This Sunday, the Euro Hockey League's two most consistent teams will face each other in the tournament final following a hugely entertaining Saturday in the Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen. UHC Hamburg of Germany, who were winners in 2008 and losing finalists in 2009, will play H.C. Rotterdam, a team that have reached their first final following two third place finishes in previous editions of the tournament.
Germany's Uhlenhorster Hockey Club Hamburg sealed their third consecutive Euro Hockey League final appearance thanks to a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Spain's Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. The Germans - who were missing star attacker Carlos Nevado due to a late injury - recovered from a two goal deficit to force the game into extra time thanks to strikes from Patrick Breitenstein and Jonas F├╝rste, with team captain Moritz F├╝rste scoring the decisive goal in the penalty shootout to seal a memorable win. Despite being guilty of an own goal early in the game, goalkeeper Nico Jacobi was the hero for UHC, making three brilliant saves in the shoot-out to give his team victory.
A hat-trick from Dutch international forward Jeroen Hertzberger helped to secure a first Euro Hockey League final appearance for H.C. Rotterdam, as his team claimed a 3-4 triumph over host club Amsterdam H&BC. The game was a close and exciting contest throughout, but a penalty stroke awarded following a video umpire referral three minutes from the end of the game proved decisive, with Hertzberger making no mistake from the spot. It was a dramatic finish to a game that saw Amsterdam H&BC have the lead on three occasions, but their Dutch rivals were worthy winners of a match watched by a big crowd in bright sunshine. Extensive reports and video highlights of both matches can be found on the Euro Hockey League website.
The finals of the Euro Hockey League and the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup take place on Sunday, with the action beginning at 1030hrs (CEST) as the women of Den Bosch aim to win their 11th successive elite European tournament when they face UHC Hamburg, who will be hoping to win the first of two European titles for their club. The Dutch side will go into the match as strong favourites, but the Germans have already proven themselves to be a fiercely competitive team in the competition. The second match of the day (1245hrs) is the play-off for third place in the Euro Hockey League, as Amsterdam H&BC face Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. Amsterdam will be hoping that they can match the performance of their women, who achieved a third place finish in the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup with a 4-1 victory over Azerbaijan's AtaSport on Saturday. The grand finale of the EHL begins at 1500hrs, as the men of UHC Hamburg and H.C. Rotterdam do battle for the Alain Danet Trophy.
This weekend's Euro Hockey League matches are being transmitted around the world by a number of broadcasters, with EuroSport 2, Eurosport Asia Pacific, NET 5 (Netherlands), Taj TV (India) and others showing the games either live or delayed. The men's tournament is also being live streamed free of charge on the Euro Hockey League website, ensuring that as many people as possible can watch the action. For full broadcast information, video highlights and the latest news from the exciting conclusion to the European season, please visit www.ehlhockey.tv .
Schedule
EHL Final Four (Men) and
EuroHockey Club Champions Cup Final Four (Women)
Amsterdam H&BC, Amstelveen (NED)
21-23 May 2010
Match Schedule
Friday 21 May 2010
1630hrs - EuroHockey CCC Semi Final 1 (Women)
Atasport (AZE) v UHC Hamburg (GER) 1-2 (1-2)
1900 - EuroHockey CCC Semi Final 2 (Women)
Amsterdam H&BC (NED) v Den Bosch (NED) 1-2 (1-1)
Saturday 22 May 2010
1200 - EHL Semi Final 1
UHC Hamburg (GER) v RC Polo de Barcelona (ESP) 3-2 APS [2-2 (0-2)]
1430 - EHL Semi Final 2
Amsterdam H&BC (NED) v HC Rotterdam (NED) 3-4 (3-2)
1700 - EuroHockey CCC 3/4 Place Match (Women)
AtaSport (AZE) v Amsterdam H&BC (NED) 1-4 (1-1)
Sunday 23 May 2010
1030 - EuroHockey CCC Final: UHC Hamburg (GER) v Den Bosch (NED)
1245 - EHL 3/4 Place Match: RC de Polo de Barcelona (ESP) v Amsterdam H&BC (NED)
1500 - EHL Final: UHC Hamburg (GER) v H.C. Rotterdam (NED)
Note: All times are local (CEST).
