Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Another action packed day has revealed the first two teams to qualify straight through to the quarter-finals. As winners of Pool A and D respectively, Netherlands and Australia will now have a break while the knockout round is contested. As second in Pool A, Germany will face South Africa, who finished in third position in Pool D. The lowest ranked team in the tournament, Chile, will take on Belgium, who finished in second place in Pool D. Ireland's dreams of repeating their 2018 exploits was dashed by a businesslike performance by Germany. Netherlands won their third game to top Pool A but Chile won the hearts of the spectators – and in the case of Francisca Tala, a marriage proposal from her boyfriend –  with their defiant performance against the reigning champions. South Africa kept Australia to a 2-1 scoreline, thus consigning Japan to join Ireland in the 13-16th place play-offs. The Cherry Blossoms had fallen victim to a revitalised Belgium earlier in the day. Germany beat Ireland 3-0(Pool A) Ireland went into their must-win match against Germany full of energy, high spirits and an indomitable will to keep their World Cup dreams on track. For their part, Germany's main concern was to ensure at least a second place finish in the pool and to put their earlier defeat at the hands of the Netherlands behind them. From the start, Ireland's captain Katy Mullan was leading by example, hassling and harrying the German defence, but Germany started with composure, both in attack and defence. Neither side managed to get a breakthrough in the first quarter and, in fact, there were only three attempts at goal in the first 15 minutes – one for Ireland and two for Germany. The breakthrough came for Germany in the 24th minute. Nike Lorenz showed her accuracy and power from the top of the circle as she sent a penalty corner drag flick flying into the net, helped on its way by the tip of Ayeisha McFerran's boot. Ireland began the second half as brightly as they had started the first half, but once again they failed to make chances count. Gemany extended their lead in the 37th minute when Charotte Stapenhorst was on hand to slot the ball home after Kira Horn had cleverly slipped the ball to her after a strong dribble along the baseline. Head Coach Sean Dancer removed Ayeisha McFerran for the start of the fourth quarter in an attempt to gain an advantage and pull the goals back. Zara Malseed came close to answering Dancer's call but her shot was beautifully saved by Nathalie Kubalski in the German goal. The Irish defence stood very strong against the German onslaught and managed to keep a handful of penalty corners out of the goal. However, a penalty stroke put the final tick on a German victory. Sonja Zimmermann stepped up to put the ball past McFerran, who had returned to the pitch for the stroke. Germany had one stroke saved at the very end of the match but by then it was all over for the Irish team. Belgium beat Japan 3-0 (Pool D) The first quarter between Japan and Belgium was really well matched and both teams could have snuck an early goal. However, at 15 minutes it was still 0-0 and there was a sense of edginess creeping into the Belgium team in particular. This manifested itself in a number of missed opportunities or poor decisions across the team. The nerves were settled a little in the 24th minute when Stephanie Vanden Borre scored a trademark penalty corner drag flick, which was so quick that Eika Nakamura couldn't react. That was the only goal before half-time and the narrow lead still didn't seem to have filled the Red Panthers with confidence. Japan desperately needed a goal, because even if they couldn't win this game, they could still finish ahead of South Africa if the goal difference was favourable. Belgium's lead was doubled by Vanden Borre in the 40th minute, almost a mirror of the first. Super skills from Charlotte Engelbert won the corner and Vanden Borre scored her fourth of the tournament and second of the game. Belgium's lead was extended four minutes later when Ambre Ballenghein made it 3-0, also scoring from a penalty corner. All of Belgium's penalty corner goals were scored in Japan's left hand corner of the goal. As heavy rain poured down in Terrassa, there were no further goals although Belgium's Louise Versavel in particular was pushing hard to add to the scoreline. Netherlands beat Chile 3-1 (Pool B) It was the team ranked number one in the world against the team ranked 15th but Chile took to the pitch determined not to let the occasion overwhelm them. Chile's task was made a shade harder because captain Camila Caram had received a one-match ban and so was watching the match unfold from the stands. And she would have been delighted with her team's performance in the opening half of the match. The Chile defence, bolstered by a courageous goalkeeping display from Claudia Schuler, kept the Netherlands at bay until the 14th minute. A rebound from a Frederique Matla penalty corner was tapped in by Lidewij Welten to send the home side into the break 1-0 up. After the break the Netherlands continued to pile on the pressure, with Felice Albers and Matla among the Dutch players causing problems for Chile. However, the South American side refused to read the script and in the 21st minute Francisca Tala received a beautiful pass from Paula Valvida right in front of the Netherlands' goal. She made no mistake as she sent the ball past Anne Veenendaal. The Dutch continued to push forwards from that point, but found the Chile