July 19, 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa: Australia, Spain, Germany and Belgium all booked their tickets to the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018, winning their respective matches on men’s quarter-final day at the Hockey World League Semi-Final. Reigning world champions Australia cruised to a 4-0 victory over Egypt to ensure that they will be heading to India to defend the title they won three years ago in The Hague (NED). Spain overcame Ireland to maintain their remarkable record of having qualified for every men’s World Cup to date, with 2006 world champions Germany proving too strong for France to seal their berth. Belgium’s Red Lions were the fourth team to guarantee their World Cup ticket, taking a 2-0 triumph over New Zealand’s Black Sticks. The competition semi-finals in Johannesburg will take place on Friday 21st July, with Spain playing Germany at 16:45 South Africa Standard Time (UTC +2) before a mouthwatering meeting between Belgium and Australia gets underway at 19:00. In the all-important 5-8 play-off matches, Egypt will take on New Zealand at 12:15 while Ireland play France at 14:30 as the race for fifth place and the subsequent World Cup ticket that comes with it continues. As well as qualifying for the World Cup, the four winning teams from today’s matches are now also guaranteed to play in the Odisha Hockey World League Final, which also takes place in Bhubaneswar, India at the end of the year. Australia, Spain, Germany and Belgium join Netherlands, Argentina and England – who took the first three positions at the Hero Hockey World League Semi-Final in London – as well as host nation India. Malaysia, who finished fourth in London, miss out on taking the highest ranked fourth placed finisher spot on the grounds that all of the semi-finalists in Johannesburg are placed above them in the FIH Hero World Rankings. Australia (FIH Hero World Ranking: 2) were the first team to claim their tickets to the World Cup and World League Final, scoring four times without reply against an Egypt (WR: 19) side that has come a long way in a short space of time following their 10-0 defeat against Belgium at the start of the competition. Jeremy Hayward put the Kookaburras on the road to victory with a tenth minute penalty corner, with Jake Whetton scoring a double either side of a rare goal from the influential Matthew Swann. “Egypt are a little bit unpredictable so it was a tough opposition, but we stuck to our strategy and it paid off”, said Australia’s Kiran Arunasalam. “I think we are in a building phase, I’ve only played eight or nine games and I’m still pretty star-struck around some of the guys I’m playing with, but hopefully we can do well at the World Cup next year.” The Spain (WR: 10) versus Ireland (WR: 9) quarter-final was the closest of the day, with the Green Machine having numerous scoring opportunities but only managing to make one mark on the scoreboard. Spain took the lead just after half time thanks to a penalty corner from Ricardo Sanchez, with Alan Sothern restoring parity with a perfectly executed drag-flick a minute before the end of the third quarter. However, Irish hearts were broken just a minute later when an unmarked Alvaro Iglesias smashed home what proved to be the winner, putting the Red Sticks into the World Cup and World League Final. “I feel happy to have qualified for the World Cup and also for the World League Final, as we have not done that before”, said Spain goalkeeper Quico Cortes, who had a magnificent game to deny numerous excellent Irish scoring chances. “I’m happy because we defended really well today.” The third team to seal their double ticket to India was Germany (WR: 3), with Tom Grambusch putting Die Honamas in the driving seat against France (WR: 17) by converting a penalty corner effort in the final minute of the first quarter. Rising star Timm Herzbruch scored a superb double either side of half time to effectively seal the win, with Marco Miltkau adding a fourth seven minutes from the end. A penalty corner from Nicolas Dumont deservedly put France on the scoreboard, but it was Germany’s day. “It was a really important win for us, not just for the World Cup but also the World League Final”, said Herzbruch after the match. “I played in the Junior World Cup last year in India and I am looking forward to hopefully playing in the senior one.” In the final match of the day, Belgium’s Red Lions (WR: 5) produced an explosive first quarter performance against New Zealand (WR: 8). Sebastien Dockier opened the scoring after three minutes with a slap-shot before Tom Boon doubled the advantage thanks to a fierce backhand shot just two minutes later. To their great credit, the Black Sticks firmed up their defence and gave a strong showing after half time, but could not deny Belgium a 2-0 win. Thursday 20th July is women’s semi-final day at the University of the