The Netherlands ensured a return to winning ways after losing on penalties to the host nation a few days ago as FIH Hockey Pro League matches continue. Tuesday in Bhubaneswar, India.
The Netherlands put in a positive performance to beat Spain 3-0, with top scorer of the men’s tournament Gyp Jansen adding two more goals.
In the first game of the day, Ireland put up a brave fight in the early stages against Australia but could not stop the Olympic silver medalists from winning 5-0.
(Men) Australia 5 – 0 Ireland
Michael Robson celebrates his 150th birthdayth However, it wasn’t a fairytale result for the Irishman as Australia won 5-0. Ireland started well and matched their opponents in circle entries until the first quarter, but as the match progressed Australia gained the upper hand.Tom Craig opened the scoring for the Kookaburras in 17 games.th In the minute, he took a deflection directly in front of the keeper.Jeremy Hayward added drag flicks in the right spots in 22 gamesn.d. In the 1st minute, Kai Willott received the stick in front of an Irish defender and scored a deflection, capping off a great team goal in the 25th minute.th Minutes. Australia led 3-0 at half-time and looked threatening.
The Kookaburra’s continued to apply pressure throughout the second half, but only for 43 minutes.rd At that minute, Nathan Efraums picked up an awkward air ball into the Irish half and took advantage of the five-metre rule to move his body into position for a clean strike to further extend the lead. The Irish then had some good attacks but were unable to find the back of the net, with Kai Willott scoring for Australia in the 57th minute.th minutes, putting the body in a good position to complete the difficult deflection.
The Player of the Match award went to Australia’s Tom Craig. “We were a little shaky in the first quarter and maybe our basic skills were down, but I think we’re all happy with how we grew into the game.”
[Men]Netherlands 3-0 Spain
The Netherlands extended their lead with Gyp Jansen at the top of the scorer’s list as they comfortably defeated Spain 3-0. Both teams created half-chances in the first quarter, but it was Jansen who scored the first goal for the Netherlands in the 15th quarter.th 1 minute of unstoppable low resistance flicks. The Red Sticks created some great chances with an energetic start to the second quarter, but the Netherlands soaked up the pressure and stormed back in the 26th minute.th At that minute, Floris Middendorp sliced through the Spanish defense with some great individual skill to the baseline, then passed the ball back to Duco Telgenkamp for a tap-in.
There were good chances on both ends until the third quarter, but Spain were reduced to nine men due to Dutch indiscipline towards the end of the quarter, giving Spain a numerical advantage. The Spaniard earned himself a green card and quickly relinquished that advantage with a professional foul in the 51st minute.cent A yellow card in the first minute gave Holland a penalty corner, but Jansen stepped up to seal the match with another drag flick.
The best player was awarded to a satisfied Jorit Kroon The Dutch representative said: “I’m really happy with the three points and three good goals, and it’s good that we kept them scoreless. I’m happy that we bounced back after a tough match against India. It was another tiring match. But I think I did pretty well. I’m now taking a few days off and preparing for Australia.”
top scorer’s armband
To celebrate talented goalscorers throughout the season, FIH has introduced the Top Scorer Armband. It is worn as a visual mark for the fans and by the leading goalscorers in the men’s and women’s competitions this season. So that the players can wear them with pride at every game.
Current leading scorer:
Women – Ibi Jansen (NED) (11 goals)
Men – Zip Jansen (NED) (6 goals)
To check the current standings of the FIH Hockey Pro League: click here.
FIH Hockey Pro League – February 13, 2024
Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar, India (IND)
Result: Game 11 (M)
Australia 5-0 Ireland
Best Player: Tom Craig (Australia)
Referees: Raghu Prasad (IND), Rawi Ambananthan (MAS), Xiaoying Liu (CHN-video)
Result: Game 12 (M)
Netherlands 3-0 Spain
Best Player: Jorit Kroon (NED)
Referees: James Uncles (AUS), Zeke Newman (AUS), Raghu Prasad (IND-video)