defence in determined mood and at the half-way mark the scores were level. The Netherlands came out with huge intensity and nearly went ahead within two minutes of the restart. Xan de Waard struck a shot at goal. Natalia Salvador, who had replaced Schuler in goal, saved the first shot and then recovered to also save Maria Verschoor's rebounded shot. It took until three minutes from the end of the third quarter for the Dutch to regain the lead. Yibbi Jansen was the architect of the goal. Her perfectly placed shot was so hard that, although Salvador got a stick to it, it just kept travelling. In the fourth quarter, the Dutch hit the next gear as they went for the goal that would give them air between them and their opponents. Xan de Waard sped up the pitch with the ball before releasing it to Jansen. She fired it into the circle and Maria Verschoor connected, only to find Salvador in her way. A penalty corner from Jansen was well saved again by Salvador but then the crowd erupted when Laurien Leurink sent a pass to Eve de Goede and she scored her first goal since her return from long-term injury. The goal itself was a thing of beauty: de Geode took the ball wide and then struck a reverse stick shot high into the Chile goal. Australia beat South Africa 2-1(Pool D) On the day Mariah Williams celebrated her 100th cap, Australia and South Africa engaged in a fast, frenetic and entertaining match. Ahead of the game, Australia needed just a draw to win the pool, while South Africa could not afford to lose by a three goal margin as that would mean Japan would take third place in the pool. Australia took the lead in the eighth minute through a powerful penalty corner strike from Penny Squibb. This was after a number of acrobatic saves from South Africa's goalkeeper Phumelela Mbande but even she couldn't keep Sqibb's shot out. Five minutes later and it was South Africa's turn to make a penalty corner count. The corner was won through the sheer determination of Onthatile Zulu, who was causing mayhem in the Australia circle with her speedy, darting movements. Lilian du Plessis delivered the shot that squeezed past Jocelyn Bartram in the Australia goal. In the second quarter Australia began to turn the screw on the South Africa defence. Rosie Malone missed the goal from close range but made up for the error seconds later when she unerringly struck a rebounded penalty corner after Grace Stewart had hit the post. The second half saw Australia start sharply, with Rebecca Greiner in particular piling on the pressure. Unfortunately Greiner was a little too exuberant and received a green card but her team mates continued to push forwards and Hannah Cullum-Sanders won her team a penalty stroke when she was fouled on route to goal. Williams, perhaps conscious that this was her 100th cap, stepped up to take the stroke but put the ball wide.  Despite their domination of possession and a higher number of penalty corner opportunities, Australia were unable to find team connections so, while South Africa couldn't find the net, for the sake of their goal difference, they didn't concede any goals either. The early stages of the final quarter was driven by South Africa. They won a penalty corner, which was well cleared and then the best chance of the final quarter fell to Bernadette Coston. The captain was perfectly positioned in front of the Hockeyroos' goal but she just failed to connect to the cross from Jean-Leigh du Toit.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Chile’s captain Camila Caram has been suspended for one match for having breached the FIH Code of Conduct (Appendix 4 of the FIH Tournament Regulations for the FIH Hockey Women´s World Cup 2022; 2.2.f: „Reckless physical contact between players in the course of play“) in the 57th minute of today’s match between Ireland and Chile. The player was given the possibility to express her views of the incident at a hearing conducted by FIH Assistant Technical Delegate Christian Deckenbrock, who is in charge of Disciplinary matters for the matches taking place in the Wagener Stadium. It’s worth noting that Camila Caram’s attitude at the hearing was very good. Chile’s captain will miss her team’s next match vs the Netherlands scheduled on 6 July.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Lausanne, Switzerland: Nerves were fully on display in the fourth day of Women's World Cup action in Amstelveen and Terrassa. In the opening match, Chile won a war of attrition with Ireland to record their first ever World Cup win. The next match was a clash between two teams who couldn't be separated as China and India played out a high tempo game that only produced two goals but was a fascinating encounter from start to finish. If the first two matches were tense, the third match, between Japan and South Africa was thrilling as the African team, led by Onathatile Zulu, completed a great escape after going three-nil down in the first half. New Zealand went into a 3-1 lead over England and held onto that lead with a defiant display of defending. And in the final match of the day Australia stunned Belgium with two quick goals that took the Red Panthers by surprise. Pools: Pool A: Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Chile Pool B: England, New Zealand, India, China Pool C: Argentina, Spain, Korea, Canada Pool D: Australia, Belgium, Japan, South Africa FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Results: Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED) Match #12 Ireland 0, Chile 1 Player of the Match: Manuela Urroz (CHI) Umpires: Ivona Makar (CRO), Wanri Venter (RSA), Annelize Rostron (RSA-video) Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED) Match #13 India 1, China 1 Player of the Match: Katariya Vandana (IND) Umpires: Aleisha Neumann (AUS), Kang Hyun Young (KOR) Irene Presenqui (ARG - video) Estadi Olimpic de Terrasa (ESP) Match #14 Japan 3, South Africa 3 Player of the Match: Onthatile Zulu (RSA) Umpires: Catalina Montesino (CHI), Cookie Tan (SGP), Michele Meister (GER- video) Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED) Match #15 England 1, New Zealand 3 Player of the Match: Katie Doar (NZL) Umpires: Maggie Giddens (USA), Emi Yamada (JPN), Laurine Delforge (BEL-video) Estadi Olimpic de Terrasa (ESP) Match #16 Belgium 0, Australia 2 Player of the Match: Stephanie Kershaw (AUS) Umpires:  Kelly Hudson (NZL), Hannah Harrison (ENG) Michi Meister (GER-video)

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne (Switzerland):-Emotions ran high on the second day of action at the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup. Head Coach to Chile, Sergio Vigil fought back tears as his team lined up for their first ever World Cup appearance; Eva de Goede was visibly moved as her dream of a fourth World Cup came true, despite months away from the game through injury. On the pitch there was also no lack of drama and emotion. New Zealand returned to international action with a solid draw against China. Olivia Merry was on the scoresheet, demonstrating that she has lost none of her fire power that we saw in previous pre-Covid years. The second match saw Chile make their debut on the World Cup stage. Although the Diablas lost to Die Danas, they won a lot of fans – both for their pacy play and for the passion shown by the team and their animated Head Coach. The next match saw a masterclass in penalty corner striking from Agustina Gorzelany as Argentina broke down a resilient Korea defence to start their campaign in some style. Reigning champions Netherlands got off to a cracking start as they put paid to gallant Ireland, two of the goals scored by Frederique Matla from penalty strokes. The final match of the day saw the re-emergence of Australia and Japan, both of whom have not figured much on the international stage in recent months. It took until the 56th minute for a breakthrough to come as Australia finally made goalmouth pressure count. Pools: Pool A: Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Chile Pool B: England, New Zealand, India, China Pool C: Argentina, Spain, Korea, Canada Pool D: Australia, Belgium, Japan, South Africa Results (July 2, 2022): Estadi Olimpic de Terrassa, Spain Match #2 New Zealand 2, China 2 Player of the Match: Hope Ralph (NZL) Umpires: Laurine Delforge (BEL), Wanri Venter (RSA), Maggie Giddens (USA - video) Wagener Stadium, Netherlands Match #3 Germany 4, Chile 1 Player of the Match: Charlotte Stapenhorst (GER) Umpires: Ivona Makar (CRO), Emi Yamada (JPN), Annelize Rostron (RSA - Video) Estadi Olimpic de Terrassa, Spain Match #4 Argentina 4, Korea 0 Player of the Match: Maria Granatto (ARG) Umpires: Michelle Meister (GER), Alison Keogh (IRL), Hannah Harrison (ENG - video) Wagener Stadium, Netherlands Match #5 Netherlands 5, Ireland 1 Player of the Match: Sabine Plonissen (NED) Umpires: Maggie Giddens (USA), Kang Hyun Young KOR), Laurine Delforge (BEL - video) Estadi Olimpic de Terrassa, Spain Match #6 Australia 2, Japan 0 Player of the Match: Mariah Williams (AUS) Umpires: Cookie Tan (SGP), Kelly Hudson (NZL) Sarah Wilson (SCO - video)

Sports Bulletin Report Terrassa (Spain):-Co-hosts Spain became the first nation to win points in the 15th FIH Women's World Cup when they won the opening match on home turf at the Estadi Olimpic de Terrassa, Spain on Friday. The magnificent venue, which has such a tradition in hockey, hosted the showpiece opening match between Spain and Canada. The Pool C match saw the host nation, who are ranked eighth in the FIH World Rankings, put in a dominant first half performance to beat Canada (WR:12) by a convincing 4-1 score-line. Spain beat Canada 4-1 Spain broke the deadline after just five minutes when Belen Iglesias scored from a rebound off a penalty corner. There was quite a goalmouth scramble before Iglesias was able to tip the ball home and Canada's goalkeeper Rowan Harris will be annoyed that her defenders didn't clear the danger ball earlier. It was no less than Spain deserved as they dominated the first 15 minutes. The Red Sticks doubled their lead in the 21st minute when Gine Xantal sent home a sweetly-struck hard shot that nestled in the corner of Canada's goal. Canada created their own chance. Hannah Haughn, who has recently returned from injury, was able to weave her way through the Spanish defence but couldn't find the final touch to trouble Melabnia Garcia in the Spanish goal.  