Only two teams picked up wins on the opening day of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup for the men's Pool A. Australia and Belgium each earned three points, while England and Spain both failed to capitalise and drew 1-1. The Kookaburras cruised over Malaysia 4-0, while India pushed Belgium to the final whistle to trail 3-2 at the final horn.
MEN Pool A Australia v Malaysia 4-0 (1-0)
Glenn Turner was the first name on the Rabobank Hockey World Cup score sheet as the number one ranked team, Australia, opened their account with a emphatic 4-0 victory over 13th-ranked Malaysia. The result was especially sweet for Rob Hammond, as he received his 250th cap. Jamie Dwyer and Eddie Ockenden each got on the board, while Turner capped it off with a second-half goal to lead the Kookaburras.
MEN POOL A Belgium v India 3-2 (1-0)
John-John Dohmen was the toast of Belgium as the Red Dragons overcame stern resistance from India to take a 3-2 victory over their illustrious Asian opponents. Dohmen's late goal arrived with just 17 seconds on the clock, meaning that India didn't even have to time restart the game let alone go in search of a leveller. It was a fittingly dramatic end to a pulsating game in which both teams made massive contributions.
MEN POOL A England v Spain 1-1 (1-0)
England and Spain played out a 1-1 draw in the final men's game on day one of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup and both teams will be disappointed not to have capitalised on chances created during the game. Alastair Brogdon opened the scoring in the 6th minute after blasting home a shot for England without being challenged. Spain's Eduard Tubau was credited the second-half equaliser thanks to a video referral.
Men's action continues tomorrow, 1 June with Pool B match ups between Germany and South Africa (10:30 CET), Netherland and Argentina (16:00 CET) and New Zealand and Korea (17:30 CET). For full match schedules and live streaming visit www.rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com
