World Champions Australia smashed New Zealand 9-1, Netherlands defeated Spain 5-2 and Germany beat England 4-2. Tomorrow Australia face the Netherlands, England and Spain compete for their first points and Germany clash New Zealand.
Germany beat England 4-2 in the opening match
Germany were the first leaders of the table. The hosts left England no chances in the opening match and beat them 4-2 (4-0) due to their great performance in the first half.
Germany started very enthusiastically and gained their first opportunity after a few seconds but Jan-Marco MONTAG's shot went wide. The Olympic Champions played much more aggressively than England. Oscar DEECKE brought Germany in front after a great combination with Florian FUCHS. MONTAG increased the lead by scoring at his 7th Champions Trophy in a row. He converted a penalty corner Germany won after taking the video referral. HÄNER and WESS made two more goals out of penalty corners just before half time. The Germans started with less pace into the second half and did not create that many great opportunities anymore. England won their first penalty corner immediately after Tobias HAUKE was sent to the sin-bin. Ashley JACKSON was successful, his 4-1 made England playing more confident afterwards. Five minutes before the final whistle JACKSON made it 4-2 scoring the fifth penalty corner goal in a row. Finally Germany deserved the victory although the second half was won by England.
GER v NED 4-2 (4-0)
1-0 5' Oscar DEECKE (FG)
2-0 28' Jan-Marco MONTAG (PC)
3-0 32' Martin HÄNER (PC)
4-0 35+1' Benjamin WESS (PC)
4-1 45' Ashley JACKSON (PC)
4-2 65' Ashley JACKSON (PC)
Australia smash New Zealand 9-1
New Zealand are 18 Champions Trophy games without a victory after getting smashed by their neighbours from Australia. Jason WILSON has scored two goals in his Champions Trophy debut.
Jamie DWYER opened the score in the third minute, he had never scored that early in a Champions Trophy encounter. Afterwards New Zealand gave Australia as less space as possible which made it very hard for the Kookaburras to enter the Black Sticks' circle. It took up to the 26th minute until Australia scored again: Luke DOERNER made the first of his two goals in this match. Immediately after the push-back Jason WILSON made it 3-0 and four minutes later Simon ORCHARD even increased the lead. The Black Sticks did not give up and fought back. The hopes coming back to New Zealand after Nicholas WILSON's goal did not last long because Australia answered just before the half time whistle.
The Kookaburras kept up their pace, scored phenomenal goals and frustrated their neighbours with four more goals in the second half.
AUS v NZL 9-1 (5-1)
1-0 3' Jamie DWYER (FG)
2-0 26' Luke DOERNER (PC)
3-0 27' Jason WILSON (FG)
4-0 31' Simon ORCHARD (FG)
4-1 33' Nicholas WILSON (FG)
5-1 34' Glenn TURNER (FG)
6-1 (54') Jason WILSON (FG)
7-1 (59') Russell FORD (PC)
8-1 (62') Luke DOERNER (PC)
9-1 (67') Russell FORD (FG)
Netherlands take 5-2 victory over Spain
The Netherlands beat Spain in Ramon ALEGRE' 200th cap. They are second now and overtook Germany due to the better goal difference.
The match between the Netherlands and Spain was the most competitive competition today. Jeroen HERTZBERGER took the lead in the 10th minute but Spain needed less than one minute to equalise again. It was again HERTZBERGER who brought the Dutch back in front. Nobody marked him in the Spanish circle where he received the ball and flicked it over the falling Spanish keeper Francisco CORTES. Two more goals in the 31st and 33rd minute gave the Dutch a satisfying half-time result. Mink van der WEERDEN made a goal in his debut while Teun de NOOIJER scored in his 15th of 16th Champions Trophy participations.
That Spain really wanted to strike back in the second half was underlined by David ALEGRE who scored in the first minute of the second half. ALEGRE defeated his own club goalie from Oranje Zwart. Spain struggled to create some serious chances. When Rogier HOFMAN finished a great combination with Mink van der WEERDEN it was obvious that Spain would not come back anymore. Some hectic moments came up when Santi FREIXA called the video umpire because he thought that he might have touched a ball coming from outside the circle which the Dutch goalie Mark JENNISKENS let in. But the referral was denied.
NED v ESP 5-2 (4-1)
1-0 (10') Jeroen HERTZBERGER (FG)
1-1 (11') Pau QUEMADA (FG)
2-1 (25') Jeroen HERTZBERGER (FG)
3-1 (31') Mink van der WEERDEN (PC)
4-1 (33') Teun de NOOIJER (FG)
4-2 (36') David ALEGRE (FG)
5-2 (55') Rogier HOFMAN (FG)
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