The Netherlands ladies lifted the FIH Hockey Professional League trophy for a fifth time after sealing an outstanding marketing campaign with a shootout win over Belgium in Antwerp on Sunday.
The ultimate day of the season additionally introduced with it an exhilarating conflict between Germany and Spain’s males to determine who would safe qualification for subsequent yr’s FIH Hockey World Cup. It was the Spanish aspect who clinched the win when it mattered most, pulling off a 2-0 victory to e book their spot on the world match.
An elated Spanish captain Alvaro Iglesias stated: “We’re extraordinarily blissful. We knew we had a really tough job right here in Germany… and we did it, so we’re very blissful and we performed very properly.
“Each time you win, you’re all the time very grateful, however for those who win it with an even bigger prize like getting the ticket for the World Cup, it’s superb.”
In the meantime, Belgium’s males completed in second spot after claiming a shootout win over England, whose ladies’s aspect have been overwhelmed by Germany. And India suffered one other defeat by the hands of China to substantiate their relegation from the ladies’s competitors.
(Girls’s) Germany 4 – 2 England
Hosts Germany produced a superb second-half efficiency to beat England 4-2 in Berlin, successfully ending the relegation battle, as India would stay on the backside of the desk no matter their later outcome.
The Germans took the lead within the second minute, Stine Kurz slotting in a penalty stroke after Flora Peel was struck defending bravely on the road. However England hit again with two fast targets. Maddie Axford blasted a superb reverse shot within the ninth minute, and Holly Hunt volleyed one in from shoulder peak because it drifted throughout purpose off a defender. The second quarter was a scrappy one with three playing cards handed out, as England held onto their 2-1 head on the lengthy break.
The Germans bossed the second half, although, and Sara Strauss ultimately levelled the scores within the thirty ninth minute, ghosting in entrance of her marker for a deflection from open play. Lisa Nolte then edged the Germans forward within the forty seventh minute, when her direct hit from a penalty nook threaded completely between the goalkeeper and the defender on the publish. England couldn’t acquire any traction and pulled their goalkeeper off with a bit underneath 5 minutes remaining, however Kurz bagged her second drag flick within the 59th to safe the outcome.
Germany’s captain Lisa Nolte was named participant of the match and stated: “I believe at the moment everyone did that one step greater than yesterday, and we had a great defence, we scored our targets, and it was superb. I’m happy with the staff.”
(Girls’s) Belgium 2 – 2 Netherlands (SO: 0 – 2)
The Netherlands have been removed from their dominant finest in a 2-2 draw with Belgium in Antwerp, however they recovered to win the shootout 2-0.
Frédérique Matla gave the Netherlands a second-minute lead from a penalty stroke after a Belgian publish defender was struck on the physique at a penalty nook. Belgium then stepped as much as dominate the remainder of the primary half, however they nonetheless trailed 1-0 at half time.
The Dutch struggled to realize any momentum because the Belgians continued to benefit from the ascendancy within the third quarter, and Delphine Marien equalised with a neat reverse stick chip over the goalkeeper within the forty first minute. The Dutch took some management by way of the center of the fourth quarter, however they have been uncharacteristically off track and couldn’t capitalise. And it was Belgium who then snuck forward within the 59th minute, Marien finishing her brace with a well-taken penalty nook rebound. There was late drama although when the Dutch earned a penalty nook with 41 seconds left on the clock, and Yibbi Jansen stepped up. Elodi Picard saved the drag flick, however it got here up off her kicker, struck her publish defender and rolled into the purpose to disclaim them what would have been a well-deserved win. The match then went to a shootout, the place the Dutch prevailed.
Joosje Burg of the Netherlands acquired the participant of the match award and stated: “It was a very powerful match, I’m actually blissful that we gained the shootout, however we are able to do manner, manner higher than we did at the moment.”
Yibbi Jansen completed because the match’s high ladies’s purpose scorer with a powerful haul of 19 however gave credit score to her staff afterwards, saying: “We prepare loads on the penalty nook, I believe as a staff we attempt to get the penalty corners in a sport, after which now we have good injectors, good those who cease the corners, so I believe it’s in the long run a staff efficiency, however we prepare loads on it so it’s good that it will get the precise outcome.”
(Girls’s) India 2 – 3 China
China capped off their best-ever FIH Hockey Professional League match with a 3-2 win over India in Berlin, who completed the match within the relegation place.
The Chinese language dominated the stats within the first half, however it was India who opened the scoring when Sunelita Toppo carried the ball into the circle and struck a clear reverse shot within the ninth minute. There was an extended delay to deal with Deng Qiuchan on the pitch after she took a ball to the face 10 minutes later, and Zhang Ying then levelled the scores with a drag flick from the ensuing penalty nook. Zhang Ying fired China right into a 2-1 lead with seconds left within the opening half, rocketing her drag flick excessive into the web above the publish defender’s head.
India have been extra enterprising within the third quarter, and Rutaja Dadaso Pisal restored parity with a great penalty nook deflection within the thirty eighth minute. The Chinese language wrested management again once more at the beginning of the fourth quarter, nevertheless, profitable a sequence of penalty corners. Xu Wenyu gave China the lead, and in the end the win, within the 53rd minute when her well-executed penalty nook deflection discovered the roof of the web.
