Already assured of the title, Belgium’s males produced a heroic effort to come back from 4 objectives down and beat Australia 5-4 in an exciting closing match of the FIH Hockey Professional League season in Wavre on Sunday. Within the different males’s matches, Spain outgunned Germany 5-2, whereas India edged second-placed England in a shootout.
In the meantime, girls’s champions the Netherlands additionally wrapped up their title-winning marketing campaign in model with a 3-0 victory over Belgium. The consequence noticed Belgium ending in third place behind Argentina’s girls, regardless of Las Leonas’ 3-2 loss to England. Over in Berlin, Germany’s girls wrapped up their match with a large 5-1 win over China to complete in fifth place.
(Males’s) Germany 2 – 5 Spain
Spain wrapped up their Professional League marketing campaign with a come-from-behind 5-2 victory over Germany on one other steamy day in Berlin.
After making use of loads of early strain, with Spain’s Luis Calzado definitely the busier of the 2 keepers, Germany discovered the breakthrough within the eighth minute. Christopher Ruhr’s backhand reverse shot was angled throughout aim for the unmarked Malte Hellwig so as to add the deflection, giving the house facet the 1-0 lead.
Germany continued to look harmful on assault within the second quarter, however Spain earned their first penalty nook two minutes earlier than half-time. The preliminary shot snuck via Jean-Paul Danneberg however was saved off the road by Hannes Muller, just for Inaky Zaldua to then flick the rebound into the highest of the online.
With 27 seconds remaining within the half, Spain had been awarded a penalty stroke, however Jose Basterra’s strike hit the submit. The Spanish made amends from a penalty nook 20 seconds later, nevertheless, when Pepe Cunill dragged one into the underside proper nook.
Basterra additionally had an opportunity for redemption at first of the third quarter when he dinked in Spain’s third. Buoyed by their turnaround, the Spanish continued to manage the third interval and Basterra was once more within the excellent place to fireplace in his second and Spain’s fourth within the thirty fourth minute.
After failing to fireplace within the closing quarter, Germany withdrew their goalkeeper with slightly below seven minutes remaining. They survived one penalty nook with out a keeper thanks to a different sensible goal-line stick save from Muller, earlier than the goalkeeper was introduced again on after Teo Hinrichs was proven a yellow card. It made little distinction, nevertheless, as Cunill transformed Spain’s subsequent penalty nook to make it 5-1. Jakob Brilla pulled one again for Germany from a penalty nook on the dying, nevertheless it was scant comfort.
Nicolas Alvarez was named as Participant of the Match for Spain and mentioned: “I believe it was a troublesome sport, a really tough sport – the final sport of the Professional League in opposition to Germany of their house, however the crew performed very properly and it was an vital win to complete the Professional League.”
(Girls’s) England 3 – 2 Argentina
England completed their marketing campaign on a excessive observe with a gritty 3-2 win over Argentina.
The Argentinians loved the ascendancy for a lot of the opening quarter and Eugenia Trinchinetti blasted them forward within the fifth minute. They got here away empty-handed from a pair extra forays into the circle earlier than England struck again from a penalty nook within the eleventh. The variation below the shoulder to Anna Toman seemed to have damaged down on the high of the circle, however she adjusted her stance, moved the ball to her reverse stick and leathered it in. Agustina Gorzelany then shaved the upright on the stroke of quarter time.
Ellie Rayer discovered herself completely positioned to blast England forward from a penalty nook rebound within the sixteenth minute, and Sophie Hamilton made an excellent save on the submit to disclaim Argentina the equaliser from a penalty nook barely a minute later. The steadiness of the quarter was contested hotly within the center third of the pitch, and the half-time hooter sounded with England main 2-1.
Holly Hunt doubled England’s lead with an open-play deflection from the p-spot within the thirty third minute, stranding the goalkeeper with the change in path. England turned over possession of their purple zone within the forty first minute and a scrambling Alice Atkinson needed to make a determined reverse stick deal with to close down the shot, catching a keep on with the top and needing to be bandaged up earlier than returning within the closing quarter. Gorzelany diminished the deficit for Las Leonas with a drag flick within the forty fifth minute, with time up on the clock.
The fourth quarter noticed possibilities at each ends, however even with Argentina sacrificing their goalkeeper to chase a consequence within the closing minutes, there have been no extra objectives.
Holly Hunt was named Participant of the Match for England and mentioned: “We’ve had a little bit of an up-and-down couple of weeks of Professional League right here, nevertheless it’s simply very nice to finish on a win, and particularly in opposition to Argentina as properly, they’re an incredible facet, so we’re simply happy with the win.”