Witwatersrand, although it is not only the final four matches that are of interest. The first match of the day is the 9-10 classification contest between Poland and Chile, which gets underway at 10:00 South Africa Standard Time (UTC +2). That meeting is followed by the two 5-8 play-off matches, with India playing Japan at 12:15 before South Africa meet Ireland at 14:30. The two winning teams will not only meet in the 5-6 classification match, they will also be assured of places at the Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018. This is because the highest ranked sixth place finisher from the two Hockey World League Semi-Final events in Belgium and Johannesburg is now certain to come from the competition in South Africa, with Italy – who finished sixth in Brussels – being lower ranked than all four teams that are competing in the 5-8 play-off matches. In the competition semi-finals, Germany play Argentina at 16:45 with England and

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July 20, 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa: Germany and USA will contest the women’s final of the Hockey World League Semi-Final event after both nations overcame the respective challenges of Argentina and England on Day 13 at the University of the Witwatersrand. Germany produced a battling performance to triumph 2-1 over Argentina, with Charlotte Stapenhorst scoring the decisive goal as Die Danas claimed their place in the showpiece match. USA and England needed a shoot-out to separate them, with American goalkeeper Jackie Briggs proving the hero with a string of outstanding saves to set up their final meeting with Germany. The women’s competition final will take place on Sunday 23 July at 15:30 South African Standard Time (UTC +2), while Argentina and England will go head-to-head in the 3-4 classification match on the same day at 11:00. It was also a day of celebration for Japan and South Africa, who confirmed direct qualification for the Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018. Japan defeated India 2-0 to book their ticket to London before hosts South Africa thrilled the home fans with a 3-0 triumph over Ireland to book their ticket to London. It was confirmed that the top six from this event would achieve World Cup qualification earlier this week, when England – the hosts of next year’s global showpiece – guaranteed a top five finish by winning their quarter-final. It meant that the highest ranked sixth place finisher from the two Hockey World League Semi-Final events in Belgium and Johannesburg would be guaranteed a World Cup berth. All four of the teams that reached the 5-8 play-off matches are placed higher in in the FIH Hero World Rankings than Italy, the team that finished sixth in Brussels, guaranteeing that the top six from South Africa would all be assured of a World Cup place. The first of the event semi-finals was packed full of intense action and high drama, with Germany (WR: 7) providing a shock result against an Argentina (WR: 3) side that have been one of the most impressive performers here in Johannesburg. Die Danas were the quickest out of the blocks, taking the lead just seven minutes into the contest when Naomi Heyn converted a slick penalty corner routine. Las Leonas hit back at the start of the second quarter thanks Lucina von der Heyde’s brilliant penalty corner deflection, but Germany scored what proved to be the winner on the stroke of half time with composed close range finish from the excellent Charlotte Stapenhorst. Janne Müller-Wieland made her 250th senior international appearance for Germany, with the victory ensuring it was a truly memorable day. “It is always nice to score, but it is for the team so it doesn’t matter who scores”, said Charlotte Stapenhorst after the match, before discussing which team she would prefer to meet in the competition final. “To be honest I don’t really care. We just want to win this thing now but we have history with England, so maybe it should be them who we meet in the final.” Stapenhorst’s desire to meet England (WR: 2) in the competition final did not materialise, as USA (WR: 6) battled back from a goal down to force a shoot-out in which goalkeeper Jackie Briggs excelled. Hannah Martin gave England the lead a minute into the second quarter, finishing off a slick passing move involving Susannah Townsend and Sophie Bray, the latter of which was making her 100th senior international appearance. USA dominated the third and fourth quarter before getting that all important goal through Jill Witmer with three minutes remaining. The shoot-out was dominated by two outstanding goalkeepers, with England’s Maddie Hinch and USA’s Briggs both only being beaten once before it went to sudden death. The winning goal came from the stick of Melissa Gonzalez – the only player to score past Hinch in the first barrage – firing into the roof of the net following another