The two highest ranked men’s teams in international hockey are set to go head-to-head in Match Week 3 of the FIH Hockey Pro League, with world number one Australia welcoming second-ranked Belgium to Sydney’s Olympic Park for two matches of great interest and significance.
More information about this clash of the titans and all of this week’s double headers can be found below, with the complete match schedule available by clicking here.
Spain v Germany (M)
Where: Estadio Betero, Valencia (ESP)
When: 24 & 25 January 2020, 1100 (24 Jan) & 1300 (25 Jan) local time (GMT/UTC +1)
Summary: A silver medal at last year’s Belfius EuroHockey Championships will give Spain’s Red Sticks (FIH World Ranking: 8) every reason to believe that they can achieve truly great things in 2020, but they face a Germany (WR: 6) team that regularly get it right in Olympic years and will be determined to firmly re-establish themselves as a team to be feared. Valencia’s Estadio Betero hosted some thrilling Pro League contests in 2019, and the home fans will expect more of the same this year. Two wins for Spain will see Germany drop to seventh in the new, match-based FIH World Rankings system, while two Germany victories will result in Spain falling to ninth.
Match pages (Head-to-heads, squads* & officials*):Match 1 | Match 2
USA v Netherlands (W)
Where: Karen Shelton Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (USA)
When: 24 & 26 January 2020, 1400 local time (GMT/UTC -5)
Summary: Reigning World, European and Pro League champions the Netherlands (WR:1) – who made a fine start to their title defence with two victories against China in Changzhou – arrive in North Carolina to take on a USA (WR: 13) team now coached by former US defender Caroline Nelson-Nichols. The Dutch will be hot favourites to win both matches, but this young American team has no shortage of talent and will want to make a big impression on home soil. Two USA wins could see the hosts climb from 13th to eighth in the FIH World Rankings, although that would be a big ask against Alyson Annan’s all-conquering Oranje.
Match pages:Match 1 | Match 2
Australia v Belgium (W&M)
Where: Olympic Park, Sydney (AUS)
When: 25 & 26 January 2020
Women’s matches: 1600 (25 Jan) & 1500 (26 Jan) local time (GMT/UTC +11)
Summary: Currently sitting second in the FIH World Rankings, 2019 FIH Hockey Pro League runners-up Australia will be targeting the top of the podium in 2020, although their double-header against Belgium (WR:12) will be far from straight-forward. The Red Panthers twice defeated the Hockeyroos in last year’s competition, recording a stunning 2-1 win in Melbourne before a solitary strike from teenager Ambre Ballenghein in Antwerp completed a home and away double over their illustrious opponents. Two Belgian victories this time around would have consequences for both teams in terms of the FIH World Rankings, with the Europeans climbing to eighth and Australia dropping to fourth.
Match pages:Match 1 | Match 2
Men’s matches: 1830 (25 Jan) & 1730 (26 Jan) local time (GMT/UTC +11)
A clash between the top two ranked teams is always an exciting prospect, but this one comes with added spice. Should reigning World and European champions Belgium (WR:2) claim more points than the Kookaburras (WR:1) over the two matches, the Red Lions will move to the top of the FIH World Rankings. The teams met three times in the 2019 Pro League, with Australia suffering a crushing 4-1 defeat on home soil in Melbourne before claiming two crucial, Blake Govers-inspired victories in Europe. The drag-flicking striker scored both goals in his team’s 2-0 win in Antwerp, and he was at it again in the Grand Final, scoring a 29th minute penalty stroke as the Aussies triumphed 3-2 in Amsterdam to win the inaugural FIH Hockey Pro League.
Match pages:Match 1 | Match 2
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* available 48 hours before each match
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