Hockey World Cup: goalkeeper Andrew Charter stars as Australia book semi-final spot
Goalkeeper Andrew Charter has put in a man-of-the-match performance as the Kookaburras were forced to come from two goals down to beat Spain in a thrilling quarter final clash.
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Australia has qualified for the semi-finals of the FIH Hockey World Cup after coming from behind to beat Spain 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller in Bhubaneswar.
Australian keeper Andrew Charter was the hero for the Kookaburras, saving a late penalty stroke and making a number of key saves in a man-of-the-match performance.
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The match’s defining moment came with four minutes to go, as Spain was awarded a penalty stroke.
With Australia leading 4-3, Charter brilliantly saved the shot from Spanish captain Marc Miralles, and in doing so ensured that the Kookaburras will play the winner of England and Germany in the semi-finals.
The match well and truly tested the resolve of the Australians, with Spain leading by two goals in the second quarter before a stunning four-goal burst in the space of eight minutes turned the match on its head and set up victory for the Kookaburras.
Despite being on top in the early stages and earning three penalty corners, Australia found itself 2-0 down in the second quarter after Spanish pair Xavier Gispert and Marc Recasens scored in the 19th and 23rd minute, respectively.
Kookaburras’ midfielder Flynn Ogilvie then scored a key goal on the stroke of half-time to leave Australia behind 2-1 at the big break.
Two minutes into the third quarter Australian co-captain Aran Zalewski levelled things up at after finishing off some superb baseline work from Jake Whetton.
It was then time for Jeremy Hayward, with the penalty corner expert putting away two beautiful drag flicks to put the Kookaburras in front 4-2 after 36 minutes.
Australia thought it had a fifth a couple of minutes later, however Tom Craig’s goal was somewhat controversially ruled out by the video umpire.
Spain then rebounded, with Miralles pegging a goal back in the 41st minute to make it 4-3 and set up a grandstand finish.
Both sides pushed for another goal, with Australian keeper Charter forced to make a number of key saves as the Kookaburras progressed to the semi-finals.
Game 3: Australia v South Africa
Australia has booked its spot in the FIH World Cup quarter finals after an incredible four-goal blitz from striker Blake Govers helped set up a dominant 9-2 victory over South Africa.
Remarkably, the 26-year-old scored his four goals inside the first 20 minutes as the Kookaburras blew their opponents off the park in their clash at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, India.
His first came in the third minute as Australia, playing in its alternative strip of orange and black, took control of the game in the early stages. And although Nqobile Ntuli evened things up four minutes later, the match was essentially sealed during a crazy 12-minute spell that saw the Kookaburras score five goals.
In what was defender Tim Howard’s 100th international, the Queenslander’s former housemate Tom Craig gave Australia the lead again in the ninth minute when he hammered home a tomahawk after a run into the attacking circle.
Govers then had his second five minutes later with a superb drag flick to send the Kookaburras into quarter time 3-1 up.
The Wollongong boy made it a hat-trick on 19 minutes after putting away a penalty stroke, while one minute later he had four after smacking the ball past South Africa’s keeper Gowan Jones.
The four-goal haul takes Govers’ international tally to a remarkable 126 goals from 133 games.
Jake Harvie, Daniel Beale, Jeremy Hayward and Tim Brand also found the back of the net to complete the rout.
The win saw the Kookaburras top Group A on seven points, with the team to play the winner of Malaysia and Spain in the quarter finals on Tuesday night.
Game 2: Australia v Argentina
The Kookaburras have been forced to come from behind in their second group game of the FIH Hockey World Cup, with a late equaliser securing a thrilling 3-3 draw against Argentina in Bhubaneswar, India.
A stunning strike from Australian striker Blake Govers two minutes from time sealed the draw, with Australia leading twice before being forced to chase the game in the seesawing contest.
The result leaves both Australia and Argentina on top of Group A with four points, however the Kookaburras remain in first place with a superior goal difference (8 v 1).
