Pakistan thumped South Korea 6-2 to post their first win of the Champions Trophy on Thursday. Pakistan came from behind to snap a three-game losing streak at the last major men’s tournament before the London Olympics, with captain Muhammad Imran and Abdul Khan both notching a brace. Imran proved the inspiration for a Pakistan fightback after Lee Nam-Yong’s seventh minute goal gave Korea the lead, with the skipper converting a penalty corner after 15 minutes to put the Green Shirts on the board. Khan followed up with a field goal one minute later and from there Pakistan looked assured, holding their nerve when Korea equalised and sealing the win with a four-goal burst in the final 10 minutes.
Imran said Pakistan, making their first appearance at the tournament since 2007, had finally put together a consistent performance after patchy displays in the opening rounds, including a 6-1 loss to defending champions Australia. “For the whole match we played very well,” he said. Manager Khawaja Junaid was pleased with the way his team bounced back from the confidence-sapping loss to the Kookaburras. He said that the Green Shirts, whose early losses mean they are out of medal contention in Auckland, still lagged behind the world’s top teams but the gap was closing. “I think that was the turning point for our team,” he said. “We played with organisational structure and discipline. We made less emotional mistakes, less (emphasis on) individual play. I think that’s the way to improve. “It’s still a long way to the Olympics and, taking a realistic approach, we know we’re still behind the top teams, but we’re working hard.” The win keeps alive Pakistan’s hopes of securing fifth place in the eight-nation event, which would guarantee a spot at next year’s competition in Argentina.
Australia in Champions Trophy final: Australia powered into the final of the Champions Trophy on Thursday, with Spain defeating New Zealand in the championship pool to keep alive their chances of meeting the Australians.
The Kookaburras lived up to their world number one ranking, firing home three second-half goals to defeat the Netherlands 4-2 in Pool C and earn the right to chase a record fourth straight title in Sunday’s final. In Pool D, Pakistan came from behind to thump South Korea 6-2. Spain edged past hosts New Zealand 3-2 to take pole position in the race to meet Australia in the final, thanks to a David Alegre goal four minutes from time. The victory leaves Spain in a strong position ahead of the final round of Pool C matches, but are still likely to need a win against The Netherlands on Saturday if they are to book their place in Sunday’s final. In the other Pool D match Germany overcame Britain 2-1, thanks to a last-minute penalty conversion from captain Jan-Marco Montag.
Results from matchday four of the men’s Champions Trophy field hockey tournament on Thursday:
Pool C
Australia 4 (Ciriello 29; Gohdes 50, 61; Dwyer 64) Netherlands 2 (Bakker 47; Verga 69), Spain 3 (Alegre R. 32; Tubau 42; Alegre D. 66) New Zealand 2 (Hayward 16; Hilton 36)
Pool D
Pakistan 6 (Imran 15, 69; Khan 16, 61; Ahmed W. 63; Rasool 63) South Korea 2 (Lee N-Y 7; Nam 27), Germany 2 (Zwicker 4; Montag 70) Great Britain 1 (Kirkham 22).
