Argentina’s men, the Netherlands’ men and Belgium’s women claimed the final semifinal places at the FIH Hockey World Cup following a decisive day of pool-stage action.
ARGENTINA POWER PAST INDIA
Argentina secured the win they needed, beating India 5-3. Joaquin Toscani opened the scoring after just 39 seconds before Nicolas della Torre doubled the lead from a penalty corner. India responded through Sukhjeet Singh, but Tomas Domene struck twice, including a penalty stroke, to put Los Leones in control. Lucas Toscani added a fifth before late goals from Sukhjeet and Hardik Singh reduced the deficit.
DUTCH DO ENOUGH AGAINST ENGLAND
The Netherlands booked their place in the last four with a 2-2 draw against England. Stuart Rushmere gave England an early lead, but Jip Janssen levelled before halftime. Thierry Brinkman put the hosts ahead early in the second half, only for Henry Croft to restore parity. England pushed for the goals they needed, but the Dutch defence held firm to secure top spot in the pool.
Player of the Match Joep de Mol said, “We stayed composed, got a point, which was enough to top the group.”
GERMANY END SPAIN’S HOPES
Spain needed a win to keep their semifinal hopes alive, but Germany produced a dominant display to win 4-1. Lynn Krings and Sara Strauss gave Germany a two-goal cushion before Xantal Giné pulled one back from the penalty spot. Germany quickly responded through Jette Fleschütz and Lena Micheel to complete the scoring.
BELGIUM REACH FINAL FOUR
Germany’s victory confirmed Belgium’s place in the semifinals before their clash with Argentina. The two sides played out a goalless draw, with Argentina doing enough to finish top of the pool and set up a semifinal against Australia, while Belgium will face defending champions the Netherlands.
Player of the Match Emma Puvrez said the performance gave Belgium confidence heading into the knockout stage.
CLASSIFICATION MATCHES
New Zealand’s men defeated Pakistan 4-2 to reach the ninth-place playoff, while Japan edged Wales 3-2 to advance to the 13th-place playoff.
In the women’s competition, the USA beat Ireland 3-1 to earn a ninth-place playoff berth, while Scotland came from behind to defeat New Zealand 2-1 and secure successive World Cup wins for the first time since 1998.