Germany snatches Champions Trophy for record 9th time

KUALA LUMPUR—Reigning World Champion Germany completed a double and snatched the Hockey Champions Trophy for a record ninth time when they defeated Olympic Champion Australia by solitary goal in the final at National Stadium on Sunday night.
Germans survived a great onslaught from the Aussies in the second in a fiercely contested second half before completing a double after having won the World Cup in 2006 in Monchengladach. Skipper Timo Wess scored all important match winners in fourth minute of the outset by converting his team’s opening penalty corner in the fifth minute.
It was great turnaround, after Germany received 0-5 hammering from the Hockeyroos a day ago which raised many eyebrows. Australians offered hardest challenge to Germans despite being reduced to ten men after Nathan Eglington was sent-off by Spanish umpire Xavier Adell to the sin-bin for hitting Benjamin Wess before half time.
German goal-keeper Christian Schutle put an outstanding display under the bars and saved many solid attempts from Aaron Hopkins and Mathew Wells. Vice President of Malaysian Hockey Federation Tenku Abdul Majid Idris Sultan Eskander presented the Pakistan donated silver trophy to German Captain Timo Wess while Australia captain Bevan George got the runners-up trophy.
Gold medal, silver and bronze medals were presented to Germany, Australia and Netherlands team respectively. Dutch penalty corner striker Taeke Taekema was declared the best player of the Tournament. Guss Vogels (Germany) was adjudged the best goal-keeper of the event.Defending Champion the Netherlands grabbed the bronze medal with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Korea.
After struggling in the first session by conceding 0-2 lead to Dutch side, Korea battled hard before going down fighting. Drag-flicker Taeke Takema scored the opener in 16th minute and Ron Reckers doubled the lead in 26th minute with a field effort. Kon Weo Woon reduced the margin one minute the second half with a field goal.
Dutch again gained control when Jeroen Hertzberger scored off an indirect drill in 52 minute. Hoon Kim Buyng his second team’s second goal through penalty corner two minutes from the hooter. Earlier in another classification match Xavier Ribas pumped in two goals to lead Spain an impressive 4-2 success over Great Britain to grab the fifth position.
Britons offered Spaniards stiff in the first half and held them to draw2-2. Spain controlled the game in the start when Victor Sojo scored in the sixth minute and veteran Xavier Ribas converted a short corner in 14th minute.
GB came back strongly when Captain Ben Hawes banged on short corner in 20th minute and Richard Mantall banged the second in almost same fashion on a penalty corner.
But Spanish pulled the rag-off GB team by scoring off back to back penalty corner in two minutes to take the game away from their opponents. Santiago Frexia made it 3-2 in 61st minute and Ribas scored the final goal in 63rd minute.
Pakistan thanks to brace of goals from full-back Muhammad Imran took the 7th position with 3-2 win in extra-time. Imran scored the golden goal in third minute of the extra-time after match was locked 2-2 in the regulation time.—Agencies