Kookaburras into World League Semis
A clinical first half display helped the Kookaburras seal a semi-final berth at the Hockey World League and, in doing so, a place at the 2014 World Cup in The Hague thanks to a 5-1 victory over India in Rotterdam.
For Australia not to automatically qualify to defend their title, Olympic silver medallists the Netherlands will need to lose their quarter final to outsiders France.
Before the match – the 100th between the two teams – much of the attention had been on Jamie Dwyer, who made his 300th appearance for Australia, but the Kookaburras demonstrated early on that their focus was firmly on securing the crucial victory. Glenn Simpson’s second minute opener put the Kookaburras in the driving seat before Matt Gohdes’s strike midway through the first half set in motion an incredible four minute period that saw India half the deficit before Australia stretched their lead, firstly to 3-1 and then to 4-1 as Russell Ford added to an Indian own goal.
Good use of the video referral system early in the second half presented Australia with a penalty corner at which Matthew Swann reacted quickest to a rebound off the goalkeeper’s helmet to make it 5-1; his third goal in seven matches.
Head Coach Ric Charlesworth admitted afterwards that he was relieved at the outcome. “My first feeling is one of relief,” said the Kookaburras’ coach. “There was a lot at stake today. After a first half like that, in the second half you just have to keep grinding it out.
“We want to win the tournament. We always came here to win but the problem in my opinion was that the biggest part of the tournament was in the middle, the quarter finals [because of the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup]. Now that’s out of the way I want us to be in the main game on Sunday.”
Speaking about his captain for the day, Jamie Dwyer, Charlesworth said, “He has been the outstanding player of this era for Australia and one of the best in the world. I’m delighted the boys put in that performance today for him.”
Like Australia’s Socceroos the night before, the Kookaburras knew that victory would in all likelihood see them through to next year’s World Cup. And no sooner had the game begun than Australia won their first penalty corner. From the set play, Chris Ciriello’s vision found Glenn Simpson in space and he made no mistake, flicking home from the middle of the circle.
The Kookaburras were then handed a numerical advantage as India lost Dharamvir Singh to a ten minute suspension, followed shortly by green card suspensions for Harbir Singh Sandhu and Trent Mitton. However, both sides were at full complement by the time Australia doubled their lead in the 20th minute. Having demonstrated his defensive qualities in charging down India’s only penalty corner of the match, Matt Gohdes made an even bigger impact at the other end minutes later as he netted to make it 2-0.
The strike sparked a frenzied period that saw four goals scored in less than three minutes. Chinglensana Singh Kangujam halved the deficit almost immediately as he capitalised on a mistake in the Kookaburras’ defence but no sooner had India hauled themselves back into the match than Australia’s two goal cushion was restored through an own goal that looped up off a defender and over the goalkeeper. And less than a minute later Russell Ford made it 4-1 as he finished off a flowing attacking move, sliding his shot inside the back post.
Eddie Ockenden’s good use of the video referral system won the Kookaburras a penalty corner four minutes into the second half and when Chris Ciriello’s powerful flick rebounded back off the goalkeeper’s helmet Matthew Swann reacted quickest to divert the ball home for 5-1. Having scored just twice in his first 88 appearances for the Kookaburras, the Queenslander has now found the back of the net three times in his last seven games.
The Kookaburras had further chances, notably two crosses in front of the Indian goal that Dwyer came within millimetres of converting, a two late penalty corners but the job was already done.
Australia will now face the winner of the quarter-final between the Netherlands and France in the semi-final, anticipated to be the Olympic silver medallists the Netherlands. That match gets underway at 1:00am AEST on Saturday.
– Hockey Australia
