Results Day 8
19 Apr 2006 04:33
England 1 beat Belgium 0
Goals: England – Matt Daly FG 4m
The last day of pool action started with England taking on fellow Europeans Belgium. While Belgium could be content with a draw to secure direct qualification, England needed to win to make the top two of pool A.
Both teams started into the game a little nervous, understandably considering the weight the result would carry. England appeared more confident however, and in a rush to get things settled, putting enormous pressure on their Belgian opponents who especially in the first few minutes struggled, unable to find their rhythm and put up adequate resistance to the English attacks.
With less than four minutes on the clock, Barry Middleton made a run through the middle, passing the ball to Matt Daly on the left, who hammered a shot into the side netting from a 45 degree angle. The goal rattled Belgium awake, and they gradually found their way into the match, finally able to keep the English at bay and get a few chances in themselves.
For the remainder of the first half, and much of the second, the game was even, England having slightly more opportunities than Belgium, but Belgium having a fair share as well. As the clock wound down in the second half, Belgium’s attempts grew more and more frantic, and this unfortunately showed in their game as well, as more and more errors creeped in, balls were not stopped, passes went straight onto English sticks or into empty space.
England had the chance to end the battle with three minutes to go, but Martin Jones’ reverse stick shot missed an empty goal. In the end, the English were content to hold on and deny the Belgians, and the match ended 1-0 for England.
After the hooter, Enland’s players and staff erupted in cheers and went around hugging and high-fiving each other, while the Belgian players were understandably disappointed – most of the players here remember Madrid all too well, and the threat of a 'Madrid all over again' is now looming large.
England on the other hand are the first team to have booked a ticket to Monchengladbach, while Belgium have to hope for Pakistan to lose their match against Ireland to qualify directly and not go to the 5-8 playoff.
Pakistan 2 draws Ireland 2
Goals: Pakistan – Dilawar Hussain FG 7m, Rehan Butt FG 42m, Ireland – Stephen Butler FG 21m PC 32m
Pakistan have joined England as the two teams from Pool A to secure their berth in the 2006 BDO World Cup in Germany, drawing 2-all with Ireland in today’s second match.
Pakistan knew before the match that all they required was a draw, but getting that result was always going to be difficult against the Irish who needed the three points to ensure they would be playing off for places 5-8 and with it still have a chance to qualify.
From the outset the Pakistani’s set about trying to build a lead, which they did in the tenth minute when defender Dilawar Hussain pushed forward and netted a field goal.
However the introduction of Stephen Butler came up trumps for the Irish with him scoring via a quick flicked shot from the right of the circle, which narrowly snuck between the post and Salman Akbar’s pads.
Butler pumped his fist towards the bench in celebration of scoring, but he wasn’t finished there, netting his second in the 32nd minute courtesy of a penalty corner drag flick, giving Ireland the halftime lead.
Pakistan weren’t going to let their place in Germany slip though, and equalized shortly after halftime with Rehan Butt netting from in front of goal. There was some doubt as to whether the cross was raised, but Irish protests came to nothing as the goal stood.
Smartly, and uncharacteristically, Pakistan held possession for much of the last 15 minutes patiently at the back as they knew the draw was enough.
Canada 2 beat Egypt 1
Goals: Canada – Connor Grimes FG 14m, Rob Short PC 28m, Egypt – Hassan Mohamed FG 46m
Canada have recorded their first points of the tournament, beating a defiant Egyptian side 2-1, ending both sides’ dreams of qualifying for Germany later this year.
Egypt went into the match knowing only a win would lift them above Ireland and into the 5-8 playoffs, while Canada were playing for pride and perhaps a slightly easier match on Friday.
Connor Grimes had the Canadians off to the start they were after midway through the first half, netting with a slick spin and pushed shot past the advancing Egyptian goalkeeper, Mohamed Omran.
Rob Short then ensured Canada would take a lead into halftime, the first time they have done that this tournament, by cracking in a penalty corner variation which saw the ball move to the right.
Egypt blew their chance of winning in the second half by having three players yellow carded for bad tackles and rough challenges; Amr Ahmed, Hassan Mohamed and Tamer Hussein, continuing their poor record throughout the tournament.
A solitary goal by Mohamed before is send-off was not enough for Egypt, as they slipped to last in Pool A behind the Canadians on goal difference.