Five minutes later and Spain were back on the attack with yet another penalty corner. This time it was captain Maria Lopez who found a way past the Canada defence. Her hard shot took a deflection off the number one runner for Canada. The fouth goal was a fabulous demonstration of fast hands and quick thinking. Georgina Oliva picked a perfect pass from close to the sideline to Begona Garcia who was waiting in the circle. Garcia shifted her position slightly to evade the defenders and guided the ball past Harris. Following the dominant performance by the Spanish in the first half, the second half can be claimed by Canada. Spain continued to press and create chances but were unable to find a way through the Canadian defence. Canada, for their part, showed the defiant resilience for which they are renown. Goalkeeper Harris will be pleased with some of the athletic saves she pulled off in the second half. Canada were rewarded for their efforts with a goal in the 57th minute by Karli Johansen as she slipped the ball through the legs of Jana Martinez. Natalie Sourisseau did the hard work to win the penalty corner from which Johansen found the back of the net. Player of the Match, Georgina Oliva, said: 'We knew the first match was important because we can be nervous, particularly in front of a home crowd. Now we must stick to our plan and play match by match and then other results will come.' Pools: Pool A: Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Chile Pool B: England, New Zealand, India, China Pool C: Argentina, Spain, Korea, Canada Pool D: Australia, Belgium, Japan, South Africa Results (match-1): Spain beat Canada 4-1 Player of the Match: Georgina Oliva (ESP) Umpires: Hannah Harrison (ENG, Ayanna McClean (TTO), Kelly Hudson (NZL - video)

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne (Switzerland):-In exactly one month, on July 1, the best players in the world will start the greatest show amongst the women’s events organised under the banner of the International Hockey Federation (FIH): the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup! The 15th edition of FIH’s flagship event will be staged in Terrassa, Spain, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Terrassa Olympic Stadium was the hockey venue for the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992. The Wagener Stadium, located in Amstelveen, on the outskirts of Amsterdam, has hosted numerous top-flight matches including World Cups, European Championships or FIH Hockey Pro League encounters. Pool A: Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Chile Pool B: England, New Zealand, India, China Pool C: Argentina, Spain, Korea, Canada Pool D: Australia, Belgium, Japan, South Africa

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)

Sports Bulletin Report Potchefstroom (South Africa):-Germany and Netherlands reached in the final of FIH Junior Women’s World Cup 2022 after beating England 8-0 and India 3-0 respectively in the semifinals at North West University Potchefstroom South Africa. Final will be played on April 12 at the same venue. Argentina beat USA 2-0 (5-8th place): USA were seeking to overturn history as the two Pan Am teams had met four times before at a Junior World Cup and had never managed to beat their South American rivals in this competition. The first 10 minutes saw the two teams trading blow for blow. USA midfielder Kathryn Peterson  was instrumental in driving her team forward, seeking to link up with the talented strike force of Ashley Sessa and Hope Rose. However, it was Argentina who created the better opportunities, putting USA goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz to the test. The Leonacitas thought they had taken the lead when Valentina Raposo found the back of the net with a penalty corner but it was disallowed. USA Head Coach Tracey Paul called for her team to take shots earlier and as the second quarter started  Lauren Wadas answered the call with a great strike that put Lourdes Perez in the Argentina goal under pressure for the first time. It was Argentina who broke the deadlock. For most of the quarter, the USA defence had stood tall in the face of Argentina’s attacking skills, but they couldn’t avoid conceding a penalty corner in the 23rd minute. This time there was no doubt as Juliana Guggini struck the ball past Skubisz. With USA chasing Argentina’s slender lead, the quality of Argentina’s defence was really highlighted. Time and again, the energetic and willing USA athletes tried to find a way past the blue and white wall but there was no way through. When in possession, Argentina’s players passed the ball with great speed and precision as they sought to wear the USA side down by moving the ball around the field. No less impressive was the USA defence at the other end of the pitch. As Brisa Bruggesser and Daiana Pacheco threw everything into scoring a second goal, Skubisz and her defence were faultless in their bravery and positioning. The game was put beyond doubt with a piece of sheer class from Daiana Pacheo. The midfielder turned on the turbo chargers as she raced from her defensive quarter to the USA circle. Her pass found Victoria Manuele who made no mistake to double her team’s lead. With five minutes left on the clock, USA Coach Paul removed Skubisz from the goal and USA went on all out attack. Showing great game management, Argentina dealt with the extra field player well and USA were once more unable to find a Junior World Cup victory over their South American rivals. South Korea beat South Africa 1-0 (5-8th place): The host nation got off to a sparkling start determined to give the supporters something to cheer in the rainy weather. A penalty corner in the third minute just flew wide but South Africa had showed their intent to play a high tempo, attacking form of hockey. Not to be outdone, minutes later Korea won their own penalty corner opportunity. Captain Kim Seona’s shot, like that of her South African counterpart, was just wide of Mishka Ellis’s post. With just a minute left, South Africa had another penalty corner and this time the variation from Hanrie Louw went wide of the other post. The deadlock was broken through a lovely piece of play from Korea. The goal was scored against the run of play but demonstrated how a swift