Australia Beat England 4-0 to Win Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament
Hockey world champions Australia once again proved that they are the number one team in International hockey as they brushed aside a limp English team (and surprise finalists) to win the toughest annual tournament played by the top six ranked teams according to the rankings of the Federation of International Hockey.
The final was a one-sided affair as the rampant Aussie forwards took a three goal lead in the first half of the match, crushing all hopes of the Englishmen making a comeback in the match.
The tournament, inaugurated in Pakistan some 30 years ago, has become the premier event for all top ranked hockey teams; this year’s edition was held in the German city of Monchengladbach.
The Australians maintain their stranglehold on the competition, and have the most wins, followed by the Germans; the win today was their third consecutive title. This is a clear indication of their prowess in modern hockey, which was once considered the number one sport in the subcontinent when India and Pakistan ruled, with other teams struggling to make an impact in front of their artistry.
But those are tales of a distant past, as the present belongs to the Aussies, who have a great ability to play with a blend of Asian and European styles.
In the final, it was that blend that led to the downfall of their opponents, who have featured in the tournament sparingly and are yet to win it. The Englishmen failed to keep the Aussies in check, contending with a silver medal after their dramatic entry into the finals virtue of a last minute goal against New Zealand on the final day of the league matches.
The Australians started the final with their usual flair and succeeded in taking the lead as early as the sixth minute, when Luke Doerner successfully converted a penalty corner.
They compounded the miseries of their opponents when Desmond Abbott scored only a minute later. The English were down and out in only the 14th minute of the match, when Jason Wilson scored to give the Australians a 3-0 advantage.
The match was then delayed for a considerable time as rain wreaked havoc with the pitch that was inundated with water.
The surface finally dried after untiring efforts of the ground staff and the match resumed. After the resumption, the English team went on an all-out offensive, yet failed to break the shackles imposed on them by the determined Aussie midfielders and defenders.
The lopsided victory was completed when the Aussies netted their fourth goal of the match in the 49th minute. Veteran striker (and player of the tournament) Jamie Dwyer scored the final goal of the match.
The brilliant Australians were clearly the champion team in the tournament, as they won all their league matches besides their emphatic win in the final.
They were hardly challenged by any of their opponents, which included the likes of hosts Germany, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and England.
The Netherlands, who narrowly missed out on a final berth after England’s last gasp win over New Zealand, had something to cheer about on the final day of the tournament.
The Dutch outfit scored a comprehensive win over Germany, winning by 4-1 to take home the bronze medal.
All in all, the entire tournament provided a rich experience to the participating teams, who would be alarmed by the gulf that exists between them and the Australians. They will now be hoping to come back with a strong strategy to hold them at bay as the Olympics 2010 draw closer.
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