At the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 in Delhi, England suffered their first defeat of the competition at the hands of Spain (0-2) and Australia grabbed the lead of pool B with their victory over Pakistan (2-1), while South Africa produced another excellent performance to tie India (3-3).

Game 25 – Spain v. England: 2-0 (half-time: 1-0)

England, still unbeaten in this competition, were the first qualified for the semi-finals of this World Cup, while Spain, semi-finalists of the last three World Cups, needed to beat England, then count on Pakistan beating Australia later in the day, to have a chance to make their way to the final four on goal difference.

With less at stake, England started with not as much determination as usual and Pol AMAT, left alone in the circle, had a good chance around the 10th minute mark. This was the wake-up call England needed and they tightened the lines, putting more pressure on the Spanish circle but without creating much danger, including on a scrambled penalty-corner. James TINDALL had a long run, leaving two Spanish defenders flat-footed with a fake to penetrate the circle, but his final shot was weak and wide.

A quick combination in the circle earned England a penalty-corner but Ashley JACKSON, their remaining penalty-corner striker since Richard MANTELL’s injury, flicked it wide. Both teams, playing their fifth game in nine days, seemed physically tired, making multiple unforced errors. Spain earned a penalty-corner in the final minute of the period, after a collision between two English defenders, and Pau QUEMADA added a goal to his tally, Spain going into the break with a meagre one-goal lead.

The pace picked up in second half. Eduard TUBAU tried a difficult lob over James FAIR in the English goal but his ball ended up marginally too high. The game was flowing back and forth but was scarce in real chances until a superb collective Spanish movement in the 64th minute ended with three players arriving in front of James FAIR and Eduard TUBAU the last one to touch the ball for the second Spanish goal.

English could not react significantly and the lacklustre match ended with the three points for Spain.

Match facts (Spain v. England):

> Spain will play in the Final 5-6 on Friday, 12 March, unless PAK beat AUS by at least 13 goals. 
> Spain have featured in the Final 5-6 three times winning on all three occasions beating ENG (3-0 in 1973), India (2-0 in1978) and Argentina (3-2 in 1986).
> Pau Quemada scored his 4th PC goal at Delhi 2010.
> Eduard Tubau scored his first goal in Delhi and his ninth in World Cup competition. Only Ignacio Escudé has scored more World Cup goals for Spain (11). 
> This marked the first time England failed to score in a WC match since they fell 1-0 to Korea on 8 September 2006.
> England have now failed in score in 3 of 7 World Cup matches against Spain.
> Australia can now finish top in Pool A if they beat Pakistan.

Game 26 – Australia v. Pakistan: 2-1 (half-time: 0-1)

In the second game of the day, Australia had a chance to top the pool with a win, thanks to their goal difference boosted by their record win against South Africa (12-0). They were facing a Pakistani outfit struggling in this competition, with defeats at the hands of India, England and South Africa and a meagre win over Spain.

The Kookaburras were promptly in action and created a handful of chances in the opening five minutes but the final passes were lacking precision. Pakistan progressively became more dangerous after fifteen minutes of play, threatening Nathan BURGERS in the Australian goal in two occasions but they were most of the times confined in their defensive zone. Salman AKBAR was called into action a few times, including on two shots in quick succession from close range that he successfully deflected. Somewhat against the flow of play, Pakistan earned two penalty-corners in a row in the 24th minute and Sohail ABBAS slotted the second one in the top corner after hitting the crossbar on the first one.

Australia maintained a sustained pressure for the remainder of the period, however, despite having most of the ball possession, they could not generate any clear chance and Pakistan went into the break with their one-goal lead. The Kookaburras jumped into action as soon as play resumed and immediately equalized by Desmond ABBOTT with a powerful shot from the edge of the circle.

Play suddenly opened up with crowd pleasing movements sweeping across the field. The Pakistani forward, who have not showed much in this competition so far, were once again not combining well and the Green Shirts had to rely on penalty-corners. They had two chances on set pieces but Waseem AHMED then Sohail ABBAS were off target, as was Luke DOERNER as the other end.

With both teams eager to win, Australia to top the pool and Pakistan for pride, the last ten minutes were very intense and animated. Pakistan thought that they had forced another penalty-corner but it was denied by the video umpire, then Shakeel ABBASI had a huge chance alone at the top of the circle and sent his shot high in the crowd… The deadlock was only broken in the 68th minute by Desmond ABBOTT bursting forward to deflect a cross by Robert HAMMOND from the left, leaving the Green Shirts dejected after their forth defeat and Australia relieved to grab a last minute win despite a mediocre performance.

Match facts (Australia v. Pakistan):

> Australia beat Pakistan 2-1 to become group winner in Pool B, beating England on goal difference.
> This is Australia’s ninth semi-final berth. Only Germany has played more semi-final matches (10, excluding 2010).
> Pakistan will finish 5th or 6th in the Pool depending on the result of the South Africa – India match.
> Des Abbott scored twice to lift his WC total to four goals. He now joins Glenn Turner (AUS) as player with most field goals scored at Delhi 2010 (4).
> Sohail Abbas, Pakistan’s top goal scorer in WC competition is now on 18 goals. The all-time WC record stands at 26 goals and is held by Paul Litjens (NED). Amongst active players only Taeke Taekema (NED) has scored more goals (19).

Game 27 – South Africa v. India: 3-3 (half-time: 1-2)

The last game of pool B opposed South Africa and India, both with three losses and only one win. South  Africa were nevertheless in a positive mind after their historic win against Pakistan while India had lost three games in a row since their opening win against arch-rivals Pakistan. Unfortunately, the local crowd had lost some of its devoted patience for its team and the venue was only half full when it was overcrowded for the previous games of the host team.

South Africa started quickly, as usual, and had two good chances in the opening stages, first by Thornton McDADE with a powerful reverse stick shot saved by Adrian D’SOUZA in the Indian goal, then through a deflection from close range narrowly missed. The third opportunity was the good one and Lloyd NORRIS-JONES concluded a long run through the Indian defense with a powerful shot past the keeper to open the scoring. The African Champions continued on the same note, playing a completely different hockey than at the beginning of the competition, and missed a penalty-corner by a whisker.

Sarvanjit SINGH brought back his team level in the 17th minute after dribbling his way through the circle. This triggered a flurry of Indian attacks in front of the flag waving kop behind Erasmus PIETERSE in the South African goal. South Africa were clearly on their heels and managed to survive unscathed for a while, including on two penalty-corners scrambled by the stoppers, but Vikram PILLAY was well positioned just in front of the keeper to deflect a long pass and give the advantage to the local team.

South Africa nearly came back on the scoreboard with two spectacular moves, both concluded by deflections that had the keeper stranded but missed the top corner by inches. They nevertheless scored early after the break by Ian HALEY picking up the rebound of a penalty-corner shot stopped on the line by a defender.