crucial save from Briggs. “I feel blessed that Jackie is in our team, I cannot say enough good things about her”, said Gonzalez after the match. “England are a great team full of world class players, so it was a big result for us.” The 5-8 play-off matches both took place ahead of the quarter-finals, with Japan (WR: 11) and India (WR: 12) being first in action. Both of Japan’s goals came courtesy of penalty corners, as Kana Nomura and Naho Ichitani put the Cherry Blossoms into a 2-0 lead before half time. India rallied in the latter stages but could not get the goals they required, with Japan reaching Saturday’s 5-6 classification match where they will face fellow World Cup qualifiers South Africa (WR: 13), conquerers of Ireland (WR: 15). The home favourites were the better team in the opening two quarters and took a deserved 1-0 lead into half time thanks to Lisa-Marie Deetlefs penalty corner. The Green Army were much improved after the break, but strikes from Bernie Coston and Lilian du Plessis – the latter arriving after Ireland replaced their goalkeeper with a kicking back – gave South Africa World Cup qualification on home soil. India and Ireland will now play-off for seventh place, which is crucial for World Ranking points and may also keep alive World Cup qualification hopes, depending on what happens in the upcoming Continental Championships. Earlier in the day, Chile (WR: 20) defeated Poland (WR: 18) 2-1 to secure a ninth place finish in the event with the Poles finishing in tenth. The men’s competition semi-finals in Johannesburg take place on Friday 21 July, with Spain playing Germany at 16:45 South Africa Standard Time (UTC +2) before a mouthwatering meeting between Belgium and Australia gets underway at 19:00. In the 5-8 play-off matches, Egypt will take on New Zealand at 12:15 while Ireland play France at 14:30 as the race for fifth place and the subsequent World Cup ticket that comes with it continues. Full coverage of the event is available on www.fih.ch, with reports, news stories, event

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July 18, 2017 Every year on 18 July — the day Nelson Mandela was born — the United Nations (UN) asks individuals around the world to mark Nelson Mandela International Day by making a difference in their communities. Everyone has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better, and Mandela Day is an occasion for everyone to take action and inspire change, just as Madiba did every day. This year, the hockey world is joining in worldwide celebrations which are coinciding with the Men’s and Women’s Hockey World League Semi-Finals 2017, currently being held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Today, a number of competition officials gave up part of their rest day to make a contribution towards the cause. The hockey officials represented nations from all over the world, including the Netherlands, India, England, Belgium, USA and Pakistan. A charity organisation called Network of Caring invited the people of Johannesburg to spend 67 minutes of their time assisting them with assembly of 150 wheelchairs for distribution in the Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Namibia as part of the Free Wheelchair Mission. Network of Caring has delivered over 2,500 wheelchairs around the world to those in need. The figure of 67 minutes is a direct reference to the 67 years that Nelson Mandela campaigned for social justice. It is no secret that Nelson Mandela was a huge sports fan. As a young man, he was a driven athlete, an amateur boxer who ran two hours every morning. It is written that he kept himself in excellent shape during his 27 years in prison. After having won South Africa’s first multiracial elections in 1994, he used sport as a tool to unite people and to redefine the country’s international image. Nowhere was that more striking than during the Rugby World Cup held in South Africa in 1995. Nelson Mandela once said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.” The hockey world is committed to use our sport for positive change. Hockey is a truly inclusive sport, being played from juniors to masters, by families and people from all walks of life. It offers a para-version, small-sized formats and is proud to be completely gender balanced. Speaking about hockey’s links to such themes, Australia men’s captain and Athens 2004 Olympic gold medallist Mark Knowles said: “I’ve been playing since I was four years old, my kids are now playing and my parents are still playing in their late 60s and early 70s. We play a beautiful game outdoors. We get to play all around the world and, no matter how fierce things get out on the field, the one thing that I love about hockey is that we can go back to the hotel and say g’day to all the other teams and players. We are a sport that mixes genders and pushes for equality.” Germany captain Mats Grambusch also spoke