, there was only really one winner. Tessa Beetsma: ‘It was an incredible game and we had to fight against Germany. The defence were great today. My teammates make the goals. I am looking for the goal chance in the six metre area in front of goal. Netherlands Head Coach Dave Smolenaars said: The girls worked so hard against very good opponents. I couldn’t be more happy for the progress and the development. We conceded one goal, but we wold have liked to have kept it to zero.’ His counterpart, the German Head Coach Akim Bouchouchi said: ’We are proud of the medal but we wanted to win this match. We were too nervous in the first half. Congratulations to Netherlands, they really worked hard for it. We had some chances but we didn’t have the final knockout blow to get the goals we needed. We needed momentum and we didn’t get it.’ England vs India 2-2 (England win shoot-out 3-0 to earn 3 place): Early pressure from India signalled their intent to win their final match but two penalty corner attempts from Deepika were well saved by Mila Welch and it was clear that England had brought their own A game to this encounter. The quarter batted back and forth with neither side able to get the first breakthrough. England had one shot just ahead of the whistle for the end of the first quarter through Claudia Swain but the shot flew high over Devi Kharibam’s goal. It was England who were the first to break the deadlock. Captain Millie Giglio took the ball into the India circle and her shot bobbled in front of Devi Kharibam. The ‘keeper will be annoyed that she didn’t clear it and the ball trickled over her line. India responded well and three minutes later Mumtaz Khan scored her sixth goal of the tournament when she followed up on an initial shot that had been saved by Welch. The game continued in the same vein, with India just shading possession but England’s defence putting in some great tackles. Beauty Dung Dung had a golden opportunity to put India ahead but her shot was charged down by Welch. Then Giglio came close to adding to her first goal but her shot was well-saved by Kharibam. The third quarter was equally evenly matched and neither side really created any clear chances. Two different styles of play were in evidence. India were looking to play the ball through midfield, while England were building up attacks along the right and left hand side of the pitch. What was very similar was the quality of both defensive units. The next goal came in the 47th minute and was a hammer blow to the hard-working England team. Mumtaz Khan scored her seventh of the tournament after a rebound fell to her and she was able to slam it home. England removed their goalkeeper with six minutes still left on the clock and this gave the team an advantage that they finally made pay when Claudia Swain was able to latch onto a cross from Maddie Axford. This sent the game to shoot-out and England were faultless as their first three players all scored. Evie Wood in the England goal was able to block all three India attempts. The result was the reverse of the 2013 bronze medal match when India beat England on a penalty shoot-out. Player of the Match Maddie Axford said: ‘'That was an amazing feeling, I can't believe it. i’m so happy for the group. Everyone put such a shift in. Everyone held their own and we didn't give up to the end.’ England captain Milli Giglio said: ‘Not only are we the youngest team ever to participate for England at this level but we have just made history because we’ve never won a medal at this level. We came together two months ago, brand new team and brand new people and we smashed it.’ England’s Head Coach Simon Letchford said: ‘Firstly, very well played to India, it is harsh to lose in that way. From our perspective, every game we have learnt from.’ A disappointed Erik Wonink said: The match only counts what the score was. I think the girls did develop greatly over the tournament and made huge improvement and great steps. Now we hand them over to the next teams.’ India captain Salima said: ‘We are very disappointed to have lost and it was hard luck today but well done to England and we are still good. Next time we will try to do even better.’ The match means England have achieved their highest finish at a Junior World Cup. India finish in fourth place. South Africa beat 3-2 (7-8th place): Early pressure from South Africa saw the host nation earn a penalty corner in the opening minutes of the match. Seconds later USA striker Hope Rose was firing at the South African goal after a swift counter-attack. All the signs were there that this was going to be a great 60 minutes of hockey in the opening match on finals day. South Africa took the lead through Bianca Wood. The forward hadn’t really found her groove during this tournament but when she latched onto a Kayla de Vaal cross and fired home, we saw a glimpse of the South African’s skill and strength. The host nation doubled their lead in the 12th minute when Jean-Leigh du Toit was able to show her ability from the top of the circle. Her drag-flick gave Annabel Skubisz no chance of making a save. Despite being 2-0 down, the USA were far from out of this game. The dangerous trio of Charlotte de Vries, Ashley Tessa and Hope Rose always looked capable of creating chances when they went on the attack. It was vitally important for USA to get on the score-card if they were to challenge for the seventh place but early in the second half South Africa spoiled that ambition with their third of the match. Tamla Kock created the goal with a lovely jinking move past the USA defenders, before she hit the ball across the circle. Mikkela le Roux got the final touch, which tipped the ball past Skubisz. A three-goal cushion allowed South Africa to play with far more freedom than their opponents in the early stages of the second half. The team in green were running with the ball confidently and playing with real enjoyment. All that changed in the 38th minute when Josie