India scored a third goal after a sumptuous series of passes that swept away the whole South African defense, however it was vehemently contested by the African Champions and subsequently annulled by the video-umpire with a penalty-corner allocated to South Africa at the other end! In a dramatic turn of event, Austin SMITH scored it and South Africa was suddenly leading again on the scoreboard! A long period of intense Indian pressure followed with all field players crammed in the South African 25m and some boiling hot situation in front of Erasmus PIETERSE. Gurwinder Singh CHANDI, Sarvanjit SINGH and Rajpal SINGH were very active on the right flank of the attack but time was passing and the South Africans were still hanging on for dear life. India missed a penalty-corner but Shivendra SINGH did not miss the chance to tie up the score from a wild scrum in front of the goal.

South Africa were only a few minutes away from completing a spectacular double win against Pakistan then India, only days after suffering a sobering defeat 0-12 at the hands of Australia. The tie put India in fourth place in Pool B, South Africa in fifth and relegated Pakistan to the 11th-12th place game.

Match facts (South Africa v. India):

> India finish four and qualify for the Final 7-8. This is their best WC result since 1994, when they finished fifth.
> India have never played in a Final 7-8 match in World Cup competition.
> South Africa, ranked 13th in the world, will play the Final 9-10. They will at least equal their best WC result ever which is 10th place in 1994.
> South Africa have now conceded 28 goals in five matches at Delhi 2010.
> India hold on to their unbeaten status in World Cup matches against South Africa: 1 win and 3 draws.
> Pakistan will play the Final 11-12, like they did in 1986 (11th), when they got their worst result in World Cup competition.

The Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 continues on Tuesday in Delhi with the conclusion of Pool A, when Germany face New Zealand, The Netherlands meet Korea and Canada conclude the day against Argentina.

For additional information, pictures, video clips, official game sheets, and more, please check the special FIH event site @ http://www.worldhockey.org/worldcup/.

Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 (men) – Delhi, India
Results Day 9 – Monday 8 March 2010

Spain v. England  2:0 (1:0)
ESP  35mn  Pau QUEMADA (PC)  1:0
ESP  64mn  Eduard TUBAU (FG)  2:0

Australia v. Pakistan  2:1 (0:1)
PAK  24mn  Sohail ABBAS (PC)  0:1
AUS  39mn  Desmond ABBOTT (FG)  1:1
AUS  68mn  Desmond ABBOTT (FG)  2:1

South Africa v. India  3:3 (1:2)
RSA   8mn  Lloyd NORRIS-JONES (FG)  1:0
IND  17mn  Sarvanjit SINGH (FG)  1:1
IND  24mn  Vikram PILLAY (FG)  1:2
RSA  39mn  Ian HALEY (PC)  2:2
RSA  47mn  Austin SMITH (PC)  3:2
IND  66mn  Shivendra SINGH (FG)  3:3

Pool Standings:

Pool A: 1) Netherlands 10 pts  2) Germany 8 pts  3) Korea 7pts  4) New Zealand 6 pts  5) Argentina 3 pts  6)  Canada 0 pt
Pool B: 1) Australia 12 pts (+17)  2) England 12 pts (+5)  3) Spain 9 pts  4) India 4 pts (-4)  5) South Africa 4 pts (-15)  6) Pakistan 3 p

Source: www.worldhockey.org

Game 22 – Korea v. Canada: 9-2 (half-time: 2-0)

Canada and Korea have only met twice in World Cup history and, oddly, in the same year (1998) when they drew in the round-robin and Korea beat Canada for the 7-8 classification. Here in Delhi, Korea, semi-finalists in the last two World Cups, beat Argentina and tied with Germany, but lost to New Zealand, while Canada have still not collected a point after losing to New Zealand, Germany and The Netherlands.

Korea were quicker in action, but the Canadian defense, with a solid Matthew PECK in goal, was tight and did not leave then an inch in the circle. Canada were only dangerous on counter-attacks and Myung Ho LEE in the Korean goal was called for the first time in action in the 18th minute on a deflection from close range by Connor GRIMES.

Korea had a penalty-corner in the 23rd minute and Hyun Woo NAM’s flick shaved the inside of the post for the first goal. They had another chance soon after but the Canadian defense read well the option and managed to clear. The Canadians could not outrun the speedy Koreans but were successful at progressing with crisp long passes; however they could not arrive close enough to the circle to be dangerous and it is Korea that increased their lead in the final seconds of the period on a penalty-corner that evolved in a penalty-stroke powerfully converted by Jong Hyun JANG.

Korea scored early in second period by Nam Yong LEE with a reverse-stick shot in a close angle; the ball was unfortunately deflected over the keeper by a Canadian defender, hit the far post then went in goal. They then added two quick goals by Sung Hoon YOON and Hyo Sik YOU, splitting through a Canadian defense suddenly looking dangerously porous.

Philip WRIGHT temporarily narrowed the gap in the 42nd minute but Jong Hyun JANG immediately restored the 5-goal gap on another penalty-corner. The game was now completely open and Philip WRIGHT added his second goal of the day in the 51st minute, deflecting a shot by Mark PEARSON. The fit Koreans were running wild all over the field and Hye Sung HYUN earned a penalty-corner at the end of a long run, dutifully converted by Jong Hyun JANG, his third of the game. The Canadian players had a brave final push but could not prevent a last penalty-corner by Hyun Woo NAM for a severe final score of 9-2.

Match Facts (Korea v. Canada):

> Korea beat Canada 9-2 to break the Korean WC record for scoring most goals in a match.
> Korea’s previous highest score in a World Cup match was 7 goals against Belgium (7-2) in 1994.
> Today’s defeat by 7 goals is the biggest defeat for Canada in World Cup history.
> Canada have now conceded at least 6 goals in three successive World Cup matches after losing 6-0 to both Germany and Netherlands.
> Today’s 11-goal match is the second highest scoring match at Delhi 2010, following AUS-RSA 12-0.
> Jang Jong-Hyun scored a hat-trick to become the first Korean player since Song Seung-Tae in 1998 (4-2 vs CAN) to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match.
> Jang Jong-Hyun was Korea’s top goal scorer at the 2006 World Cup scoring 5 goals.
> Lee Nam-Yong has now scored in all 4 matches for Korea at Delhi 2010.
> Philip Wright (CAN) scored twice in this match to become the first Canadian player since Rob Short in 1998 (vs GER 4-4) to score twice in a World Cup match. Wright is now on three goals in total at Delhi 2010.

Game 23 – New Zealand v. Argentina: 0-1 (half-time: 0-0)

New Zealand came into the match with two wins against Canada and Korea and a loss against The Netherlands, while Argentina were still pointless after 3 games, a situation that did not reflect their excellent level of play in this competition, especially in their narrow losses against Korea (1-2) and Germany (3-4). The Kiwis were unfortunately lining up without their injured Captain Phillip BURROWS.