positively of hockey’s positive impact on the world. He said: “Hockey is a sport that makes the world a better place because we don’t have barriers like racism or sexism and anyone can play – from when you are very young until you are very old.” He continued: “It is really important for the world to have team sports like hockey because it brings people together. Team sports make you a better person because you learn how to interact with people. When we come here to play for the national squad, which is a huge honour for all of us, we get to experience other cultures which help us grow as people. It is inspiring to see the culture in places like South Africa and India, and interacting with those cultures makes you a better person.” South African athlete Owen Mvimbi is proud to see hockey supporting this celebration. He said: “It is great to play matches home and away, meeting people in different countries and cultures. Sport brings people together in that way, and makes us realise how similar we all are because people from all over the world have had hard times and good times, and you can relate to that. Everyone on the field, whether winning or losing, we all feel the same. We know what it is like to win and what it is like to lose, which is why you often see the winning team trying to pick up the losing side at the end of a game because they know what it is like to lose. We all want the same thing but we know we cannot all have it at the same time. We all go through tough experiences, but we will all try our best to help each other get through it.” Speaking specifically about Nelson Mandela he said: “I’m just grateful – grateful for the sacrifice that he made for all of us to unite the country. If we could, we should have Mandela Day every day to try to help each other even in small ways. Mandela day is a big deal here, and a lot of people and companies dedicate the whole day in an effort to support each other. We love our country and want to make it a better place as much as possible.” #MandelaDay #ActionAgainstPoverty

July 18, 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa: It was women’s quarter-final day at the Hockey World League Semi-Final, with USA, Argentina, England and Germany all winning their matches to move into the competition final four as well as securing qualification for two of the sport’s biggest occasions. For USA, Argentina and Germany, their respective quarter-final victories over Japan, Ireland and hosts South Africa earned them direct tickets to both the Hockey World League Final 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand and Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018. They will be joined in the Hockey World League Final by England, who beat India on Tuesday, with the line-up being completed by New Zealand, Netherlands, China and Korea, who recently claimed the top four positions at the Semi-Final event in Belgium. Interestingly, England’s safe passage through to the final four in Johannesburg has a knock-on effect in terms of qualification for next year’s women’s World Cup. As hosts, England have already qualified, which means that the highest ranked of the two sixth placed finishers from the women’s Hockey World League Semi-Final events in Belgium and South Africa will now also be certain of a World Cup place. Italy (WR: 16), who finished sixth in Belgium, will be confirmed at the World Cup if the team that finishes sixth in Johannesburg are ranked below them. In terms of the event semi-finals here in Johannesburg, the matches and timings have been confirmed. On Thursday 18th July, Germany will play Argentina at 16:45 South Africa Standard Time (UTC +2) with England and USA going head to head at 1900. The quarter-final meeting between USA (FIH Hero World Ranking: 6) and Japan (WR: 11) was a nervy affair with both teams conscious it was winner takes all in terms of World Cup and World League Final qualification. Despite both teams having suffered inconsistency throughout the event, Japan and USA were resilient with their structure, cancelling each other out across the field. With very few goal scoring opportunities it took until the 42nd minute for USA to make the breakthrough. Michelle Vittese took the ball from a free hit into the circle and her shot deflected off Japan’s Mami Ichitani, deceived her ‘keeper. USA controlled the remainder of the game and despite a few nervy moments took the victory and a spot on both the Hockey World League Final 2017 and Hockey World Cup 2018. “We came into this match on the back of two pretty rough games, and we knew that Japan have been playing really well in this tournament”, said USA’s Michelle Vitesse after the contest. “We did a lot of preparation ahead of this match because we knew it was going to be a really hard fought battle, so it feels really good that we fell back onto our cornerstones which is defensive intent, resilience and grit.” 

