Hopefully by now every hockey player in Australia knows of the incredible performance of both the men’s (Gold Medal) and women’s (Silver Medal) Australian teams at the 2014 Rabobank World Hockey Cup. As a one eyed spectator at both finals in a spectator crowd of 15,000 at each game, it was a life time privilege to witness the quality of both games, especially the Australian men who clinically overcame a powerhouse Dutch team to win by an awesome 6 goals to one. Our women came up against hot favourites the Dutch and although gallant could not match the strength and skill of the Dutch women.
What made the Australian result more significant is that the number of hockey participants in Australia compared to that of hockey participants in Holland is approximately half. If this is used as a measuring rod then you could conclude we are ‘punching above our weight’. Mens hockey in the Netherlands is no 2 sport to their world dominant soccer team and no 1 sport of women compared to Australia where mens hockey might arguably be no 7 and women no 2 or 3.
The Dutch love to follow their hockey elite
Upon returning to Australia I was taken back, but not surprised, by the small amount of media coverage for the Australian teams’ success on the eastern seaboard, even though there was a good media reception at the Perth International airport for the return of the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos. Admittedly the World Cup Soccer and State of Origin dominated the media however the results obtained by these two special teams should have been acknowledged with something more worthy nationally. It was a great time for the larger Australian sports’ audience to know more of these great sporting achievements by hockey men and women of Australia. Future hockey participants and future sponsors of hockey in Australia lie dormant waiting to be activated. Like winning Olympic gold let us hope our hockey marketers are currently hard at work in using these achievement milestones to see hockey is promoted to the non hockey public .
Spot the Aussie amongst these partisan Dutch supporters?
FINALS ‘WRAP UP’
MENS FINAL: AUSTRALIA VERSUS NETHERLANDS
Result Men’s Final: Australia v Netherlands 6-1
Australia powered to a sensational 6-1 victory over host nation the Netherlands in the men’s final of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup, with drag-flicking defender Chris Ciriello scoring a hat-trick to help the Kookaburras retain the title that the won four years ago in New Delhi, India.
The Aussies fell behind to an early goal from Jeroen Hertzberger, but Ciriello (3), Kieran Govers, Glenn Turner and Jamie Dwyer all netted to give the Oceania Champions a resounding victory over the home favourites.
Two Kookaburras players were also honoured in the individual awards, with team captain Mark Knowles being named Rabobank Player of the Tournament, while Jeremy Hayward was given the Hero Junior Player award.
The game brought the curtain down an extraordinarily successful joint men’s and women’s tournament at the Kyocera stadium, a venue that has welcomed well in excess of 200,000 fans over 14 wonderful days of competition.
“The boys played really well today, I was just lucky to be at the end of it finishing it”, said Australia’s hat-trick hero Chris Ciriello. “It is not just a hat-trick for me, it’s for the rest of my team and Australia as well.”
Jamie Dwyer, who as well as scoring in the final became Australia’s joint highest caps holder alongside Jay Stacy, said: “We have played really great hockey throughout the tournament, it’s the best hockey I think we have ever played. The game is getting faster and more attractive, and the Dutch played a really good game but thankfully we got the better of them.”
It was a truly remarkable performance from the Kookaburras, a team that has produced the most impressive of title defences here in The Hague.
Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth, who has now coached four World Cup winning teams, said afterwards, “You dream about winning the final of the World Cup by a big score. I have done that many times and I always thought it was possible but today we gave effect to that so I’m very, very proud of the team.
Kookaburras captain Mark Knowles said, “I’m very honoured to win the title again. What we play hockey for is to play in big matches. We were very disappointed after London 2012 [where the Kookaburras won a bronze medal] and we made some changes. We wanted to be better.
“That’s the big thing within this group – it’s about improving. Certainly it’s a team that’s growing and you want to keep moving. I think that’s the greatest thing of this tournament for us; we moved forward.
“Very rarely do you play top quality matches, top, top performances in big games and I’m just so honoured and so proud of the guys from today… that’s a performance that we can all be proud of. It’s what you hope will happen in big matches but you don’t always expect it.
“It’s pretty amazing for our sport in the country and I feel really, really proud of the guys and the coaching staff and what we’ve been able to achieve tonight. That’s just the fairy-tale end to a World Cup that’s been very, very good.”
Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 Tournament Awards – Men
Rabobank Best Player: Mark Knowles, Australia
Hero Best Junior Player: Jeremy Hayward, Australia
Volvo Best Goalkeeper: Jaap Stockmann, Netherlands
Hero Top Scorer: Gonzalo Peillat, Argentina
Ten Cate Best Goal: Sebastien Dockier, Belgium
WOMENS FINAL: AUSTRALIA VERSUS NETHERLANDS
Result Women’s Final: Netherlands v Australia 2-0
First half goals from team captain Maartje Paumen and retiring legend Kim Lammers gave the Netherlands a thoroughly deserved 2-0 victory over Austalia’s Hockeyroos in the women’s final of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 in The Hague.
The Netherlands were simply superb throughout the contest, with Paumen netting a 12th minute penalty stroke before ace striker Lammers netted a second in her 200th and final international match.
The result, which was watched by 15,000 screaming fans in the Kyocera Stadium, as well as a global audience of millions, gives the reigning Olympic champions their seventh world crown following titles in 1974, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1990 and 2006.
“I could only dream of this,” said Kim Lammers immediately after the match. “I’m so proud of the team and that we kept focussed all the time. We played a good semi-final but we needed to keep focused, of course, on the final. We waited until our chances came and finally we got this penalty stroke. Maartje Paumen, she’s a killer, a lot of pressure but she does it always. Then I got my chance and it’s a dream to score in a World Cup Final in our own home and on my 200th cap.”
Lammers was further honoured winning Adidas Best Goal of the Tournament for her brilliant deflection against New Zealand in pool play. Paumen was named Hero Top Scorer, with seven goals, while speedy Oranje midfielder Ellen Hoog was named Rabobank Best Player of the Tournament. Australia’s Rachael Lynch was named Interpolis Best Goalkeeper after her pivotal performance in the Hockeyroos’ semi-final shoot-out win.
Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, handed out the gold medals in front of a roaring home crowd, while FIH President Leandro Negre presented the Women’s Hockey World Cup trophy to captain Paumen.
Powered on by the sensational atmosphere in the stadium, the opening ten minutes of the match were absolutely electrifying, with the Netherlands bombing forward at will and looking every bit like the champions elect. Player of the tournament Hoog saw her brilliant backhand effort tipped around the post by ace shot-stopper Lynch before a Paumen penalty corner drag-flick was intercepted by Australia’s captain fantastic Madonna Blyth.
The Hockeyroos almost silenced the cheering home fans when a fine trap and shot from Emily Hurtz brought an impressive save from Joyce Sombroek before the opening goal arrived in the 12th minute. Paumen slammed a penalty stroke into the top left corner immediately following a rash challenge on attacking live-wire Roos Drost. The goal sent the home fans into raptures and allowed the Netherlands to believe that their dream of winning the World Cup on home soil may actually become a reality.
The Netherlands doubled their advantage six minutes before the break when Lammers netted from close range following an explosive charge down the left from Player of the Tournament Ellen Hoog. It was a special moment for Lammers, a player who will go down in history as one of the all-time greats of Dutch hockey.
Australian sporting teams are well-known for their “never-say-die” attitude, and the Hockeyroos were certainly not going to go down without a fight. The Champions of Oceania had penalty corner chances either side of half time, with gifted drag-flicker Anna Flanagan bringing the best out of Sombroek early in the second period. However, it was the Dutch who continued to look the most dangerous and would surely have had a third were it not for Karri McMahon’s stick save from another Paumen penalty corner rocket. Lammers and Kelly Jonker also went close before a blistering backhand shot from Hoog was denied only by the right post.
The Australians continued to battle hard right up until the final seconds, but nothing could deny the all-conquering Dutch girls, who now become reigning Olympic and World champions.
Speaking after the match, Hockeyroos Head Coach Adam Commens said, “We’re very proud of our efforts and I think that a silver medal shows how far we have come since the Olympic Games. We came fifth in London and now, since London, we’ve played a number of tournaments – I think five in total – and we’ve made the final of all of them. We won the Champions Challenge, we won the World League 3, we won at the Oceania Cup, a silver medal in the World League 4 and now a silver medal here in the World Cup. So, it’s been a really good 18 months for us.“
Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 Awards:
Rabobank Best Player: Ellen Hoog, Netherlands
Hero Best Junior Player: Florencia Habif, Argentina
Interpolis Best Goalkeeper: Rachael Lynch, Australia
Hero Top Scorer: Maartje Paumen, Netherlands
Adidas Best Goal: Kim Lammers, Netherlands
IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MENS HOCKEY FINAL CLICK HERE
If YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE WOMENS HOCKEY FINAL CLICK HERE
Source: http://www.rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com / Hockey Australia