Argentina dominated the early stages of the game. They earned a penalty-corner but Pedro IBARRA’s flick was saved by Kyle PONTIFEX, always a force in goal for New Zealand. Argentina had the control of play, with a clear chance for Matias PAREDES and Lucas Martin VILA alone in front of PONTIFEX but unable to control the bouncing ball. The Kiwis however were weathering the storm efficiently and started to push up field in the last ten minutes of the period; Priyesh BHANA forced a penalty-corner in the 32nd minute that evolved in a penalty-stroke but Juan Tomas ESPINOSA in the Argentinean goal stopped Ryan ARCHIBALD’s attempt and half-time was reached without any goal. 

The two teams played attractive hockey in second half, but the defences were not giving up much space. New Zealand had a chance on penalty-corner and Argentina had a golden opportunity on the ensuing counter-attack but the final pass to Mario ALMADA, alone in front of the goal, was imprecise. Kyle PONTIFEX stopped two penalty-corners in a row but could not do much on a deflection from close range by Facundo CALLIONI in the 55th minute to finally break the up the deadlock.

The goal took some wind out of the Kiwis’ sails. They survived another penalty-corner, shot wide by Pedro IBARRA, but seemed to have trouble reacting to the situation. They had a shooting chance for Priyesh BHANA but were running out of option against an Argentinean team packing up the circle and determined to earn the three points of the win.

Match Facts (New Zealand v. Argentina):

> Argentina collected their first WC victory since beating India 3-2 in the Qualification Match 9-12 in 2006.
> Today’s win ended Argentina’s 4-match losing streak in World Cup competition.
> Argentina are now one 3 points, leaving Canada as the only team that is yet to win their first points at Delhi 2010.
> Today’s 1-0 score marks the lowest scoring WC match at Delhi 2010.
> Facundo Callioni (ARG) opened the score as he did in Argentina’s match against Korea which they eventually lost (1-2).
> Ryan Archibald (NZL) joined Jamie Dwyer (AUS) as players to have missed a penalty stroke at Delhi 2010.

Game 24 – Germany v. Netherlands: 2-2 (half-time: 0-1)

The Netherlands entered the last match of the day unbeaten in the competition while Germany, the current World Champions, had to concede a draw to Korea in their opening game.  The match was played in front of large contingents of German and Dutch fans, making up for the absence of local crowd.

The Netherlands had a penalty-corner in the opening minute, and Germany forced one immediately after at the other end but neither could use them. The game settled down in a tactical chess game played mostly in midfield for a while, with tight marking, crisp passes and running off the ball rather than with it, as is often the case with these two European teams.

The fans were enjoying this classical opposition between the two teams. Play was rich in action, but scarce in scoring chances. The Netherlands had a second penalty-corner in the 15th minute, could not control it but scored on the next one by Wouter JOLIE, with a straight hit deflected by a defender in front of the keeper.

The game opened up in the final stages of the period, with some decisive accelerations and passes by Teun DE NOOIJER, but the Dutch forwards were inprecise in their final passes and Tim JESSULAT in the German goal was not in real danger. The young German team immediately pushed forward when play resumed and were dangerous twice by Philip WITTE before Oliver KORN concluded a period of intense domination with a deflection in goal in the 44th minute.

They maintained their pressure and the Dutch defense, pushed on their heels, needed all their experience to weather the storm. The Germans monopolized the ball and ran havoc in the Dutch midfield with long runs by Moritz FÜRSTE and Benjamin WESS but seldom arrived in shooting position. The Netherlands managed to force a penalty-corner but scrambled it. Shortly after, while The Netherlands were playing short after a green card to Teun DE NOOIJER, Germany took the lead by Jan-Marco MONTAG well positioned to pick up the ball rebounding from the crossbar.

The Dutch reaction was immediate and they regain control of play, with Teun DE NOOIJER, just back on the field, on hand on the post to push in goal a ball that had eluded a German defender. With this goal, the mercurial #14 has now scored in the last five World Cups since his first participation in 1994!

In a dramatic turn of event, Germany forced a penalty-corner with no time on the clock; however they could not score and the two teams left on par, a result that position them in the top two spots in pool A.

Match facts (Germany vs. Netherlands):

> The Netherland and Germany drew to lift their points total to 10 and 8 points respectively.
>This marked only the second draw at Delhi 2010 following Germany – Korea (2-2).
> On Tuesday Germany play New Zealand and Netherlands play Korea for a semi-final berth.
> Dutch captain Teun de Nooijer has now scored in five successive World Cup editions (i.e. every World Cup since 1994).
> Ties Kruize (NED) is the only other player to have scored in five World Cup editions (1973-1986).
> Oliver Korn (GER) became the 8th Germany player to score at Delhi 2010. The only other team to have seen so many different players score is England (8).
> After 24 matches at Delhi 2010, a total of 133 goals have been scored, an average of 5.54 goals per match.
> The World Cup tournament with the highest average is 1994, when 4.98 goals per match were scored.

The Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 continues on Monday in Delhi with the conclusion of Pool B, when Spain face England, Australia meet Pakistan and South Africa conclude the day against host India.

For additional information, pictures, video clips, official game sheets, and more, please check the special FIH event site @ http://www.worldhockey.org/worldcup/.

Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 (men) – Delhi, India
Results Day 8 – Sunday 7 March 2010

Korea v. Canada  9:2 (2:0)
KOR  23mn  Hyun Woo NAM (PC)  1:0
KOR  35+mn  Jong Hyun JANG (PS)  2:0
KOR  38mn  Nam Yong LEE (FG)  3:0
KOR  40mn  Sung Hoon YOON (FG)  4:0
KOR  41mn  Hyo Sik YOU (FG)  5:0
CAN  42mn  Philip WRIGHT (FG)  5:1
KOR  45mn  Jong Hyun JANG (PC)  6:1
CAN  51mn  Philip WRIGHT (FG)  6:2
KOR  61mn  Jong Hyun JANG (PC)  7:2
KOR  63mn  Hyo Sik YOU (FG)  8:2
KOR  67mn  Hyun Woo NAM (PC)  9:2

New Zealand v. Argentina  0:1 (0:0)
ARG  55mn  Facundo CALLIONI (FG)  0:1

Germany v. The Netherlands  2:2 (0:1)
NED  23mn  Wouter JOLIE (PC)  0:1
GER  44mn  Oliver KORN (FG)  1:1
GER  63mn  Jan-Marco MONTAG (FG)  2:1
NED  65mn  Teun DE NOOIJER (FG)  2:2

Pool Standings:

Pool A: 1) Netherlands 10 pts  2) Germany 8 pts  3) Korea 7pts  4) New Zealand 6 pts  5) Argentina 3 pts  6)  Canada 0 pt

Pool B: 1) England 12 pts  2) Australia 9 pts  3) Spain 6 pts  4) India 3 pts (-4)  5) Pakistan 3 pts (-6)  6) South Africa 3 pts (-15)

Source: www.worldhockey.org

At the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010, England booked their ticket for the semi-final by dominating the host India (3-2) in a fiery atmosphere in Delhi, South Africa achieved an historic win over Pakistan (4-3) and Australia rekindled their semi-final chances with a precious win over Spain (2-0).