Argentina (WR: 3) showed why they’re one of the top teams in the world right now after grinding out a 2-1 win against a determined Ireland (WR: 15). Delfina Merino capitalised on a mistake by Ireland’s Nicci Daly, rounding both an Irish defender and their ‘keeper to slot in the first goal after 25 minutes. Julia Gomes doubled Las Leonas lead on the 40 minute mark through a penalty corner slotted low past the right side of Irish goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran. Ireland fought back however in the 43rd minute, halving their opponents lead thanks to a penalty corner from Roisin Upton. Argentina held on however to claim their tickets to Auckland and London for the World League Final and World Cup respectively. World Cup hosts England (WR: 2) confirmed that they would also be heading to Auckland at the end of the year, overpowering India (WR: 12) 4-1 despite the absence of the influential but under-the-weather Lily Owsley. Giselle Ansley put England ahead from the penalty spot six minutes into the contest before captain Alex Danson doubled the advantage before the end of the first quarter. Susannah Townsend volleyed in a third in the 42nd minute, although India’s Eves gave themselves a glimmer of hope three minutes from the end when Gurjit Kaur netted from a penalty corner. However, England rounded of a solid performance with a open play strike from Hannah Martin, a goal that she richly deserved after being a consistent attacking threat. It was a extra special day for England defender Laura Unsworth, whose 200th international appearance was marked in winning style. In the final match of the day, home favourites South Africa produced a monumental effort against Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallists Germany but it was not quite enough, with the European nation winning 1-0. As has been a constant throughout this, a huge crowd was on site to witness not just the match but also the 200th international appearance of South Africa captain Nicolene Terblanche. However, they were to leave disappointed as Camille Nobis scored the only goal of the game to help Germany secure their safe passage through to the World Cup and the World League Final. South Africa’s chances of World Cup qualification remain alive as they will compete in the 5-8 classification matches. “Qualifying for the World Cup was our main aim for this year, so obviously we are delighted”, said Germany captain Janne Muller-Weiland after the match. “It means a lot to us, to travel here and achieve that.” On Wednesday 19th July, the quarter-finals of the men’s competition will take place, with a place at both the Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017 and the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 on the table for the winners. At 11:15 South African Standard Time (UTC +2), Pool A winners Australia will take on Egypt, who finished fourth in Pool B before Pool A’s second ranked team Spain face Ireland, who finished third in Pool B, at 13:30. Pool B winners Germany go head-to-head with Pool A’s fourth placed team France at 15:45, with Pool B runners-up Belgium playing Pool A’s third place finishers New Zealand at

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July 16, 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa: Following another high-quality day of action at the University of the Witwatersrand, the quarter-final line-up of the women’s Hockey World League Semi-Final has been revealed. The first of the quarter-final matches, which take place on Tuesday 18th July, will be played at 11:15 South Africa Standard Time (UTC +2), with Pool B runners-up USA facing Japan, who finished third in Pool A. That match is followed by Argentina versus Ireland, with the teams that finished first in Pool B and fourth in Pool A respectively meeting at 13:30. At 15:45, Pool A winners England play Pool B’s fourth placed team India before Germany, second in Pool A, take on a South Africa side that claimed third place in Pool B at 1800. In Pool A, England emerged at the top of the standings with nine points from their four matches, ahead of second placed Germany, Japan in third, Ireland fourth and Poland fifth. The top four were all in action on Sunday, with Germany recording a comfortable 3-0 victory over Japan before England battled past Ireland 3-2 to claim top spot. Japan (FIH Hero World Ranking: 11) were the better team in the opening stages of their match against Germany (WR: 7), but failed to get the breakthrough despite rattling the frame of the goal moments before Die Danas took the lead in the 23rd minute. Charlotte Stapenhorst was credited with the goal, although her cross-shot appeared to be going wide before taking an unfortunate deflection from a Japanese player. Strikes in the third and fourth quarters from Nike Lorenz and Cecile Pieper sealed the win and put Germany, albeit temporarily, into first place in the pool ahead of the England versus Ireland match. Speaking after the game, Germany captain Janne Müller-Wieland