counter-attack can turn a game on its head. The goal was scored by Choi Nurim but was crafted by Park Yeongeun, who played the most beautiful pass into Choi’s path, putting the striker into a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. South Africa tried to come straight back but Jenri Thomas’s attempt at a deflection was well saved by Kim Eunji in the Korea goal. As the third quarter counted down, South Africa turned up the heat on Korea with wave after wave of attacks. Korea struggled to contain the speedy running of Onthatile Zulu and Tamlyn Kock but the home side were not able to cap off some fine build up play with a goal. And so, with 15 minutes left, South Africa set about scoring the all important equaliser, pummelling at the strong and disciplined Korea defence. There will be South African players who replay in their mind the missed opportunities that followed, both from open play and numerous penalty corners. the final statistics showed that South Africa had 28 circle penetrations and 16 shots with no goals scored. South Africa’s skipper Zulu was ceaselessly energetic as she used her pace to ghost past the Korea players but, even reduced to 10 players when Kim Seona received a yellow card, the team in red presented a wall that was proved unbreachable. Netherlands beat India 3-0 India (Semifinal): The top four goalscorer thus far in the competition were on the pitch for this game, so the spectators could have been forgiven for anticipating a goal-fest. However, the two teams involved have also been the meanest when it comes to conceding goals. Prior to today’s fixture, the Dutch had gone four hours to this point without giving a goal away, while India had conceded just two goals in the four previous matches. It was a wonderful start to the game. Mumtaz Khan nearly gave India the dream start as she received the ball from Tete Salima and saw her resulting shot strike Sophie ter Kuile’s goalpost. Just minutes later Jip Dicke uncharacteristically missed the ball when faced with a clear scoring opportunity after Noor Omrani sent a lovely ball through to the sharp shooter. India continued to press forwards with real intensity but then the Dutch did what they do brilliantly. The ball was picked up in defence and 18 swift passes later it was in the back of the India net. The final moves involved a one-two from Luna Fokke to Noor Omrani and onto Tessa Beetsma. Beetsma made no mistake as she shot past Devi Kharibam in the India goal. Beetsma thought she had scored again just seconds later by some great umpiring by Rebecca Woodcock detected the use of the back of the stick and the scores remained at 1-0. Possession then batted back and forth, with India causing more problems in 30 minutes than the team in orange had faced all tournament. However, during his half-time talk, India Head Coach Erik Wonink would have been urging his players to push harder to turn chances to goals. The second half saw the Netherlands begin to push their foot down a little more. The difference between the team in orange and all other teams in Potchefstroom is the speed and accuracy with which they pass the ball; as the second half progressed, India were feeling the full force of the Dutch passing game. In the third quarter, the Netherlands created several early chances to put the game out of reach. Luna Fokke, Rosa Fernig and Mette Winter all had good scoring opportunities but India somehow managed to clear their circle and keep their opponents in sight. Priyanka was particularly strong at the heart of the India defence. And so with 15 minutes left, the game was still wide open. India’s speedy counter attack was always going to pose a threat to the Netherlands and so there was a lot of high tension around the pitch. The match was put to bed in the final seven minutes of the game as the Netherlands scored two goals of sublime quality. First Noor Omrani showed great vision to send a cross field pass to Luna Fokke, who used her own body movement to receive the ball and put away the shot. Germany beat England 8-0 (Semifinal): Germany got off to the dream start in the second semi-final of the day when they scored an early penalty corner goal. The goal was created and scored by Verena Neumann who ran the ball into the circle to win the penalty corner and was then the beneficiary of a penalty corner variation, which saw the ball played back to her as the injector. She stooped low to sweep the ball into the net. England were left stunned just two minutes later when Germany doubled their lead through a fantastically taken drag flick from Stine Kurz. Two penalty corner goals meant the England defence were nervous about conceding another corner. A reluctance to make a tackle would explain why Jette Fleschütz was able to run through the defence and pop the ball past Mila Welch in the England goal to give her side a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead after 15 minutes. Pauline Heinz increased England’s pain in the second quarter. England had started to make their own in-roads, with Sophia Martin making a great interception but unable to finish with a goal. However, Germany went on a counter attack which saw Julie Bleuel drive forwards before slipping the ball to Sara Strauss. Strauss’s shot rebounded to Pauline Heinz, who was able to fire the ball home, much to the dismay of the England team. Germany’s conversion rates from penalty corners continued to impress as they added to the scoreboard with a third penalty corner from just five attempts. Verena Neumann was able to repeat her first goal as the penalty corner was played back to her as she moved from the injection point towards the goal. Neumann scored her hat-trick a minute later when she latched onto a shot into the circle and just did enough to wrong foot Evie Wood who had replaced Mila Welch in the England goal.