Game 19 – Australia v. Spain: 2-0 (half-time: 1-0)

In this World Cup, Australia lost their opening game to England (2-3) but came back to beat India (5-2) and South Africa (12-0), while Spain beat South Africa (4-2) and India (5-2) but lost to Pakistan (1-2).

The game started under the Delhi blaring afternoon sun, but it did not seem to bother the Kookaburras who spent the first ten minutes peppering the Spanish goal. Grant SCHUBERT had a superb opportunity alone in front of the goal but lost the ball in his feet. Spain earned a penalty corner on their first counter-attack in the 7th minute, after intervention of the video-umpire, but the powerful high flick was wonderfully saved on the line by Kiel BROWN.

Both teams were keeping a tight marking in midfield and key players such as Jamie DWYER were kept under a close Spanish watch. Finally, Edward OCKENDEN forced a penalty-corner in the 20th minute and Luke DOERNER did not pass on the chance to open the scoring with a mid-height flick that beat Francisco CORTES in the Spanish goal. Spain scrambled two penalty-corners at the other end, then nearly scored when Eduard TUBAU stole a ball in midfield and arrived one-on-one with Nathan BURGERS, but the Australian keeper managed to push him aside enough for his shot to go off target. 

Spain were given a penalty-corner in the dying seconds of the period, after another referral to the video-umpire, but it was saved again on the line, this time by Luke DOERNER, busy at both ends on penalty-corners. The Spaniards were saved by the post on a penalty-corner soon after the break, then scrambled two set pieces of their own. With time passing and the score still marginally in favor of the Kookaburras, Spain tried to push more but were repeatedly caught in the tight net thrown by the Australian midfield. Spain were also exposing more their defense to counter-attacks and  Jamie DWYER ran 75m after stealing a ball; he set up perfectly Kieran GOVERS on the second post but the ball eluded him.

Spain picked up a yellow card on the play and were subsequently pushed back on their heels for a while and Glenn TURNER added a second goal for the Kookaburras in the 60th minute after a lengthy series of passes that mystified the Spaniards. Spain pushed in the final minutes, with Australia happy to just hit the ball up field. The Spaniards scrambled two more penalty-corner chances and Australia bagged the three points of the win, avenging in the process their loss against Spain in the semi-finals of the 2008 Olympic Games (2-3) and taking a serious option for a semi-final berth.

Match Facts (Australia v. Spain):

> Glenn Turner (AUS) netted his fifth goal this tournament, to help Australia well on their way to a ninth successive WC semi-final berth.
> Luke Doerner (AUS) is now on 6 (PC) goals at Delhi 2010, as is Taeke Taekema (NED).
> The Australian record for most goals in a World Cup tournament is 12 by Ian Cooke in 1978 and Jay Stacy in 1998.
> Ramon Alegre became the first Spanish player to be shown a yellow card this tournament.
> Spain who were in the semi-finals in two of the last three WC tournaments (2006 and 1998) will find it extremely hard to reach the last four at Delhi 2010 with six points from four matches.
> Spain failed to convert any of the eight PCs awarded to them in this match.

Game 20 – South Africa v. Pakistan: 4-3 (half-time: 0-1)

South Africa was up to a difficult task in the second match of the day. Having lost their first three encounters against Spain, England and Australia, they were pitted against a Pakistani team with their backs to the wall after losing severely to India (1-4) on opening day then to England (2-5). As in their first two games, South Africa nearly opened the scoring on a penalty-corner in the second minute of play, but it was Rehan BUTT who emerged from a wild scrum in front of Erasmus PIETERSE to score the first goal in the 6th minute.

Oddly, the Green Shirts seemed satisfied with the meagre lead and played at half-pace for a while, trying to show their individual skills but repeatedly losing the balls on unforced errors. South Africa boldly took their chances upfront and defended well a few penalty-corners, including a Sohail ABBAS low flick that went to video-umpiring referral for confirmation of the call then invalidation of the goal.

Taine PATON exposed the porosity of the Pakistani defense in the 31st minute, stealing a ball outside the 25m and running unchallenged before sending high in the stands his shot, that had Salman AKBAR stranded. South Africa had a long period of domination, dictating the pace to a Pakistani team definitely unimpressive. The final minutes of the period were all South Africa and the Green Shirts were clearly happy to pass the ball around to count down the clock and go into the break with their scanty one-goal lead.

South Africa picked up the game where they had left it, forcing a penalty-corner in the 38th minute and scoring by Gareth CARR after a well executed combination that sent the Pakistani runners in no-man’s-land. The crowd, now happy to support the underdog against the Pakistani neighbours, had more reason to erupt in wild cheers when Ian HALEY batted the ball into the empty goal after the shot from Thornton McDADE was deflected high up in the air by Salman AKBAR. Incredibly, South Africa added another goal shortly after by Taine PATON, taking advantage of a completely disoriented Pakistani defense gasping for air.

The rout continued in the 54th minute, when Salman AKBAR saw Marvin HARPER arrive alone in front of him and propel a missile in net. 4-1 for South Africa and twelve minutes to go! The South Africans (and the gamblers) in the crowd would certainly not have dreamed such a scenario one hour before. South Africa, on the verge of an historic feat, were now fighting with tooth and nail to defend their lead against Pakistani players who had lost all concept of team play.

Erasmus PIETERSE stood tall in goal to thwart some desperate final assaults. Muhammad IMRAN and Waseem AHMED scored on penalty-corners, including one that needed to be taken three times with no time on the clock, but it was too little too late and the Green Shirts left the pitch dejected while the African Champions enjoyed a deserved standing ovation from the capacity crowd.

Match Facts (South Africa v. Pakistan):

> South Africa beat Pakistan 4-3 to end their 10-match winless streak in World Cup competition.
> This is South Africa’s first WC win since 2002 when they beat Belgium 5-4 in the match for 13th place.
> South Africa join Pakistan on three points in Pool B. India are also on three points but they are still to play England tonight.

Game 21 – England v. India: 3-2 (half-time: 1-0)

The marquis match of the day opposed England, still unbeaten in the competition after wins over Australia (3-2), South Africa (6-4) and Pakistan (5-2), to a an Indian outfit that gave hope to their whole country  when they opened the World Cup with a decisive victory over arch-rivals Pakistan (4-1), only to fall to Australia (2-5) and Spain (2-5). The pundits were divided in the approach to take (more individual runs? More dribbles one-on-one? More passes?) but the crowd certainly did not worry about these technicalities and was cheering unconditionally for their heroes.

