Germany’s males made essentially the most of their scoring alternatives of their first match of the Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH Hockey Professional League on Tuesday, notching up a dominant victory over hosts India. It was additionally not the very best of days for India’s ladies who squandered a lead on two events and ultimately went all the way down to Spain. Within the day’s different fixture, England’s males have been additionally responsible of giving up their lead in opposition to Spain, however they rallied for an additional level by successful the following shootout.
(Males’s) England 2 – 2 Spain (SO: 1 – 0)
England squandered a two-goal lead within the fourth quarter of their 2-2 draw with Spain however fought again to clinch the shootout and stay unbeaten within the competitors to date.
The primary half was evenly contested with England creating the higher probabilities from open play whereas Spain earned extra penalty corners. Jacob Payton fired England forward along with his first worldwide objective within the thirteenth minute, getting in behind the Spanish defence and making a first-time strike on the run.
Sam Ward doubled England’s lead within the thirty second minute with a trademark drag flick, his 138th worldwide objective taking him previous Ashley Jackson on the high of the England and GB file books. The clock ran down on the third quarter with out additional objectives, however the match was nonetheless very a lot alive heading into the ultimate quarter.
The Purple Sticks hit again within the forty ninth minute when Nicolas Alvarez completed properly off a protracted cross by way of the midfield. The momentum then swung of their favour when Bruno Font levelled the scores with an distinctive working deflection with seven minutes left on the clock. There have been clear scoring alternatives at each ends of the pitch in an thrilling end, however neither workforce might discover the successful objective and the match went to a shootout the place England prevailed.
England goalkeeper James Mazarelo was named the participant of the match and stated: “I feel we’re most likely initially somewhat bit pissed off that we couldn’t recover from the road in regular time, however then credit score to the boys, it’s usually actually troublesome to show it round in a shootout after you’ve conceded two objectives within the final quarter.”
(Ladies’s) India 3 – 4 Spain
Spain got here from behind twice of their thrilling 4-3 win over hosts India.
The Indians bossed the opening phases of a fast-paced first half, but it surely took 19 minutes earlier than Baljeet Kaur opened the scoring with a deflection from open play. Sofia Rogoski responded virtually instantly for Spain with a well-directed backstick shot from shut vary, and Estel Petchamé then fired them to a 2-1 lead together with her Twenty fifth-minute penalty nook strike.
There was loads of motion in an end-to-end third quarter. India put Spain beneath unbelievable strain with a excessive press, incomes Rana Sakshi a objective on debut when she dispossessed Spain outdoors their circle. The Spanish had some success in escaping the press, but it surely was Rutaja Dadaso Pisal who scrapped laborious within the goalmouth to place India 3-2 forward because the clock ran down on the quarter.
India paid a heavy value for 2 lapses in focus early within the fourth quarter. First Petchamé accomplished her brace for Spain within the forty ninth minute, enjoying to the whistle and levelling issues from a penalty nook rebound. Then Spanish captain Lucia Jimenez snatched the lead from a shortly taken free hit on the high of the circle. The hosts pulled their goalkeeper off and threw every thing at chasing a objective, however they have been impatient and turned over an excessive amount of possession unnecessarily.
The participant of the match was awarded to Spain’s Lucia Jimenez who stated: “We’re a younger workforce, new workforce, and our objective was to simply develop and maintain combating and simply achieve some factors and I feel we did a extremely good recreation. We had some errors and so they made us pay for that as a result of they’re actually an excellent workforce. I feel it was an entertaining match.”
(Males’s) India 1 – 4 Germany
Germany took their probabilities in a complete 4-1 win over hosts India who couldn’t capitalise once they have been within the ascendancy.
The primary half was performed at a blistering tempo with high-quality probabilities in each circles. India regarded higher within the opening exchanges, however the Germans claimed the lead by way of Florian Sperling within the seventh minute. India replied within the thirteenth with a collection of neat passes within the circle for Gurjant Singh to faucet in, however Thies Prinz scrambled one out of the air to revive the Germans’ lead inside a minute. Play ebbed and flowed by way of the remainder of the half and Germany led 2-1 at half time.
India threatened with out reward in a goalless third quarter, creating high-quality probabilities and incomes three penalty corners. The match was nonetheless up for grabs heading into the ultimate interval and it was Germany who snatched the benefit, Michel Struthoff’s Forty eighth-minute penalty nook rebound giving them an important two-goal cushion. The house aspect once more failed from a flurry of penalty corners earlier than Raphael Hartkopf sealed the outcome for Germany, scrambling one in on his knees within the goalmouth within the fifty fifth minute.
Germany’s Moritz Ludwig was named participant of the match and stated: “I feel we performed defensively fairly good, we have been efficient within the opponent’s D and defended with a giant coronary heart, so sure, we performed good.”
Present Hero Prime Scorers:
Ladies – Freeke Moes (NED), Yibbi Jansen (NED), Jinzhuang Tan (CHN) (4 objectives)
Males – Sam Ward (ENG) (9 objectives)
To see the present standings within the FIH Hockey Professional League, click on right here.
FIH Hockey Professional League – 18 February 2025
Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar, India (IND)
Ladies
End result: Match 23 (W)
India 3 – 4 Spain
Participant of the match: Lucia Jimenez (ESP)
Umpires: Timothy Sheahan (AUS), Junko Wagatsuma (JPN), Tamara Leonard (AUS-video)
Males
End result: Match 21 (M)
England 2 – 2 Spain (SO: 1 – 0)
Participant of the match: James Mazarelo (ENG)
Umpires: Ahmed Elsayed (EGY), Annelize Rostron (RSA), Rawi Anbananthan (MAS-video)
End result: Match 22 (M)
India 1 – 4 Germany
Participant of the match: Moritz Ludwig (GER)
Umpires: Wanri Venter (RSA), Bevan Nichol (NZL), Annelize Rostron (RSA-video)