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Austria and Ireland leave it late to score winners, while Uruguay end Canada’s Junior World Cup journey. An energetic second half from Uruguay ended Canada’s Junior World Cup journey, while Austria and Ireland continued to enjoy beginners’ luck as the two debutant nations will now compete for a ninth place finish. The European team’s defeats of Korea and Malaysia respectively means the two Asian sides will be battling for eleventh place. Uruguay beat Canada 4-1 (13-15th place): After a first 30 minutes that saw these two Pan Am nations testing each other out, the match burst into life when Uruguay took a grasp of the match in the opening minutes of the second half. Pilar Oliveros opened the South American team’s account with a well-struck penalty corner and that body blow to the Canadian team was repeated three minutes later when Elisa Civetta scored the first of two goals. It was Civetta again in the 46th minute, when Uruguay won a penalty stroke. The in-form midfielder stepped up and struck the ball home sweetly. The game was put totally out of Canada’s reach in the final five minutes of the match as Manuela Vidal was able to latch onto a good pass and fire it home past Ishaval Sekhon to make it 4-0. Canada scored a consolation goal in the final minute of the game when Jenna Berger was able to find the back of the net after some good build-up play. Austria beat Zimbabwe 1-0 (9-12th place matches): The opening quarter was very much Austria’s in terms of possession as the European team seemed to have a better structure and focus in this match to decide who would play for 13-14th place. However, when it came to converting those chances, Austria just couldn’t find their way past Jenna Mathieson in the Zimbabwe goal. The closest opportunity fell to Nathalie Matousek, whose good work was spoilt when she flicked the ball straight at the keeper. With seconds left, Johanna Czech sent a penalty corner shot just past the goalpost. In the second quarter, the game evened out as Zimbabwe began to find their place on the pitch. Alexi Terreblanche was proving a stabilising force in midfield and some good running attacks were mounted on the back of her performance. Unfortunately for the African team, the forwards were not able to find a way into their opponent’s circle. During the half-time team talks, both Head Coaches asked their players to reduce the amount of turnovers and to be more efficient in the circle. Certainly Zimbabwe started in sparkling fashion. Within seconds they had broken through the Austrian defence and had their first meaningful shot. There was no score but it certainly signalled a higher level of intent. As the game continued with no goals being scored, frustration began to creep into both team’s performance. Austria’s Fiona Felber went on a  mazy run that earns her team a penalty corner, but once again Mathieson was able to watch the ball fly wide. The deadlock was finally broken in the 54th minute when Katharina Bauer pounced on a ball that had bobbled off a Zimbabwe stick. She took the ball wide on her reverse, which gave her space to fire home and give her side an all important goal. Once they had the goal, Austria showed their ability to manage a game well as they kept Zimbabwe’s desperate measures to equalise at bay. Ireland beat Malaysia 2-1 (9-12th place): This match started at a quick pace, with both sides showing full intent. Malaysia won an early penalty corner but Ireland’s swift count attack saw Christina Hamill race the length of the pitch before being dispossessed in the Malaysian circle. Ireland then won their own series of penalty corner opportunities, but like their Asian opponents, the players in green were unable to convert. That changed in the 13th minute when yet another speedy Irish counter attack saw Yasmin Pratt race into the Malaysia circle and slip the ball to Rachel Kelly who was on hand to strike the ball home to give Ireland a 1-0 lead. In the second quarter Ireland continued to press forward but found the Malaysian defence, led by Abang Dayang, was resolute in the face of the pressure. A great bit of improvised goalkeeping by Malaysia’s Mashitah Ab just pushed the ball out of Siofra O’Brien’s reach after the ‘keeper had missed the initial save. The desperate action was crucial in preventing Ireland extending their lead. A tricky, speedy run by Ireland’s Yasmin Pratt created yet another opportunity for Ireland but, if truth be told, for all the running between the circles, the decision-making and finishing of both sides left a lot to be desired and was the reason the score remained at just 1-0 in favour of the Irish at half time. Both teams came out for the second half knowing that 30 minutes stood between them and a ninth place finish. Ireland had the advantage of a 1-0 lead but knew Malaysia were always capable of turning this around. A spate of injuries to Malaysia seemed to galvanise the Asian team as they used guile and unconventional passing to create unease in the Irish defence. A searching run by Siti Husain led to a Malaysian penalty corner. The variation on the penalty corner was excellent but Ellie Mcloughlin in the Irish goal read the situation and cleared well. Malaysia continued to remind Ireland that