AMSTERDAM, 22 August 2003 — Netherlands and Pakistan stayed on course to contest Sunday’s final with comfortable victories at the Champions Trophy yesterday.
Netherlands had to share six first half goals with Argentina before winning 6-3, while Pakistan overcame a second half rally from the inexperienced German team before succeeding 5-2.
Olympic champions Netherlands who are seeking to retain their Champions Trophy title at home, head the standings by two points after the fourth round of pool matches.
The Dutch play Germany, who have only sent a development side to the tournament, in their last group match tomorrow and need only a draw to make the final.
Pakistan, in second place a point ahead of Australia, will have to beat struggling India today in their last group match to be sure of reaching their first Champions final since 1998.
The Netherlands were initially shocked by the Pan-American champions, exchanging six goals between them in the first half to go into the break tied at 3-3. The Argentines were unable to keep their momentum though, and the Dutch ran out comfortable winners with another three goals in the second half.
Five different players scored for the Netherlands with Ronald Brouwer the only player to net twice. Jorge Lombi, the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, scored twice for Argentina after Matias Peredes had lashed in the game’s first goal. Kashif Jawad scored two of Pakistan’s first three goals — all from open play — in the first 25 minutes. Germany then responded with two open play goals from Benedict Sperling and a fine solo effort by Benjamin Kopp.
But when the Germans had a player sent off, Pakistan capitalized and inflated the scoreline in the last five minutes when Sohail Abbas converted his sixth tournament goal from a corner before Saleem Khalid completed the scoring.
Netherlands, meanwhile, handed world champions Argentina a record breaking 5-0 drubbing in the women’s 4-Nations Cup here Wednesday. Argentina surprised Netherlands with their speed and intensity in the first ten minutes, getting two powerful shots on goal by spreading Netherlands’ defense and getting in behind to create chances on goal.
Netherlands steadied and took control of the match for 10 minutes, pressuring Argentina’s defense with quick cross field passes. Captain Mijntje Donners scored after a series of passes between Maartje Scheepstra and Miek van Geenhuizen found Donners wide of the left post to hook the ball past Argentina’s goalkeeper, Mariela Antoniska (19th minute). Netherlands’ grinding approach finally wore down Argentina at the end of the first half with two goals in as many minutes from penalty corners by Mijntje Donners’ strike from the battery for her second goal (33rd minute) and Janneke Schopman’s deflection in of Ageeth Boomgaardt’s drag flick penalty corner conversion (34th minute) to take a commanding 3-0 lead into the second half.
Fatima Moreira de Melo finished a sparkling run along the right by Donners for Netherlands’ fourth goal (40th minute), which caused Argentina to come alive briefly. Mijntje Donners took her hat trick and Netherlands’ fifth goal from their seventh penalty corner, looping the strike over Mariela Antoniska (60th minute) after which Donners took a well-earned rest for the remainder of the match.