(Girls’s) Germany 5 – 1 China
The Berlin crowd had been made to attend, with six objectives coming within the closing quarter-hour as Germany secured a 5-1 win over China.
The Germans launched some early assaults however had been unable to breach the Chinese language defence. China had been quickly in on the motion, with the perfect possibilities coming from Yu Anhui and Liu Chencheng. However German keeper Nathalie Kubalski did properly to make sure her facet stayed in rivalry as the primary half got here to an finish with the groups nonetheless locked on 0-0.
The groups remained goalless via the third quarter. It was then Lilly Stoffelsma who lastly discovered the breakthrough for the house crew, after they earned a penalty nook 30 seconds into the ultimate interval, her lengthy drag discovering the underside left nook. China couldn’t capitalise on a penalty nook of their very own, however Germany struck off a counterattack instantly afterwards, Jette Fleschutz firing within the breakaway aim only a minute after the Germans’ first.
China took off their keeper with 10 minutes left within the match. Whereas the additional outfield participant did end in a number of possibilities, the transfer finally value them. Sophia Schwabe guided Germany’s third aim into an empty internet with three and a half minutes remaining and Sara Strauss did the identical on the breakaway moments later.
The motion was removed from over, although, as China pulled one again via a late penalty nook drag from Tan Jinzhuang and Germany added yet one more by way of Sinja Zimmermann from their very own PC with 20 seconds left on the clock to wrap up a 5-1 win.
Germany’s Lilly Stoffelsma was named Participant of the Match and mentioned: “It’s fairly sizzling, however we actually did such superb video games [in Berlin] and I’m actually pleased with this crew. We couldn’t have ended these 4 days in Berlin higher with 12 factors, and I’m greater than pleased with this crew.”
(Males’s) England 0 – 0 India (SO: 2 – 3)
India and England performed out a riveting 0-0 draw, with India happening to clinch a detailed shootout 3-2. There have been private milestones for 3 England gamers, Sam Ward marking his 250th mixed look for England and GB, Ollie Payne reaching 100 mixed caps, and David Goodfield attaining his one hundredth England cap.
England peppered Indian goalkeeper Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar within the opening quarter, however his angles had been stable and his reactions fast sufficient to maintain them out. India pulled their solitary shot extensive.
Nick Bandurak steered a deflection simply extensive of aim at first of the second quarter, and Jarmanpreet Singh created a half likelihood for India with glorious aerial expertise alongside the baseline. Neither crew was conceding an inch within the midfield battle, and the groups went to half-time nonetheless locked at 0-0.
India had an actual alternative from a counterattack within the thirty fifth minute, and Payne did very properly to smother the ultimate deflection after which clear the ball along with his glove because it trickled in the direction of his line. They earned a penalty nook quickly after, however they rushed the routine after taking too lengthy within the huddle. There have been possibilities at each ends of the pitch within the closing 37 seconds, however the match remained goalless.
India did a lot of the attacking within the first a part of the ultimate quarter, and England camped in India’s closing third within the closing minutes, however the groups had been inseparable after 60 minutes. The match went to a shootout, the place India got here out on high.
The Participant of the Match was awarded to India’s Sanjay who mentioned: “We’ve improved loads from the final sport. We had numerous possibilities, we’ll attempt to convert them subsequent time, however we improved from the primary sport to the second, it was good.”
(Girls’s) Belgium 0 – 3 Netherlands
Belgium had been responsible of not taking advantage of quite a few possibilities, permitting the champion Dutch facet to complete their marketing campaign with a 3-0 victory.
The Belgians had loved a lot of the momentum within the opening quarter, however with simply over a minute to go, the Netherlands earned their first penalty nook of the match. The preliminary shot from Yibbi Jansen went extensive, after which Stephanie Vanden Borre cleared the re-award off the road to maintain the rating goalless.
The Dutch discovered extra of their rhythm within the second interval, creating extra circle entries, however had been unable to capitalise. Neither of the goalkeepers was stored significantly busy because the groups went to half-time nonetheless locked on 0-0.
The Netherlands seemed removed from their greatest at first of the third quarter, making a number of primary errors and permitting the Belgians to dominate. However the champions managed to attain in opposition to the run of play within the thirty fourth minute, with some slack Belgian defence permitting Luna Fokke to seek out Joosje Burg in the course of the circle, who fired it in to go 1-0 up.
Belgium simply lacked the precision to take advantage of their possibilities within the closing quarter, and so they had been punished when Yibbi Jansen scored off one other Dutch penalty nook, the drag taking a deflection off the keeper on its method in. The Professional League’s high feminine scorer flicked in one other with simply over three minutes to go to wrap up the 3-0 win and end the match with 15 objectives.
