Hockey World Cup 2014 , Day 7 preview: England to face Australia as India look for their first win in the tournament
With just two games to for each team before the semi-finals and the classification matches, stakes could not have been any higher for England who face a tough match against Australia with an opportunity to qualify for the semi-finals, while India will be hoping to secure their first win of the tournament when they face Malaysia who are languishing at the bottom of the table.
Spain V Belgium
In the first game of the day, Spain will face red hot Red Lions Belgium. A win for Belgium will take them to the semi-finals . Spain has played two draws in the tournament, one against England and the other against India in their last game.
Belgium on the other hand has two wins and a defeat in the three games played in the tournament. Belgium will enter the game as favourites with Tom Boon and his strike force looking to add more misery to the Spanish campaign.
Just like the last game, Alegre brothers and Santi Frexia performance will be crucial as they have the ability to take on strong Belgium team. These three players will have to come up with their best performances to stop the Belgian onslaught.
Their opponents Belgium are in great form and despite the defeat against Australia, they are still the favourites. The key for them will be Tom Boon who has had a great tournament so far, and was the most effective player on the field against Australia in their 3-1 defeat. His penalty corner expertise will once again come handy as they look to score against Spain.
Spain has been lucky so far but with Belgium as their next opponents they might just run out of their luck.
India V Malaysia
Second game of the day will see a bottom of the table clash, as India takes on Malaysia with both teams looking for their first win of the tournament. Despite having a disastrous campaign India will start as favourites in the game due to their past head-to-head records.
Indian captain Sardara Singh is looking for a victory against Malaysia, after losing two close games against Spain and England. Sardara Singh said: “We're eager to make that up tomorrow and produce our first victory in the tournament.”
Malaysia will once again bank on the experience of Kumar Subramaniam who has been great between the posts. Despite ending on the losing side, Kumar’s brilliant goalkeeping has kept the score line to a minimum. The performance of captain Azlan Misron will be vital for them, who has had a quiet tournament so far. In recent years, Malaysia has played well against India and has got some good results.
India will look to convert penalty corners when the opportunity presents itself. For India, the key will be young players like Yuvraj Walmiki and Lalit Upadhyay who have impressed the fans with their play.
With forward line of both the teams failing to perform in the tournament, the match will see fewer goals but will be high on drama.
England V Australia
Final game of the day will see England take on defending champions Australia. England will enter the game with an eye on the points as a win against Australia will open the door for semi-final berth.
Australia on the other hand is on a roll after winning all the three games and conceding just one goal in the tournament. Veteran Rob Hammond has been an absolute rock in the midfield and his performance against the likes of Ashley Jackson and Simon Mantell will be crucial in the early parts of the game. Another crucial aspect will be the performance of penalty corner experts, Kieran Govers and Chirs Ciriello as English keeper George Pinner has performed well in the tournament.
Injury to Ashley Jackson has not dampened his or the team’s spirits, as he has performed exceptionally well despite shoulder injury. Ashley Jackson along with captain Barry Middleton will have to shoulder responsibility of creating chances. Eyes will also be on striker Tom Carson who missed sitters in the game against underperforming Malaysia.
The game is of great importance to England who are still in a chance for semi-final contention and the fans back home will be looking up to them as their women team got knocked out of the World Cup.