Nations Cup: Favourites Attain Semi-Last

Spain and India qualify for semifinals as Eire and Chile register necessary victories

Spain and India continued their scorching begins within the FIH Hockey Ladies’s Nations Cup Spain 2022, making it two wins out of two, with Spain registering a cushty 3-0 win over Korea, and India pulling out a detailed 2-1 win over Japan. 

With the consequence, Spain and India have now certified for the semi-finals as their 6 factors cannot be matched or bettered by two different groups of their swimming pools. All the opposite three groups in Pool A: Eire, Italy and Korea, have an opportunity to seize the second semi-final spot in Pool A. In Pool B Chile and Japan will play in a winner-takes-all match on 14 December. 

Earlier within the day Eire acquired again to successful methods in opposition to Italy, impressed by captain Kathryn Mullan’s good second half show, as she arrange the primary aim and scored the second for Eire, taking them to the second spot of the pool desk, establishing a excessive stakes match in opposition to Korea within the closing pool stage sport on 14 December. 

Chile and South Africa met within the closing sport of the day and placed on a completely entertaining present of attacking hockey. The sport regarded prefer it was heading for a tie, however Chile scored from a penalty nook, with lower than a minute left on the clock, to take all 3 factors and breathe contemporary life into their Nations Cup marketing campaign.

All groups can be again in motion on the ultimate day of pool stage matches on 14 December. 

Match 1: Eire vs Italy 2-1

Eire and Italy are two groups who play one another continuously on the continental stage and the primary half showcased their familiarity with one another’s model of play. The possession was break up between the groups evenly as each groups struggled to separate open their opponent’s defenses. Eire managed to get the ball into the aim within the second half, from a penalty nook, however the aim wasn’t given because of the shot being too excessive from the tried hit. 

Eire modified their techniques coming into the second half, utilizing wings to progress the ball, as a substitute of the middle of the sphere, and the affect was instant. Italy had been caught out on a number of events with Eire captain Kathryn Mullan appearing because the chief instigator for her group’s assaults. She arrange the opening aim, that was deflected in by Naomi Carrol, and scored Eire’s second aim with an excellent defense-splitting run, that culminated in a flick over the on-rushing keeper and into the web. Italy regarded for a method again into the competition, however couldn’t get a clear shot within the Irish circle. Italy lastly acquired on the board as Lara Oviedo scored from a properly designed penalty nook routine, however with simply 4 seconds left within the sport, the aim was merely a comfort as Eire registered their first win of the marketing campaign. 

Kathryn Mullan was awarded participant of the match, for her dominant attacking show that received her group the match, and mentioned: “It’s good to get on the board within the event, particularly after the powerful sport yesterday. We performed a superb sport and had been dominant for many elements with possession and management of the sport. We are going to keep and watch the subsequent sport between Spain and Korea, then return and begin our restoration course of.” 

Match 2: Korea vs Spain 0-3

Spain are proving themselves to be actually quick starters, taking simply 110 seconds to open the scoring of their first match in opposition to Eire yesterday, and it took them an extra 40 seconds to open the scoring in opposition to Korea. The stadium was full of Spanish followers and the group responded to their power by flying out of the gates, getting 5 pictures heading in the right direction within the first quarter. Florencia Amundson scored the primary aim with a robust shot from the suitable of the circle that went in off the far submit. Patricia Alvarez then doubled their lead, when she cleverly deflected a Torres-Quevedo shot from the highest of the circle, to beat the Korean keeper. 

Korean keeper Eunji Kim performed one of the best sport of her younger profession, thwarting scores of Spanish assaults. Spain might have scored a minimum of 4 or 5 extra targets as they saved discovering areas behind the Korean protection, however Kim’s brilliance saved the rating respectable for Korea. Spain themselves can be barely dissatisfied with the variety of possibilities they did not convert, however the scoreline improved for them within the closing quarter as Florencia Amundson notched her second aim of the sport with yet one more ripper from off a rebound from one other saved penalty nook. 

Florencia Amundson who scored the primary and third targets for Spain was awarded the participant of the match and mentioned: “We’re feeling good. This was yet one more comfy win in opposition to a superb group, so we’re able to face any group on this competitors and be ok with our possibilities.” 