Lisa Submit was named Participant of the Match for the Netherlands and mentioned: “It’s very good to finish all of the matches like this and the match, so we’re pleased… Yesterday we had been a bit bit disenchanted, however we fought onerous in the present day so we’re pleased with the win in the present day.”
(Males’s) Belgium 5 – 4 Australia
Belgium broke a bunch of data in an exciting finale, changing into the one crew in Professional League historical past to win a match after being 4 objectives down. They clawed their method again to beat Australia 5-4 and end the season with essentially the most wins in a males’s Professional League season with 13. Tom Boon additionally turned the one participant to have scored in eight consecutive video games.
Australia began in fiery trend and took the lead from an Eighth-minute penalty nook. Simon Vandenbroucke saved the preliminary shot brilliantly, however Hayden Beltz was readily available to volley the rebound into the roof of the online at shut vary. Australia piled on the strain to win a flurry of penalty corners and Cooper Burns doubled their lead within the eleventh minute, his drag flick catching an enormous deflection off first-wave runner Hugo Labouchere. Tim Model added a scrappy subject aim and Australia led 3-0 after simply quarter-hour.
Belgium seemed significantly better within the second quarter, dominating possession and territory, however they had been rocked again once more by an enormous Jack Welch drag flick within the twenty eighth minute. Belgium lastly pulled one again with a penalty nook on the stroke of half-time, Thomas Crols successful the goalmouth scramble to make it 4-1 on the break.
The Belgians lifted themselves within the third quarter and a wonderful 60m go discovered Tom Boon within the circle for an correct reverse stick strike within the thirty ninth minute. Burns then struck the submit on the different finish earlier than Belgium acquired again inside one aim, Alex Hendrickx touchdown his Forty second-minute drag flick.
Boon equalised within the fiftieth minute, making use of strain within the circle to earn a penalty nook and nailing his drag flick. He then fired Belgium forward within the 54th minute, finishing his hat-trick with one other booming drag flick. Australia withdrew their goalkeeper and threw every part ahead with three minutes remaining, however they couldn’t discover a method again.
It was a sensational method to attract the curtain on this season’s Professional League.
Belgium’s Tom Boon was named the Participant of the Match and mentioned: “It was loopy, I believe that is the best comeback of all time for Belgium. It was a really powerful sport, a tough begin, however we managed to come back again. We nonetheless believed in it, once we acquired speaking within the changeroom we mentioned, OK, there’s a small likelihood however we have now to seize it, we have now to offer every part we might, and we did it and I believe it’s superb.”
Present Hero Prime Scorers:
Girls – Yibbi Jansen (NED) (15 objectives)
Males – Tomas Domene (ARG) (21 objectives)
To see the ultimate standings within the FIH Hockey Professional League, click on right here.
FIH Hockey Professional League – 28 June 2026
Ernst Reuter Sportfeld, Berlin (GER)
Males
Outcome: Match 70 (M)
Germany 2 – 5 Spain
Participant of the match: Nicolas Alvarez (ESP)
Umpires: Michiel Otten (NED), Laurine Delforge (BEL), Timothy Sheahan (AUS-video)
Girls
Outcome: Match 72 (W)
Germany 5 – 1 China
Participant of the match: Lilly Stoffelsma (GER)
Umpires: Yoon Seon Kim (KOR), Jonathan von Hoesslin (RSA), Steven Bakker (NED-video)
Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, London (UK)
Girls
Outcome: Match 70 (W)
England 3 – 2 Argentina
Participant of the match: Holly Hunt (ENG)
Umpires: Magali Sergeant (BEL), Sophie Bockelmann (GER), Junko Wagatsuma (JPN-video)
Males
Outcome: Match 72 (M)
England 0 – 0 India (SO: 2 – 3)
Participant of the match: Sanjay (IND)
Umpires: Hong-Zhen Lim (SGP), Sarah Wilson (SCO), Coen van Bunge (NED-video
Belfius Hockey Space, Wavre (BEL)
Girls
Outcome: Match 71 (W)
Belgium 0 – 3 Netherlands
Participant of the match: Lisa Submit (NED)
Umpires: Gareth Greenfield (NZL), Rachel Williams (ENG), Darren Hubach (RSA-video)
Males
Outcome: Match 72 (M)
Belgium 5 – 4 Australia
Participant of the match: Tom Boon (BEL)
Umpires: Raphael Adrien (GER), Darren Hubach (RSA), Cookie Tan (SGP-video)