Japan 5 beat France 3
Goals: Japan – Kenichi Katayama FG 8m, Takahiko Yamabori PC 21m, Akira Ito FG 41m, Kazuhiro Tsubouchi PC 52m, Yutaka Bito PS 69m, France – Antoine Gouedard-Comte FG 11m, Nicolas Gaillard FG 24m FG 27m
Pool B’s matches of today started off with France taking on Japan. France needed points to stay in the race for the top two in the group, while Japan also still had the chance of making the top two theoretically – if they won this encounter and New Zealand dropped at least one point against Malaysia.
With this much at stake, the two teams offered a highly entertaining match with numerous goals and luck swinging back and forth between the opponents.
Japan got on the scoreboard first with a field goal from Kenichi Katayama, but France soon struck back through Antoine Gouedard-Comte. Little later, Japan restored their lead with a penalty corner converted with a Takahiko Yamabori flick. However, a pair of goals from Nicolas Gaillard, scored within three minutes, saw the French take the lead for the first time, and they held on to it until halftime.
When the teams came back from the break, Japan soon scored the equalizer again, when Akira Ito deflected a ball across past Julien Thamin. Twelve minutes later, Japan restored their lead courtesy of a penalty corner played to the left of the goal by Yamabori and deflected in by Kazuhiro Tsubouchi.
For the remainder of the match, France tried hard to salvage at least a point but their increasing despair led to hasty play, resulting in errors, bad passes and mistrappings, and one attempt after the other failed. Japan on the other hand could win a late penalty corner in the 69th minute. They put only three players up for the corner, the rest of them staying back to defend in case of a counterattack.
The ensuing shot on goal was flat and weak, but still caught Christophe Musgens on the wrong foot quite literally, and Japan were awarded a penalty stroke that Yutaka Bito converted coolly, giving Japan a two goal lead with a minute to go and practically ending the aspirations of the French for a place in the top two of the group.
Japan on the other hand will be keeping their fingers crossed during the New Zealand vs Malaysia game – should New Zealand drop a point, Japan go to Monchengladbach!
New Zealand 4 beat Malaysia 2
Goals: New Zealand - Lloyd Stephenson FG 17m, Simon Child FG 35m, Hayden Shaw PC 39m, Bevan Hari FG 65m, Malaysia - Ahmad Tenghu FG 13m, Kuhan Shanmuganathan PC 48m
New Zealand are the third team to book a trip to Germany after recording a 4-2 win over Malaysia, but they have the Japanese to thank for the chance to do it today.
The Kiwi’s, while doing their warm up on pitch number two, would have been buoyed and pumped up by the news that Japan had upset the French, but it was the Malaysians who took the lead early on through Ahmad Tenghu.
New Zealand weren’t going to see their chance of fate slip by though, and equalized and took the lead by halftime, with goals to Lloyd Stephenson and Simon Child, the later scoring a brilliant deflection into the roof of the net just before the break.
A powerful penalty corner flick by Hayden Shaw early in the second half sent the Kiwi’s into celebrations, but Malaysia weren’t done yet, scoring an equally impressive flick from the stick of their captain Kuhan Shanmuganathan eight minutes later to remain in the hunt.
It was the Blacksticks lucky day though and a disastrous back pass by Malaysia gave Bevan Hari the chance to put the issue beyond doubt, which he did with a clinical finish as the ball sat up for him in the circle.
New Zealand celebrated their place in Monchengladbach by doing the Haka, a New Zealand tribal dance, in front of the crowd.
Korea 2 beat China 0
Goals: Korea – Jong Hyun Jang PC 15m, Sung Kweon Hong PC 65m
In the last match of today’s last round of pool action, Korea met China. While China was already confined to the 9-12 playoff, Korea needed to win to make the 1-4 bracket.
From the start of the match, Korea dominated play but time and again was denied by the excellent Chinese defense, especially Chinese goalkeeper Ri Feng Su who made some great saves today and was essential to his team not conceding more than two goals. The Chinese on the other hand found it difficult to put together promising attacks, getting near or into the Korean circle rarely and creating few goalscoring opportunities.
In the 15th minute, Koea finally found the net, with Jong Hyun Jang putting away his fourth goal in the tournament with a great drag flick at a penalty corner.
The rest of the first half, as well as much of the second, were much the same as described before, and play continued until the 65th minute without further goals. At that point, Korea was able to convert another penalty corner, this time through Sung Kweon Hong who demonstrated that he too has a superb dragflick in his repertoire.
With this 2-0 win, Korea took the last remaining berth in the Monchengladbach World Cup. China today performed very well defensively but lacked in forward drive and could not score – a good indicator of their inability to put Korea under pressure in their half is the fact that they could not win a single penalty corner in the entire match.
While Korea now takes on Pakistan in the semifinal, the hosts will meet Canada on Friday in the 9-12 playoff crossover.
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