said: “Japan are a great team and we have massive respect for them. I am very pleased with the win, especially the way the team has reacted to the defeat [against England].” Both England (WR: 2) and Ireland (WR: 15) went into the final Pool A match knowing that a win for either would be enough to top the standings, with England taking a 2-0 lead into half time thanks Sarah Haycroft’s deflected shot and a superb penalty corner deflection from Shona McCallin. The Green Army hit back with two quick goals shortly after the break through Nicci Daly and a captain’s goal from Katie Mullan, taking the score to 2-2 and leaving the European champions stunned. However, England were not to be denied, with team captain Alex Danson pouncing on a penalty corner rebound to score her 102nd international goal and seal that all-important first place finish. “They [Ireland] are so hard working, it is actually annoying”, said England’s Lily Owsley, who earned her 100th senior international cap (England and Great Britain combined), after the match. “They just don’t give up, they fight for every ball and are getting better and better. Fair play to them, they gave us a real run for our money today and actually dominated at times but we came through it, which is the important thing.” In Pool B, Argentina finished in first place, with USA, South Africa and India taking the second, third and fourth quarter-final qualification positions respectively. South Africa (WR: 13) produced an epic performance in front of a passion-filled capacity crowd to defeat USA (WR: 6) 3-2 and confirm their place in the competition quarter-finals, breaking the hearts of Chile who were forced into fifth place on the back of the result. Melissa Gonzalez cracked home a brilliant backhand effort to give USA the lead in the 14th minute before Jade Mayne pulled the home favourites level ahead of hand time. Jill Witmer edged the Americans ahead just before the third quarter break, but two goals from Candice Manuel in the fourth quarter triggered wild celebrations from the both the home fans and the players as South Africa booked their ticket to the quarter-final. “I’m just super stoked”, said a thrilled Bernie Coston after the match. “We came here with an overall goal, now we just take it game by game. USA are a tough team to play against, and also bring the best out of us. The crowd went berserk with every tackle, and that really made a difference.” Defeat for USA in the third match of the day meant that Argentina (WR: 3) went into their final Pool B match against India (WR: 12) knowing that they were already certain of a first place finish. It made little difference to their approach, as Las Leonas produced another excellent display to claim a 3-0 triumph over India’s Eves. Argentina needed less than 90 seconds to leave their first imprint on the score-sheet with Rocio Sanchez making it 1-0 before an open play effort from Maria Granatto and Noel Barrionuevo’s penalty stroke took the score to 3-0 at half time. India produced a much improved performance in the third and fourth quarters but Argentina’s lead never looked threatened. Argentina’s Delfina Merino was pleased with her team’s performance, and said that the focus would now switch onto their quarter-final clash with Ireland. “They [Ireland] are a very tough team, we’ve been watching some of their matches here”, said Merino. “We will need to be very focused.” On Monday 17th July, the final four matches of the men’s pools will take place to decide the quarter-final line up. Australia and Japan take to the field for their Pool A contest at 12:00 South African Standard Time (UTC +2) before Spain and New Zealand, who also compete in Pool A, face-off at 14:00. Pool B draws to a close with the day’s two final matches, with Germany taking on Ireland at 16:00 ahead of the South Africa versus Belgium clash at 1800. Women’s Quarter-Final line-up Matches to be played Tuesday 18 July 2017. All times South Africa Standard Time (UTC +2) 11:15: USA (2nd Pool B) v Japan (3rd Pool A) 13:30: Argentina (1st

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July 17, 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa: Australia and Germany were confirmed as the winners of their respective pools at the Hockey World League Semi-Final in Johannesburg, revealing the line-up for the competition quarter-finals. At 11:15 South African Standard Time (UTC +2), Pool A winners Australia will take on Egypt, who finished fourth in Pool B before Pool A’s second ranked Spain face Ireland, who finished third in Pool B, at 13:30. Pool B winners Germany go head-to-head with Pool A’s fourth placed team France at 15:45, with Pool B runners-up Belgium playing Pool A’s third place finishers New Zealand at 1800. In Pool A, Australia’s Kookaburras defeated bottom of the table Japan 7-2 to confirm their place at the top of the standings, with Spain, New Zealand and France finishing in second, third and fourth respectively. The battle between Spain and New Zealand went the way