The first chance was for Sandeep SINGH on penalty-corner but his low flick did not fool the English runners. He has been harshly criticized by the powerful local media for his poor shows in defense and his inefficiency on penalty-corners, the main reason he is on the team. India committed the same basic defensive mistake as against Spain, leaving James TINDALL unmarked on the far post to quietly deflect a hard pass from Nick CATLIN in the 16th minute. Shivendra SINGH, back in the team after serving a two-game suspension for an incident against Pakistan, arrived on his own at the top of the circle, but English keeper James FAIR was waiting for him and showed his class by pushing the attacker aside until his retreating defenders could take charge of him.

Shivendra SINGH scrambled another chance a few minutes later, hurrying too much his shot. Meanwhile, the European Champions were playing their collective game with poise and speed, both in defense and counter-attack. They defended another penalty-corner successfully, this time with BHARAT officiating and they went into the break with a meager, but precious, one-goal lead.

Second period started in a corrida atmosphere, with feet stomping, flag waving, chanting, shouting and cheering. To its credit and unlike in other sports and other parts of the world, the crowd was supporting its team enthusiastically but without any jeering for the English opponents, although there was understandably little applause when Ashley JACKSON, officiating in replacement of injured Richard MANTELL, slotted a penalty-corner out of reach of Adrian D’SOUZA in the 42nd minute.

Rajpal SINGH and  Sarvanjit SINGH tried to save the nation with deep solitary runs, but England scored again in the 47th minute by Ashley JACKSON, increasing their lead  to 3 goals. Pushed by the roaring crowd, the Indian forwards finally scored by Gurwinder Singh CHANDI deflecting from close range a hard cross from the right wing, then shortly after by Rajpal SINGH on the post to collect the ball at the conclusion of a superb Asian style counter-attack that started with a save by their keeper D’SOUZA.

The last ten minutes promised to be pure hell for England, with the whole Indian team in attack and the crowd acting as twelfth and even thirteenth player. England fought fiercely on every ball and managed to maintain their structure and strict individual marking. They got a reprieve when Sardar SINGH was showed a yellow card for a nasty tackle on Ashley JACKSON. The Indians were becoming totally desperate and unnecessarily rough and lost Gurbaj SINGH on another yellow card but nevertheless nearly equalized in the dying seconds of the match by Rajpal SINGH, missing a deflection tantalizingly close to the far post.

Match Facts (England v. India):

> England beat India 3-2 to become the first team at Delhi 2010 to qualify for the semi-finals.
> England have reached the semi-finals for the second time and for the first time since 1986 when they finished runners-up to Australia.
> England have now won their last 7 WC matches.
> Ashley Jackson’s 42nd minute PC goals marked the 150th goal for England in World Cup competition.
> Jackson has now scored in each of England’s four matches at Delhi 2010.
> India (-4), Pakistan (-6) and South Africa (-15) are all on three points from four matches, with one match to go in Pool B.

The Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 continues on Sunday in Delhi when Korea face Canada, New Zealand meet Argentina and Germany conclude the day against The Netherlands.

For additional information, pictures, video clips, official game sheets, and more, please check the special FIH event site @ http://www.worldhockey.org/worldcup/.

Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 (men) – Delhi, India
Results Day 7 – Saturday 6 March 2010

Australia v. Spain  2:0 (1:0)
AUS  20mn  Luke DOERNER (PC)  1:0
AUS  60mn  Glenn TURNER (FG)  2:0

South Africa v. Pakistan  4:3 (0:1)
PAK   6mn  Rehan BUTT (FG)  0:1
RSA  38mn  Gareth CARR (PC)  1:1
RSA  41mn  Ian HALEY (FG)  2:1
RSA  46mn  Taine PATON (FG)  3:1
RSA  54mn  Marvin HARPER (FG)  4:1
PAK  68mn  Muhammad IMRAN (PC)  4:2
PAK  70+mn  Waseem AHMED (PC)  4:3

England v. India  3:2 (1:0)
ENG  16mn  James TINDALL (FG)  1:0
ENG  42mn  Ashley JACKSON (PC)  2:0
ENG  47mn  Ashley JACKSON (FG)  3:0
IND  54mn  Gurwinder Singh CHANDI (FG)  3:1
IND  57mn  Rajpal SINGH (FG)  3:2

Pool Standings:

Pool A: 1) Netherlands 9 pts  2) Germany 7 pts  3) New Zealand 6 pts  4) Korea 4pts  5) Argentina 0 pt (-5)  6)  Canada 0 pt (-13)
Pool B: 1) England 12 pts  2) Australia 9 pts  3) Spain 6 pts  4) India 3 pts (-4)  5) Pakistan 3 pts (-6) 6) South Africa 3 pts (-1)

Source: www.worldhockey.org

At the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 in Delhi, England and Spain were impressive and won over Pakistan and India on similar scores (5-2), while Australia crushed South Africa (12-0)

Game 13 – South Africa v. Australia: 0-12 (half-time: 0-5)

The first game of the day was between South Africa and Australia, a first in World Cup history. The last time these teams met was at the 2008 Olympic Games, when Australia crushed South Africa (10-0), and the last time the African Champions won over the Kookaburras was at the 1998 Commonwealth Games (3-2).  Australia opened the competition with a loss to England (2-3) but came back to beat India (5-2), while South Africa were still chasing their first point.

As in their first two games, South Africa started strongly and forced the first penalty-corner, but Justin REID-ROSS’ low drag flick was countered by runner Kiel BROWN. Australia were quickly in the driver’s seat, earning a penalty-corner by Jamie DWYER, at the origin and conclusion of a vast attacking move that swept the whole field. But the Kookaburras’ routines are not tuned yet ad they could not produced anything. Brendon BOTES in the South African goal saved his team with a desperate dive to push away a ball that was rolling agonizingly slowly on the goal line.

The game was very open, with some spectacular shots at both ends, but it is finally on a penalty-corner that Australia scored in the 15th minute by Luke DOERNER. They added one goal soon after by Glenn TURNER, left with an easy tap-in in the empty goal after a solitary counter-attack by Jamie DWYER ripped apart the South African defense. There was now constant trouble in the South African circle and Desmond ABBOTT added a third goal when he pounced on a loose ball, turned around and slotted a reverse-stick shot high out of reach of Brendon BOTES.

The South African keeper was left on his own a few minutes later to face three Kookaburras, but he managed to protect his goal. Luke DOERNER and Fergus KAVANAGH added penalty-corners and things were really looking bleak for the South Africans going into the break (0-5).

The African Champions tried hard at the beginning of second period but their cause soon became desperate when Matthew BUTTURINI added a sixth goal by cleverly beating Brendon BOTES and Luke DOERNER completed his hat-trick of penalty-corners in the 49th minute. The rout continued relentlessly, to end up with a final score of 12:0, the highest margin in World Cup history, with Luke DOERNER ending up with 4 goals.