they held a very slender lead as they put pressure on with a series of incursions into the Irish circle. And that truth came home in the first moments of the fourth quarter when Nuramirah Zulkifli received the ball in space and slammed it home to bring her team right back into the match. With six minutes left in the match, both teams raised the tempo, although at times the quality fell as a result. Turnovers and poor decisions meant that play bounced from end to end but with no result. Ireland in particular will be dismayed at the fact they had 40 circle penetrations in the match with only two goals. The game ended in high drama when a clever variation on a penalty corner in the dying seconds of the game gave the Junior Green Army the goal they needed to see them through to the 9-10th place encounter with fellow debutants Austria.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Potchefstroom (South Africa):-Quarter-finals day produced four top class matches with some tremendous skills on display but the performance of the day was that of the German team as they put on a classy show to outgun reigning champions Argentina. India put in a dominating and professional performance to defeat Asian rivals Korea. India beat Korea 3-0 (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) Efficiency in attack and speed of play and thought were the differences between these two teams as India showed immense composure and clinical finishing to secure their place in Monday’s semi-finals. Mumtaz Khan and Lalrindiki both found the back of the net in the first quarter. Khan’s goal was a fantastically worked penalty corner variation, which she deflected home past Kim Eunji in the Malaysia goal. Lalrindiki was the beneficiary after a shot from Deepika rebounded to her and she was perfectly placed to slot the ball home. At the other end of the pitch, the India defence was equally impressive, a brave, stretching tackle by Lalremsiami summed up the Eve’s commitment levels. For their part, Korea had no lack of ambition as they sought a way past the India defence, it was just that India looked a level ahead in every aspect of play. For much of the next two quarters, Korea tightened their defence and India were unable to capitalise on their opening goals. However, with five minutes left of the third quarter, we were offered a glimpse of the skill within the India team. An aerial into the circle found Beauty Dung, who actually miss-hit the ball but in doing so sent a perfect pass to Sangita, who had no hesitation in firing home. As the final quarter counted down, India were pouring on the pressure but it will be of concern to Head Coach Erik Wonink that no further goals were added despite a barrage of opportunities. Korea’s answer was to try to run the ball at the India defence, but they were always met by a solid India defence. Netherlands beat South Africa 5-0 (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) The scoreline suggests a dominant performance but South Africa posed a challenge to the Netherlands throughout this quarter-final, with only their finishing in front of goal preventing a closer result. The Netherlands settled into business as usual when Jip Dicke added to her already impressive goal tally with a goal in the fourth minute. The goal was the result of a typical Dutch counter attack, with Dicke the final component in a sweeping movement between the players. However, they would have been taken aback by some of the brave and speedy running from the Africa players, as they were roared on by the unashamedly partisan crowd. Both Bianca Wood and Onthatile Zulu caused a buzz in the stadium as they weaved crazy paths through the Dutch defence. Both players were clearly disappointed that the final shots didn’t end in the back of the net. Dicke gave her team a cushion in the 15th minute when she pounced on a loose ball after a good initial save by Mishka Ellis from a Noor Omrani shot. Dicke pulled the ball out of the air to guide it home. This was Dicke’s twelfth goal of the games, keeping her firmly in the top scorers position. At the end of the first half, South Africa’s shots on goal tally was six, to Netherlands’ eight – the difference, as Head Coach Lenise Marais pointed out, was the finishing. At the start of the second half, South Africa had yet another chance to rattle the Dutch as they won their third penalty corner. This time, Hari Louw saw her rasping shot fly just wide of Sophia Ter Kuile’s post. Chances fell to both teams throughout the third quarter, with Dicke coming close to adding to her tally and Zulu’s devastating running creating a handful of scoring opportunities for South Africa. Things really heated up when an incredible double save by Sophia ter Kuile, first from the penalty corner shot and then from Chante Ferreira’s follow-up, continued to frustrate South Africa. The failure to convert was punished in the 43rd minute when Noor Omrani crashed a shot past Ellis to make it 3-0. Luna Fokke scored her first of the game in the final minute of the quarter when she sent home a fierce penalty corner. The fourth quarter saw Netherlands start to contain the free-running threat of the South Africa team. As energy levels sapped, the Dutchbegan to manage the game well, as they passed the ball round and challenged the South Africans to chase the ball. Omrani nearly scored another wonder goal as her creative lifted shot just went over the crossbar. The coup de grace was issued by Luna Fokke who hit the ball from a penalty corner straight down the pitch at a lightening speed to