Fresh off their 8-0 demolition of France in the first, Australia was met with a much sterner challenge against the 2016 Olympic gold medallists, with Argentina enjoying the early balance of play until the Kookaburras settled halfway through the first quarter.
Australia then took the lead in the ninth minute after some sharp work from forward Tim Brand earned the team a penalty corner.
Jeremy Hayward then smashed the ball home from the set piece to make it 1-0 with what was his fourth goal of the tournament.
Shortly after, young striker Nathan Ephraums went close to doubling the lead, hitting the post before his second attempt was saved.
Just as the Kookaburras started to gain control of the game, Argentina struck back, with Tomas Domene slotting home a beautiful drag flick from a penalty corner to even things up at 1-1.
Australia hit back with just seconds remaining in the second quarter, with Daniel Beale putting the ball home after a goalmouth scramble.
However just as they’d done in the second quarter, the Argentinians equalised just two minutes in the third, with Maico Casella slotting away a Lucas Toscani cross from close range to make it 2-2.
The game was then end to end as both sides looked for a winner.
Lachlan Sharp thought he’d put Australia in front again after the ball ended up in the back of the net following an excellent solo run, however the goal was ruled out on video referral as the ball had struck an Argentinian knee on the way through.
Argentina then looked set create an upset against the world number one-ranked Australians, with Martin Ferreiro slotting the ball home with an excellent turn and shot with just over 10 minutes remaining in the match.
This sent the Kookaburras into all-out attack mode. Aran Zalewski came close to scoring with five minutes remaining, while Australian coach Colin Batch took the unusual step of substituting goalkeeper Andrew Charter for an extra field player with four minutes to go.
The move ultimately paid off, with striker Govers smashing a tomahawk past Argentine keeper Tomas Santiago to level scores at 3-3 with just two minutes remaining.
The Kookaburras will play their final group match against South Africa at 6:30am on Friday morning, with the top-ranked team progressing directly to the quarter finals and the second- and third-placed sides to play in the knockout crossover matches.
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Game 1: Australia v France
Hockey World Cup: Kookaburras announce intent with opening round demolition
Australia has confirmed its status as one of the favourites for the 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup with a thumping 8-0 victory over France in its opening group match at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India, on Friday night.
Jeremy Hayward and Tom Craig both bagged hat-tricks as the Kookaburras lived up to their number one world ranking in a dominant display.
Australia had the running from the opening whistle, with the team’s high press causing France plenty of problems playing out from its own end.
Craig opened the scoring in the eighth minute, breaking through the middle before finishing off a cross from Ryde Hunters Hill teammate Tim Brand with a deft touch to make it 1-0.
While the Kookaburras dominated general play, France started to work itself into the game in the second quarter, with Australia forced to defend three consecutive penalty corners and goalkeeper Andrew Charter making two sharp saves to keep the French out.
However a three-goal burst inside four minutes at the end of the second quarter put the game to bed as the Kookaburras took a 4-0 lead into half-time.
In the 26th minute Flynn Ogilvie doubled the lead with a nice shot after his initial attempt was stopped by the French keeper Thieffrey Arthur.
One minute later penalty corner expert Jeremy Hayward made it three after he buried a shot past the keeper after his first effort was also blocked.
The Aussies weren’t quite done, with Hayward making it four a minute later on the back of a wonderful penalty corner set play.
Any concerns of the team resting on its laurels after the big break were dismissed in just the first minute of the third quarter, with Craig tapping in from less than a metre out after a nice attacking move.
Hayward made it a penalty corner hat-trick in the 39th minute with a spectacular shot past the French keeper Arthur, while Craig joined him in the hat-trick club on the stroke of three-quarter time when he slotted away a loose ball inside the penalty area.
Tom Wickham then put the icing on the cake for Australia, making it 8-0 with six and a half minutes to go after some tidy lead-up work from Brand.
The performance is a positive start for the Kookaburras, who are looking to win a record-equalling fourth World Cup.
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