Varney won the ball in midfield and dashed to the South African circle. Her reverse stick shot wrong-footed Mishka Ellis and suddenly USA were back in the game. USA’s second goal came from the quick reactions of Abigail Tamer. The USA built patiently up their right-hand side of the pitch and the ball eventually pinged loose in the South African circle. Tamer pounced and the ball squeezed past Amelie Claasen in the South Africa goal. It was a grandstand finish as the USA sought the equaliser and South Africa endured nervous moments as the team in red tried everything in the coaching manual to get back on terms. The final whistle was met by relief and then joy by South Africa as they finished in seventh position, the team’s best position since 2001 when they finished sixth. Player of the Match was South Africa’s Edith Molikoe: The athlete had played a quietly dominant role in midfield throughout the match. She said: ‘The girls put a lot of effort into this match and we wanted to finish on a high. This was probably our best performance of the tournament. After this, some of us will be preparing for the Women’s World Cup and the Commonwealth Games later this year. A lot of youngsters watching will see this as a moment of history. The next generation will see this and want to do better, so the next team can finish top three.’ South Africa Head Coach Lenise Marais said: ‘We had some moments where we really dominated and thankfully we scored three goals. We wanted to kill the game off with a fourth goal and we didn’t but our defence held out for us. At the start of the tournament we wanted to get through to the top eight, which we did. And we wanted to finish with a win, that was important.’ Tracey Paul, Head Coach to USA said: ‘Losing is always disappointing but finishing in the top eight is an achievement. Credit to South Africa, they played a hard, tough tournament. I have seen a lot of growth among our players and we have a lot of rising stars. It was a fantastic experience. ‘ USA’s captain Kayla Blas said: ‘As the USA, we really don’t give up and that was really noticeable today. This Junior World Cup has been a fantastic experience, playing against world class opponents day in, day out was really something exceptional.’ South Africa finished the competition in seventh place, their best finish since 2001. For USA, an eighth place finish mirrors their achievements in 2016. Argentina beat Korea 10-0 (5-6th place): In the pool match earlier in the competition, Argentina won 2-0 against Korea. For this final match Head Coach Fernando Ferrara would have urged his players to really pressure the Korea goal and finish the competition playing the sort of hockey they are capable of but haven’t shown regularly at this tournament. The athletes answered his call. At the end of the first quarter Argentina had dominated play but, despite several attempts, the South American side were only 1-0 ahead - via a goal that was scored by Maria Adorno. The forward received the ball from Daiana Pacheco and turned it past Lee Seoyeon, the Korea goalkeeper, with all the crafty stick work we have come to expect of her. Argentina doubled their lead two minutes into the second quarter. Sofia Cairo was the scorer after umpire Wanri Venter played a great advantage and Cairo was able to lift the ball over Lee Seoyeon for her first goal of the tournament. For their part, the Korea side were very much playing a defensive game. Much of the game was taking place in the Korea half of the pitch and the Asian side seemed to be patiently waiting for a moment to counter attack. The Asian team’s task got tougher when Sol Pagella scored a third goal just ahead of half time. Her goal was almost inevitable as Las Leoncitas piled one wave of pressure after another on the Korea defence. The fourth goal came after a lull in goalmouth action for the first part of the second half. Argentina had been patiently playing the ball around the pitch, moving closer and closer to the Korea circle. Then, when the gap opened, Cairo was able to drive forwards and Paula Santamarina was on hand to strike the ball home. With a four goal cushion, Argentina were able to play more expansive hockey and the fifth goal came from a fantastic ball out of defence. That was played with precision from the midfield into the circle and Maria Cerundolo was able to finish the move off in style. Korea were now totally vanquished and just a few seconds after goal five, Catalina Andrada was able to make it six with Argentina’s first penalty corner goal of the match. Argentina continued to play their compelling style of attacking hockey and Korea just had no answer to the onslaught. The seventh goal was scored by Daiana Pacheco. A deserving reward for her energetic and hard-working performance. Lee Seoyeon continued to stand up to the endless stream of Argentina attacks but she had no answer to Brisa Brugesser as she shot fiercely for goal eight. Paula Santamarina scored her second when she was given space to turn and shoot and an unmarked Victoria Manuela brought up the tenth goal. Player of the Match Paula Santamarina said: ‘We are very happy that we won but most importantly we are happy because we played our style of hockey in this match. I had a lovely time here in South Africa. It was my first international tournament and it has been fantastic experience.’ A delighted Argentina Head Coach, Fernando Ferrara said: ’I am very happy because the players were good today. They played very fluid hockey. For us it has been a good experience, it was nice to be in beautiful South Africa.’ Head Coach of Korea You Moon Ki said: ‘Our last match was against a very strong Argentina and my players were very tired. We will take what we have learnt back to Korea and that will help our preparations for the next Junior World Cup.’ Individual Awards Top Scorer: Jip Dicke (NED) - Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Mali Wichmann (GER) Player of the Tournament: Stine Kurz (GER)