AMSTERDAM, 18 August 2003 — The Netherlands, the reigning Olympic champions, took a big step toward the Champions Trophy men’s final with a 5-3 defeat of Australia yesterday.
A day after their thrilling 4-3 defeat of India, the Dutch moved two points clear of their five rivals in the world’s top six event.
Midfield star Teun de Nooijer was the key to the victory over the Australians who had won the previous match between the two sides 6-1 in Australia at the start of the year. De Nooijer’s passing brought the first two Dutch goals inside 22 minutes, scored by Matthijs Brouwer and Karel Klaver. Nathan Eglinton broke forward for Australia to make it 2-1 but the Dutch swept into a big lead in the second half.
Rob Reckers, Take Taekama and Bram Lomans, with a penalty conversion, made it 5-1 by the 51st minute, although Australia managed late replies from Matthew Wells and Dean Butler.
The high scoring continued as Pakistan and India both recorded their first victories to move into second and third places in the pool table. Pakistan defeated Argentina 6-5 while India were 3-2 winners over Germany, who are fielding their development squad.
Pakistan led Argentina 4-0 at one stage but allowed the PanAm champions to square it at 5-5 before Rehan Butt hit a brilliant reverse stick winner.
Pakistan fought off a brilliant comeback from Argentina as Sohail Abbas broke the 200-goal barrier for his country. Pakistan took a 4-0 lead after 25 minutes through two goals each for Sohail Abbas — the 200th and 201st of his international career — and Shabbir Hussain but allowed Argentina to score four times in the second half to set up a thrilling finish.
With seven minutes to play, the score was 5-5 but Pakistan pulled through thanks to Rehan Butt’s 69th minute goal.
Fresh from winning the Pan-American Games to qualify for the Athens Olympics earlier this week, Argentina took the game to Pakistan in the first quarter but had no answer to the powerful penalty corner conversions of Abbas or the deft dribbling of Shabbir Hussain.
Abbas scored brought up his double century on Pakistan’s first corner in the seventh minute and converted again four minutes later with a high flick.
But Pakistan replied again two minutes later when Rehan Butt fired in a right cross for Kashif Jawad to deflect into goal. Argentina brought the score back to 5-3. Jorge Lombi leveled the scores through a penalty corner conversion and a penalty stroke to set up a titanic last eight minutes.
India were twice behind against Germany but Gagan Ajit’s second goal clinched a late victory for them.
Earlier Germany went twice up with Sperling (25th) and Sahmel (46th) hitting true. Gagan had earlier pulled one back in the 42nd minute, His winner came seven minutes after Prabhjot Singh had rallied India back into contention with a 61st minute equalizer.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced earlier yesterday that electronics giant Samsung had signed a four-year deal to become a global partner.
Samsung joins existing FIH partners BDO International and Rabobank in an agreement that will last until the men’s and women’s World Cups in 2006.