Match 3: Japan vs India 1-2

India and Japan performed out a tense and intently contested encounter that resulted in an Indian win, which retains them on the high of the desk with 6 factors, whereas Japan keep within the second place, with 3 factors.

India began the sport on the entrance foot and almost discovered a gap within the very first minute, when Vandana Katariya discovered house within the circle to get a shot away, however her swinging hit did not make contact with the bouncing ball and Japan survived an instantaneous scare. India saved up the stress nevertheless, and turned the ball over within the Japanese half within the 4th minute. This time the ball fell to Salima Tete within the circle who made no mistake in dispatching a robust hit into the Japanese aim, to offer India the lead. 

Japan settled into the sport and tried to play out of the again regardless of the excessive Indian press. Nonetheless Japan discovered it tough to create goal-scoring alternatives within the Indian circle. India made loads of forays into the Japanese circle and got here away with 9 penalty corners within the sport, however their conversion of these possibilities can be a priority for coach Schopman, as they didn’t get near changing any of these alternatives all through the sport. India nevertheless continued scoring discipline targets with teenager Magnificence Dung Dung scoring within the fortieth minute to double India’s lead. Japan discovered a method again when Rui Takashima’s shot was deflected over Savita and into the aim off Indian defender Deep Grace Ekka’s stick, to arrange a tense closing 10 minutes. However the veteran Indian protection survived the stress Japan utilized until the ultimate whistle giving India an important likelihood to qualify for the semi-finals on the ultimate day of pool matches. 

Indian goalscorer Salima Tete was awarded the participant of the match and mentioned: “Japan are a superb group, so the win was good. Two back-to-back wins are clearly nice going into the remainder day, however we wish to enhance on our efficiency from right this moment and play a greater sport in opposition to South Africa within the subsequent match.”

Match 4: Chile vs South Africa 2-1

Chile and South Africa performed earlier within the yr on the World Cup the place Chile secured a slim 1-0 win, and whereas that was a gradual and defensive affair, the rematch within the Nations Cup was an end-to-end thriller that might have gone both method. Chile snatched all 3 factors, scoring with lower than a minute left within the sport to take all three factors and set-up a winner-takes-all sport in opposition to Japan within the closing pool sport.

Chile had the higher begin to the sport discovering gamers behind the South African protection twice within the opening 5 minutes, however the momentum swung South Africa’s method in the direction of the tip of the primary quarter and so they managed to attain within the first minute of the second quarter by means of the spectacular Ntsopa Mokoena, who has been their greatest participant within the event up to now. South Africa’s ascendancy continued, however two minutes later Chile had been stage due to an excellent deflection by Manuela Urroz, who was the scorer for Chile of their 1-0 win over South Africa on the World Cup. 

The second half adopted an identical sample as each groups took turns in dominating possession and territory, however neither might discover a clear opening. South Africa had their possibilities from penalty corners, however couldn’t execute their plans. Chile received a penalty nook with simply 49 seconds left on the clock and broke South African hearts, as Fernanda Villagran stepped up and buried her flick low to the suitable of the stretching South African keeper.

Manuela Urroz who leveled the scores for Chile was awarded participant of the match and mentioned: “We have now a whole lot of perception and confidence in our skills. We had been enjoying a participant quick within the closing minutes in opposition to a harmful counter-attacking group in South Africa, however we believed we might win and we proved it with that aim in the long run.”

FIH Hockey Ladies’s Nations Cup Spain 2022 

12 December 2022 Outcomes

Outcome: Match 1

Eire 2-1 Italy

Participant of the Match: Kathryn Mullan (IRL)

Umpires: Natalia Lodeiro (URU), Ymkje van Slooten (NED), Durga Devi (IND-video)

Outcome: Match 2

Korea 0-3 Spain

Participant of the Match: Florencia Amundson (ESP)

Umpires: Magali Sergeant (BEL), Junko Wagatsuma (JPN), Ana Faias (POR-video)

Outcome: Match 3

Japan 1-2 India

Participant of the Match: Salima Tete (IND)

Umpires: Xiaoying Liu (CHN), Mariana Reydo (ARG), Ymkje van Slooten (NED-video)

Outcome: Match 4

Chile 2-1 South Africa 

Participant of the Match: Manuela Urroz (CHI)

Umpires: Vilma Bagdanskiene (LTU), Ana Faias (POR), Kristy Robertson (AUS-video)