of the Red Sticks, who claimed a remarkable 4-3 victory over the Black Sticks to take second place in the pool. New Zealand finished ahead of France purely on goals scored, with the two sides completing the pool phase level on points and goal-difference. Australia (FIH Hero World Ranking: 2) opened the scoring just 12 seconds into their match against Japan (WR: 16), with Mark Knowles making no mistake from the penalty spot after Trent Mitton was brought down on-route to goal. The world champions turned the screw with a further three goals ahead of half time as Jake Whetton netted a double before Dylan Wotherspoon made it 4-0 at the break. Aran Zalewski and Tom Wickham made it 6-0, with Japan scoring goals either side of the third quarter break through penalty corners from Shota Yamada and Hirotaka Zendana. Australia added gloss on proceedings when Jeremy Hayward bagged a penalty corner to complete the scoring. “We said that if we won all of our pool games we would have been happy, but we knew that the quarter-final was our main aim”, said Australia captain Mark Knowles. “The coach [Colin Batch] is a bit disappointed with the performance today. I think the only good thing we did was to start really well, which is what you have to do against these sides.” The final match of Pool A was one of the most entertaining of the event so far, with Spain (WR: 10) eventually taking all three points against New Zealand (WR: 8) in a contest that seemed to constantly shift in momentum. Spain established a 2-0 lead through Josep Romeu and Enrique Gonzalez, but a brilliant, brave tactical move from Black Sticks Head Coach Darren Smith saw his goalkeeper replaced with a kicking back midway through the third quarter, a decision turned the match on its head. New Zealand played for 15 minutes without a goalkeeper and scored three times, with Shea McAleese, Nic Woods and Kane Russell taking the score to 3-2 before goalkeeper Devon Manchester returned to the action. Remarkably, Spain also gambled by removing shot-stopper Quico Cortes and got their reward, grabbing a superb volleyed equaliser from Alvaro Iglesias with three minutes remaining. New Zealand’s gamble to remove their goalkeeper for a second time backfired, as Pau Quemada robbed a defender before walking the ball into an unguarded net. “We suffered a little bit in the third quarter, when they played really well and we were not creating anything”, said Quemada post match. “We brought on the kicking back and it changed everything. It was definitely the game of the kicking back.” In Pool B, Germany sealed first place with a 2-0 win against Ireland, who finished the pool phase in third place. Belgium completed their Pool B campaign with a comfortable 9-1 victory over hosts South Africa, a result which ended South African hopes of a place in the quarter-finals, with Egypt taking the fourth and final qualification spot. Germany (WR: 3) were made to work hard for all three points by Ireland’s Green Machine (WR: 9), who made life difficult for Die Honamas throughout. Tom Grambusch’s scored a penalty corner drag-flick near the end of the first quarter, but were made to wait until ten minutes from the end of the match before adding a second thanks to an open play strike from Martin Zwicker. “I’m delighted that we won and finished top of the group”, said Germany captain Mats Grambusch. “A few weeks ago we lost 4-2 against Ireland in Hamburg, so we knew it was going to be tough. They are a good opponent and very hard to beat.” South Africa (WR: 15) came into their match against Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallists Belgium (WR: 5) knowing that only a win would be enough for them to overtake Egypt into the fourth quarter-final qualification position. Sadly, that dream was ended a Red Lions team that were almost untouchable at times, opening up a 7-0 lead before half time with Alexander Hendrickx, Nicolas de Kerpel, Thomas Briels (2), Sebastien Dockier, Loick Luypaert and Cedric Charlier the scorers. Dockier scored Belgium’s eighth just after half time before Matthew Guise-Brown netted for South Africa, but it was the Red Lions who had the final word when Gauthier Boccard added a ninth late on. On Tuesday 18th July, the quarter-finals of the women’s competition will take place, with a place at both the Women’s Hockey World League Final Auckland and the Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 on the table for the winners. At 11:15 South African Standard Time (UTC +2), USA (2nd Pool B) face Japan (3rd Pool A) with Argentina (1st Pool B) playing Ireland (4th Pool A) at 13:30. England (1st Pool A) take on India (4th Pool B) at 15:45 before Germany (2nd Pool A) meet hosts South Africa (3rd Pool B) at 18:00. Men’s Quarter-Final line-up Matches to be played Wednesday 19 July 2017. All times South Africa Standard Time (UTC +2) 11:15: Australia (1st Pool A) v Egypt (4th Pool B) 13:30: Spain (2nd Pool A) v Ireland (3rd Pool B) 15:45: Germany

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