beat Ellis and rattle the back board. England beat USA 2-1 (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) USA got off to a fabulous start when they took the lead through Ashley Sessa in the third minute. The energy from the team was palpable as they took the game to their opponents in the opening exchanges and the penalty corner that resulted in a goal was slick and well-rehearsed. It was Sessa who came closest to increasing the scoreline. She showed enormous skill to create space to enable a lifted shot at goal - England goalkeeper Mila Welch could only watch and hope as the ball just scraped over the crossbar. The second quarter saw England come back strongly with Maddy Axford at the heart of the England attack. Two consecutive penalty corners for England out pressure on the USA defence and then on the third attempt, England captain Millie Giglio washable to create the space to whip home a reverse stick shot that went straight through the pads of USA goalkeeper Welch. The score remained at 1-1 to the half-time whistle but it was far from a  dull game. Both teams played with real energy and commitment, probably best personified by a full length diving interception from USA captain Kayla Blas just as Vicki McCabe was lining up to shoot. As the second half progressed, England began to gain a hold on the game. They were spending more time in the USA defensive quarter but each attempt to get into the circle was met by a resolute USA defence. With six minutes of the third quarter left, the game opened up and both sides found themselves with opportunities. First the Abigail Tamer of USA sped up the field to win a penalty corner but the shot went just wide. Seconds later and Giglio was in a superb position to give her team the lead but she took too long with her shot and it was smothered by the USA goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz. Giglio and Skubisz continued to have their own personal battle, with the ‘keeper blocking the England skipper’s progress twice more in the dying stages of the third quarter. The breakthrough, when it came in the 44th minute, was the result of some great running by Vicki McCabe. The forward won a free hit and ran at full pace into the USA circle. Her cross landed perfectly for Maddie Axford to nudge home. As the teams emerged for the final 15 minutes, there was a real sense that this game was still anyone’s for the taking. USA had the chance to equalise in the 56th minute but England’s goalkeeper Evie Wood made a magnificent stop with an outstretched foot. With two minutes left, USA removed their keeper in an attempt to pressure England with an additional field player. The pressure on England mounted and Sessa drew another good save from Wood. With just seconds left, USA won one last penalty corner. 11 USA athletes lined up around the top of the circle but Wood was the hero as she cleared the shot defiantly out of the circle to send her team through to the semi-finals. Germany beat Argentina 4-1 (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) It was action all the way as Argentina and Germany played out a tense and entertaining match that twisted and turned to the final whistle. Germany took the lead in the 11th minute after a series of penalty corners, and an Argentina defence that had been reduced to three on the line. Pauline Heinz was the scorer, lifting a rebound over Lourdes Perez in the Argentina goal. Argentina then won a penalty stroke, but Mali Wichmann in the German goal was equal to the challenge and made a fine save. Just three minutes into the second quarter, Argentina were stunned when Carlotta Sippel doubled Germany’s lead after Heinz sent a cross into the circle and Sippel deflected it home. Argentina kept pushing and Valentina Raposa’s fierce shot was saved by Wichmann, who was playing a huge role in maintaining her side’s lead. That lead was extended when Lilly Stoffelsma scored another penalty corner, rifling her shot straight down the circle past Perez. Despite being 3-0 down, Argentina looked far from beaten. Wichmann was brought into action time and again but even she couldn’t stop the clever deflection from penalty corner injector Maria Cerundolo after Valentina Raposo hit the initial shot with pinpoint accuracy back to Cerundolo as she ran to the goal. Germany reclaimed the three goal cushion when Aina Kresken scored a fantastic goal to give her side a 4-1 lead. The ball was played straight down the pitch and Kresken received, turned and fired home. As the third quarter progressed, there was a definite change in atmosphere. While the German players were looking confident and composed, Argentina were beginning to look like a team who had lost their self belief. The team in blue and white continued to run at the German defence but they lacked team cohesion, with individuals trying to run through. This meant the German defenders could pick the individual players off easily. With fifteen minutes left, this was now all down to whether Germany could continue to withstand the Argentina pressure. As the quarter progressed, the tempo of the German team dropped slightly but still Argentina could find no way through. A rasping penalty corner in the 54th minute from Maria Adorno was saved by Wichmann and then, seconds later, the tall goalkeeper was down low, preventing the ball creeping in at the far post. Argentina removed their goalkeeper with five minutes left and pushed forwards but Germany were giving a masterclass in defending and game management and there was no way through for the reigning champions.