Match facts (South Africa v. Australia):

> The Kookaburras recorded the biggest ever win in World Cup history beating South Africa 12-0.
> The biggest World Cup winning margin till today was 9 goals.
> Australia also equalled Pakistan’s 28-year-old World Cup record for most goals scored in a match by a single team (12).
> In 1982 Pakistan defeated New Zealand 12-3.
> At the 2008 Olympic Games, Australia had crushed South Africa 10-0.

Game 14 – England v. Pakistan: 5-2 (half-time: 2-0)

England, unbeaten so far in the competition, started with a bang and thought that they had taken the lead in the third minute when Iain MACKAY batted into goal a ball lifted into the circle by a Pakistani defender, however the goal was disallowed by the video-umpire after a lengthy review.

The match continued at high pace but both defences were compact and there were few serious scoring chances until a penalty-corner for England. Richard MANTELL’s powerful high flick had the keeper beaten but it shaved the outside of the port. England nevertheless went first on the scoreboard in the 21st minute by Jonty CLARKE, diving to deflect high in goal a perfect cross from the left by James TINDALL. Immediately after, James FAIR in the English goal protected the advantage with a superb save in full extension on a Sohail ABBAS penalty-corner.

Pushed by the crowd filling in the stadium for the India game later in the day, Pakistan were trying hard to tie the game, but their defense was caught flat footed by Ashley JACKSON, sneaking in their back to deflect in goal a hard pass by Barry MIDDLETON from outside the circle. Two goals down, Pakistan went into the break looking dejected and with a lot of work to do to come back in the game.

Shakeel ABBASI was the most dangerous forward for Pakistan and another one of his deep penetrations earned a penalty-corner, but Sohail ABBAS was definitively off his usual lethal form and James FAIR gloved the ball away without too much problem. It took a spectacular solitary effort by Shakeel  ABBASI through the whole English defense for Pakistan to reduce the score in the 45th minute. Things were suddenly looking brighter for the Green Shirts and another penalty-corner gave them a chance to equalize by Rehan BUTT, after the initial shot was saved again by James FAIR.

Unfortunately, England lost central defender Richard MANTELL on the play after a nasty collision with an attacker. Just when it seemed that they would struggle through the last twenty minutes, England regained the lead by Barry MIDDLETON, deflecting on the run a cross from the right. James TINDALL had a golden opportunity soon after on a one-on-one with Salman AKBAR in the Pakistani goal, but his reverse stick shot went wide.

Pakistan were handicapped in the final minutes by a yellow card to Muhammad IMRAN and Jonty CLARKE scored his second goal of the game with a hard shot from a narrow angle and Barry MIDDLETON added a fifth goal in the 64th minute. Three goals down and one player short was too much for Pakistan and the European Champions cruised to a spectacular win to maintain their unbeaten streak in the competition.

Match facts (England v. Pakistan):

> England beat Pakistan by three goals their biggest winning margin over Pakistan in World Cup competition.
> England have won 4 of their 8 World Cup matches against Pakistan, drawing 2 and losing 2.
> England go top in Pool B with 9 points from 3 matches.
> Eight England players have now scored at least once at the 2010 World Cup.
> Ashley Jackson is now on three goals in this world Cup.

Game 15 – Spain v. India: 5-2 (half-time: 2-0)

The last game of the day between Spain and host India started in the usual boisterous atmosphere. The pundits have been harsh towards the Indian team after their severe loss to Australia, but the crowd in the stadium was as devoted as ever, screaming their hope each time an Indian player was moving forward.

In this fiery atmosphere, the players needed to pass on their initial nerves with some long and spectacular runs and a few attempts on goals that did not really threaten Francisco CORTES or Sreejesh Parattu RAVEENDRAN in goals. Xavi LLEONART earned a penalty-corner after stealing a ball in the circle from a careless defender, but it was well defended. Then Albert SALA temporarily silenced the crowd when his shot on the run from the top of the circle beat RAVEENDRAN to open the scoring, but cheering only redoubled soon after.

Spain survived a wild scramble in front of their goal, with the keeper on the ground and a flurry of sticks trying to reach the ball, and India were saved by the post and equally lucky at the other end. The crowd “ooooooohed” in unison when Francisco CORTES pulled two fantastic flying saves in the Spanish goal but was stunned when Spanish Captain Pol AMAT deflected in goal a cross from Alex FABREGAS in the dying seconds of the period, giving a precious two-goal cushion to his team going into half-time.

India pushed forward as soon as play resumed and Sandeep SINGH reduced the gap on a penalty-corner, sending up a deafening roar that immediately informed the whole city of Delhi of the goal. This triggered a flurry of goals in the span of a few minutes, first Pau QUEMADA and Roc OLIVA for Spain, then Gurwinder Singh CHANDI for India, pushing the score to 4-2!

The game became a furious battle raging from end to end, with Spain clearly on their heels but holding tight to maintain their lead. With time passing, the Indian forwards started to abuse of individual runs, spectacular and crowd pleasing but rarely efficient. India had a few more chances, including on penalty-corners, but Francisco CORTES was pulling a phenomenal performance and  Pau QUEMADA closed the debate with his second penalty-corner of the match in the 67th minute.

Match facts (Spain v. India):

> Spain beat India 5-2 to collect their second win at the 2010 World Cup.
> Today’s 5 goals equalled Spain’s scoring record in World Cup matches. They also scored five times in 1973 (5-0 vs Belgium) and 2002 (5-1 vs Japan).
> Spain join Australia on 6 points from 3 matches. Only England (9 points) did better in Pool B.
> India and Pakistan are on three points from 3 matches.
> This match saw three goals being scored in three minutes time (41’, 42’, 43’). This marks the fastest set of three goals at the 2010 World Cup.
> The South Africa – England (4-6) match saw three goals being scored in four minutes time (50’, 51’, 53’).
> Albert Sala’s goal was the first for Spain in a WC match against India in 24 years.
> Pablo Amat netted once. He has now scored in all four World Cup editions since 1998. The only other player to have scored in ever WC since 1998 is Sohail Abbas (PAK).

The Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 continues on Friday in Delhi when Korea face New Zealand, The Netherlands meet Canada and Germany conclude the day against Argentina.

For additional information, pictures, video clips, official game sheets, and more, please check the special FIH event site @ http://www.worldhockey.org/worldcup/.

Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 (men) – Delhi, India
Results Day 5 – Thursday 4 March 2010

South Africa v. Australia  0:12 (0:5)
AUS  15mn  Luke DOERNER (PC)  0:1
AUS  21mn  Glenn TURNER (FG)  0:2
AUS  26mn  Desmond ABBOTT (FG)  0:3
AUS  34mn  Luke DOERNER (PC)  0:4
AUS  35+mn  Fergus KAVANAGH (PC)  0:5
AUS  44mn  Matthew BUTTURINI (FG)  0:6
AUS  49mn  Luke DOERNER (PC)  0:7
AUS  52mn  Jamie DWYER (FG)  0:8
AUS  54mn  Jamie DWYER (FG)  0:9
AUS  61mn  Glenn TURNER (FG)  0:10
AUS  65mn  Jamie DWYER (FG)  0:11
AUS  68mn  Luke DOERNER (PC)  0:12

England v. Pakistan  5:2 (0:2)
ENG  21mn  Jonty CLARKE (FG)  1:0
ENG  32mn  Ashley JACKSON (FG)  2:0
PAK  45mn  Shakeel ABBASI (FG)  2:1
PAK  48mn  Rehan BUTT (PC)  2:2
ENG  53mn  Barry MIDDLETON (FG)  3:2
ENG  62mn  Jonty CLARKE (FG)  4:2
ENG  64mn  Barry MIDDLETON (FG)  5:2

Spain v. India  5:2 (2:0)
ESP  19mn  Albert SALA (FG)  1:0
ESP  35mn  Pol AMAT (FG)  2:0
IND  39mn  Sandeep SINGH (PC)  2:1
ESP  41mn  Pau QUEMADA (PC)  3:1
ESP  42mn  Roc OLIVA (FG)  4:1
IND  43mn  Gurwinder Singh CHANDI (FG)  4:2
ESP  67mn  Pau QUEMADA (FG)  5:2

Pool Standings:

Pool A: 1) Netherlands 6 pts  2) Germany 4 pts (+6)  3) Korea 4 pts (+1)  4) New Zealand 3pts  5) Argentina 0 pt (-4)  6)  Canada 0 pt (-7)
Pool B: 1) England 9 pts  2) Australia 6 pts (+14)  3) Spain 6 pts (+4)  4) India 3 pts (-3)  5) Pakistan 3 pts (-5) 6) South Africa 0 pt

Source: www.worldhockey.org

On the third day of the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 in Delhi, Australia dominated India (5-2) in front of the boisterous local crowd, England won a high scoring game (6-4) against South Africa and Pakistan narrowly edged Spain (2-1).

Game 7 – South Africa v. England: 4-6 (half-time: 2-2)

The two teams opening the third day of competition had very different World Cup experience; England have participated in ten out of eleven previous Cups and reached the final in 1986 while South Africa only had four modest appearances, with a tenth place as best result.

South Africa started well, with Austin SMITH very active in midfield, and pushed back England on their goal. As they did in their first game against Spain, they opened the scoring, this time by Marvin HARPER well positioned in front of the goal after a decisive goal line penetration by Justin REID-ROSS. They could have increased their lead shortly after on a penalty-corner but James FAIR managed a superb diving save to protect the English goal.

England were more successful at the other end in the 14th minute, Richard MANTELL propelling the ball low out of reach of Erasmus PIETERSE to tie the score. Half way through the period, England started to increase the pressure on the South African midfield and grab control of the game, pushing back South Africa on their heels. They took advantage of a green card to Wade PATON to take the lead by Rob MOORE, hammering the ball low after a long solitary dash. Their joy was however short lived as Lloyd NORRIS-JONES managed to trickle the ball in goal from a confused scrum in front of the English keeper.

Second period started on a high tempo, England beginning to display the collective game that helped them win the European Championship. They took the lead after a quick exchange of passes in the circle between Richard MANTELL and Barry MIDDLETON, leaving Ashley JACKSON with the easy task to push the ball over the line in the empty net.

Nick CATLIN increased the lead in the 50th minute and Iain MACKAY added another one a few seconds later, making it hard for a South African team struggling for air to come back in the game. They closed the gap temporarily by Marvin HARPER but Richard MANTELL re-established the comfortable three-goal cushion with his second penalty-corner of the game in the 57th minute.

Thornton McDADE added a late goal but England ran away with a deserve victory (6-4). They showed some good form today and, after their win against Australia on opening day, kept up their hope to join The Netherlands (1990) and Germany (2002) as the only teams winning a World Cup as reigning European Champions.

Match facts (South Africa v. England):

> This is the fifth ever World Cup match to see at least 10 goals being scored and the first since 1998, when Pakistan beat England 7-5.
> Today’s six goals mark the third highest score by England in a World Cup match. England had previously scored 7 goals against Cuba in 2002 (7-0) and six against Ghana in 1975 (6-1).
> Richard Mantell (ENG) added to his three goals from the 2006 World Cup to lift his total to five WC goals, all from penalty corners. Four of these he scored against South Africa.
> England have now converted 4 of 6 penalty corners awarded at Delhi 2010 (66%).
> South Africa lost their second successive game at the 2010 World Cup going down in the second half after a 2-2 half-time score.
> South Africa have now conceded 10 goals in 2 matches at Delhi 2010.
> RSA are still to convert their first penalty corner (4 have been awarded to them).

Game 8 – Pakistan v. Spain: 2-1 (half-time: 1-0)

The second game of the day started at full speed, with both teams pleasing the crowd with fast attacking moves that swept the whole length of the pitch. There were some hot situations in front of Francisco CORTES in the Spanish goal, but the defense managed to clear. After fifteen minutes of furious back and forth attacking, the tempo somewhat abated, both teams neutralizing each other before entering the shooting circle.

Taking advantage of some havoc in the Spanish circle, Pakistan finally scored in the 30th minute by Abdul Haseem KHAN from a difficult angle and with a little help from a Spanish defender who deflected the ball in goal. In sharp contrast with the high scoring first game, these two teams in attacking mood could not generate more goals and the score remain 1-0 at half-time.

Rehan BUTT had a golden opportunity early in second period when he arrived alone on the left of the circle but his shot rolled in front of the goal. Spain had a chance on penalty-corner well defended by Pakistan and the two teams continued to neutralize each other in an entertaining display of attacking hockey.

Spain finally scored on their 5th penalty-corner of the game in the 65th minute, their broken option ending in a wild scrum in front of a stranded Salman AKBAR and David ALEGRE managed to push the ball in the net. Pakistan replied immediately and forced a penalty-corner, Abdul Haseem KHAN deflecting in goal the initial shot by Sohail ABBAS. The Pakistani, supported by the roaring crowd, hanged on for dear life and seemed relieved to see the end of the game with the three points of the win.

Match facts (Pakistan v. Spain):

> Pakistan beat Spain 2-1 to collect their first victory at Delhi 2010 and their 8th win over Spain in WC competition.
> Pakistan have are now unbeaten in their last 3 competitive matches against Spain. They also beat Spain at the 2007 CT (2-0) and drew 2-2 at the 2002 World Cup.
> Abdul Haseem Khan scored twice to lead Pakistan to victory. The last player to score multiple goals in a World Cup match for Pakistan was Muhammad Zubair vs NZL in 2006 (20 goals.)
> David Alegre scored the equaliser. He also scored for Spain in the match against South Africa.
> Both Spain and Pakistan are now on 3 points from 2 matches at the 2010 World Cup.

