Dutch set up semis with England, Argentina take on Australia

Image
Press Trust of India The Hague (The Netherlands)
Last Updated : Jun 11 2014 | 10:18 AM IST
Olympic silver medallist The Netherlands have set up a semifinal encounter with England in the men's hockey World Cup here.
The Netherlands played out a 1-1 draw with New Zealand in their last league fixture but still topped Group B with 13 points from five outings.
Argentina, who earned their maiden men's World Cup semifinals with a 5-1 drubbing of South Africa, finished second in the group with 12 points, ousting reigning Olympic champions Germany from the semifinal race.
In the semifinals, three-time champions The Netherlands will take on England, while Argentina will meet defending champions Australia on Friday.
Velantin Verga gave Netherlands the lead against New Zealand with an opportunistic strike in the eighth minute, but the Dutch did not put too much energy into the game thereafter. They wanted to avoid any injuries ahead of the semifinals.
New Zealand striker Simon Childs weaved his way past three defenders to sent a firm shot past goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann for the equaliser seven minute from the hooter. Germany, having failed to make the semifinals for only the second time in World Cup history, hammered South Korea 6-1 in their last league fixture.
Germany finished with nine points and paid the penalty for suffering identical 1-0 defeat by The Netherlands and Argentina.
The only previous occasion that the Germans were not in the semifinals was in the inaugural World Cup in 1971 when Kenya made the semifinals at the expense of West Germany.
Argentina's previous best finish in the men's World Cup was the sixth position they got in the 1986 and 2002 World Cups.
Argentina, placed No. 11 in the world rankings, continued their robust game to seal their first-ever semifinal with Gonzago Peillat and Lucas Vila scoring two goals each after Joaquin Menini opened the scoring in the 20th minute. South Africa's lone goal came from Clinton Panther, but Argentina had by then done enough to secure entry in the semifinals.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 11 2014 | 10:18 AM IST

Next Story