Game 9 – India v. Australia: 2-5 (half-time: 1-3)

The last game of the day started in a fiery atmosphere but the Aussies were not impressed by the deafening noise and the crowd was quickly silenced by a quick goal by Liam DE YOUNG calmly collecting a rebound from a shot on the crossbar. They extended their lead a few minutes later on a penalty-corner, Glenn TURNER pushing over the line a shot originally stopped by the Indian defense.

Each Indian attack was pushed on by loud cheering from the hopeful crowd and Prabhjot SINGH and Gurwinder Singh CHANDI created some hot situations in the Australian circle, but Nathan BURGERS and his defense thwarted all their attempts. The Australians were closing very quickly on the Indian players to prevent them from developing their game and they defended well the first penalty-corner with an option for Sandeep SINGH. Australia deepened the gap in the 26th minute by Desmond ABBOTT, at the conclusion of a quick exchange of passes in the circle between Liam DE YOUNG and Robert HAMMOND that mystified the Indian defenders.

India finally scored by Vikram PILLAY in the dying seconds of the period to muster some hope for the second half. Immediately after the restart, Prabhjot SINGH set up Tushar KHANDKER but his instant reverse stick shot went wide. On the counter-attack, Australia earned a penalty-corner that was shot low by Luke DOERNER to re-establish the three-goal lead.

It dampened the Indian enthusiasm and Glenn TURNER immediately scored another goal to increase the lead to a seemingly insurmountable gap.  Rajpal SINGH gave back some hope to the crowd after a long and intense sequence in the Australian circle orchestrated by Arjun HALAPPA, very active today, but the Indians were wasting energy in their traditional long individual runs and could rarely penetrate the compactly organized and disciplined Australian defense.

Adrian D’SOUZA received a huge ovation when he saved a penalty-stroke from Jamie DWYER, but Australia controlled the end of the game to collect the three points of the win in a spectacular game that pleased the hockey lovers, if not the Indian fans.

Match Facts (India v. Australia):

> India went down 5-2 and suffered their fifth straight defeat against Australia in World Cup competition.
> Liam De Young, Glenn Turner (2) and Dess Abbott all scored for the first time in World Cup competition.
> Luke Doerner scored once to add to his two goals from the 2006 World Cup. 
> Vikram Pillay became the first India player since Prabhjot Singh in 2002 to score in a World Cup match against Australia.
> Rajpal Singh scored his third World Cup goal, adding to his goals in 2006 vs ARG and RSA.
> England lead Pool B with six points from two matches. Australia, Spain, India and Pakistan are all on three points. South Africa are bottom, still awaiting their first point at this World Cup.

The Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 continues on Wednesday in Delhi when Canada face Germany, Argentina meet Korea and New Zealand conclude the day against The Netherlands.

For additional information, pictures, video clips, official game sheets, and more, please check the special FIH event site @ http://www.worldhockey.org/worldcup/.

Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 (men) – Delhi, India
Results Day 3 – Tuesday 2 March 2010

South Africa v. England  4:6 (2:2)
RSA   9mn  Marvin HARPER (FG)  1:0
ENG  14mn  Richard MANTELL (PC)  1:1
ENG  23mn  Rob MOORE (FG)  1:2
RSA  25mn  Lloyd NORRIS-JONES (FG)  2:2
ENG  43mn  Ashley JACKSON (FG)  2:3
ENG  50mn  Nick CATLIN (FG)  2:4
ENG  51mn  Iain MACKAY (FG)  2:5
RSA  53mn  Marvin HARPER (FG)  3:5
ENG  57mn  Richard MANTELL (PC)  3:6
RSA  67mn  Thornton McDADE (FG)  4:6

Pakistan v. Spain  2:1 (1:0)
PAK  30mn  Abdul Haseem KHAN (FG)  1:0
ESP  65mn  David ALEGRE (PC)  1:1
PAK  67mn  Abdul Haseem KHAN (PC)  2:1

India v. Australia  2:5 (1:3)
AUS   2mn  Liam DE YOUNG (FG)  0:1
AUS   7mn  Glenn TURNER (PC)  0:2
AUS  26mn  Desmond ABBOTT (FG)  0:3
IND  35mn  Vikram PILLAY (FG)  1:3
AUS  42mn  Luke DOERNER (PC)  1:4
AUS  43mn  Glenn TURNER (PC)  1:5
IND  53mn  Rajpal SINGH (FG)  2:5

Pool Standings:

Pool A: 1) Netherlands 3 pts (+3)  2) New Zealand 3 pts (+1)  3) Germany and Korea 1 pt   5) Canada 0 pt (-1)  6)  Argentina 0 pt (-3)
Pool B: 1) England 6 pts  2) Australia 3 pts (+2)  3) Spain 3 pts (+1)  4) India 3 pts (0)  5) Pakistan 3 pts (-2) 6) South Africa 0 pt

Source: www.worldhockey.org

Source: www.worldhockey.org

Rob SHORT (Canada) is the oldest player at 37. There are 28 players over 30 years old in the competition, 7 of them in the Canadian squad.

Muhammad Umar BHUTTA (Pakistan) is the youngest player at 17. Altogether, there are 11 teenagers in the competition (4 for Pakistan, 2 for Canada and New Zealand and 1 each for Germany, The Netherlands and Spain).

The average number of International Caps is 93.7. The team with the least international experience is by far South Africa, with an average of only 32 international Caps, about 50 Caps less than the second least experienced team (Korea with 80.6). The most experienced team is The Netherlands, with an average of 121.7 international Caps, slightly ahead of Pakistan with 120.8 Caps.

Teun DE NOOIJER (The Netherlands) has the most International Caps, with the amazing number of 416, nearly a hundred more than the next in line Waseem AHMED (Pakistan, 319 Cap) and Matthias WITTHAUS (Germany, 307 Caps). Canadians Ken PEREIRA and Rob SHORT will reach the 300 Caps milestone in their first game of the World Cup. 26 other players in this competition have more than 200 Caps (5 for the Netherlands, 4 for Pakistan and Spain, 3 for Argentina and New Zealand, 2 for Australia and India, and 1 each for Canada, England and Korea) while 2 more can expect to reach this milestone in Delhi.

At the other end of the experience spectrum is Argentinean goalkeeper Joaquin GONZALEZ ROTHBERG with only 2 International Caps to his name. 16 other players have 10 or less international appearances (3 for New Zealand, 2 for The Netherlands, Pakistan and South Africa, 1 each for Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Germany, India, and Spain).

A large number of players in this competition have Olympic and World Cup experience, with 4 already at the 1998 World Cup in Utrecht: Canadians Ken PEREIRA and Rob SHORT, and Pakistanis Sohail ABBAS and Waseem AHMED! 

7 players will celebrate their birthdays during the competition, including Pakistani Captain Zeeshan ASHRAF, who will turn 33 on opening day, and Australian Captain Jamie DWYER, who will turn 31 the day before the World Cup Final. Happy birthday!

Hero Hockey Honda FIH World Cup 2010 preview by the numbers

Source: www.worldhockey.org