The participant of the match went to China’s Zhang Ying, who stated: “The win is a cheerful ending for us this season. We loved the sport, and we completed it very properly, so very blissful this season. Now now we have a whole lot of younger gamers giving the younger blood within the staff, so a whole lot of vitality, which is nice for the staff.”
(Males’s) Belgium 4 – 4 England (SO: 3 – 0)
Belgium conceded two late targets of their 4-4 draw with England in Antwerp, however they recovered properly to win the shootout 3-0 for a bonus level.
Each groups created early alternatives in an electrical first half earlier than Phil Roper fired England forward together with his ninth-minute drag flick. The Belgians hit again three minutes later when Guillaume Hellin slapped excessive into the web from a pinpoint correct move by way of the English defence. Will Calnan then restored England’s lead within the seventeenth minute after Sam Ward had scrambled the ball out from underneath the goalkeeper. Whereas Belgium completed the half on the entrance foot, their penalty nook routines allow them to down and so they nonetheless trailed 2-1 on the break.
The Purple Lions carried their dominance into the third quarter and Alexander Hendrickx levelled the scores with a strong drag flick within the thirty fifth minute. He struck the publish a minute later, however Tom Boon quickly blasted them forward from open play within the thirty eighth. Boon added a drag flick within the fiftieth, extending his record-breaking tally for the competitors to 21 targets. It seemed throughout for England, however Zachary Wallace’s penalty stroke within the fifty fifth minute gave them a glimmer of hope, and so they yanked their goalkeeper off with simply over 5 minutes remaining. The equaliser for England within the 57th minute was a purpose of the very best high quality, Jack Waller bulleting a move to Sam Ward, who deflected it in the direction of the publish for Liam Sanford to deflect in. The match then went to a shootout, the place Belgium prevailed.
The participant of the match was awarded to Belgium’s Tom Boon, who stated: “I believe we had a very good second half, particularly within the fourth quarter, we moved the ball fairly properly, and from nowhere they may come again, so it’s definitely one thing now we have to look again at. However all in all, we had a great sport.”
As for ending high purpose scorer within the match, Boon added: “Since I’m a younger child I simply take pleasure in scoring targets and having the ability to nonetheless do it at the moment I really feel actually, actually lucky to nonetheless be in that staff.”
(Males’s) Germany 0 – 2 Spain
Spain wanted a full three factors to qualify for subsequent yr’s FIH Hockey World Cup forward of Germany, and so they efficiently claimed them with an exhilarating 2-0 win in Berlin.
Alexander Stadler needed to make two good saves for the Germans contained in the opening minute as Spain earned one penalty nook and had a shot from open play. The match then settled into the hard-fought contest that was anticipated with a World Cup ticket on the road.
The Spanish misplaced their self-discipline across the 13-minute mark, receiving a inexperienced and a 10-minute yellow card inside a minute of one another. Each groups acquired inexperienced playing cards within the second quarter, however Spain someway seemed extra more likely to rating regardless of enjoying 12 consecutive minutes with at the least one participant suspended. They snatched a 1-0 lead within the twenty ninth minute when Pau Petchame’s move throughout the purpose deflected in off a defender’s stick.
There have been a few half-chances at every finish of the pitch within the third quarter, and it was nonetheless anyone’s sport heading into the ultimate interval. However Xavier Gispert doubled Spain’s lead within the fiftieth minute, carrying the ball into the circle and unleashing a scorching reverse shot into the underside nook. The Germans then pulled their goalkeeper out to chase the sport with seven minutes remaining, however a yellow card for Teo Hinrichs within the 57th minute erased that benefit. Spain had an incredible alternative to bury the ball into the empty German web, however Gonzalo Peillat stood bravely on the road and managed to nudge it over the bar. The Germans completed the match on the assault, however they only couldn’t discover a purpose.
The participant of the match was awarded to Xavier Gispert of Spain who stated: “It was a little bit of a good match, particularly in the course of the sector. The top of the sector, I believe it’s on the finish of the day what issues and what finishes the job, and I believe we did that correctly at the moment, we had our possibilities and we took care of them.”
Present Hero High Scorers:
Girls – Yibbi Jansen (NED) (19 targets)
Males – Tom Boon (BEL) (21 targets)
To see the ultimate standings within the FIH Hockey Professional League, click on right here.
FIH Hockey Professional League – 29 June 2025
Ernst Reuter Sportfeld, Berlin, Germany (GER)
Girls
Outcome: Match 70 (W)
Germany 4 – 2 England
Participant of the match: Lisa Nolte (GER)
Umpires: Kristy Robertson (AUS), Ayanna McClean (TTO), Hideki Kinoshita (JPN-video)
Outcome: Match 71 (W)
India 2 – 3 China
Participant of the match: Zhang Ying (CHN)
Umpires: Magali Sergeant (BEL), Emi Yamada (JPN), Kristy Robertson (AUS-video)
Males
Outcome: Match 72 (M)
Germany 0 – 2 Spain
Participant of the match: Xavier Gispert (ESP)
Umpires: Paul van den Assum (NED), Hannah Harrison (ENG), Ayanna McClean (TTO – video)
Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein-Antwerp, Belgium (BEL)
Girls
Outcome: Match 72 (W)
Belgium 2 – 2 Netherlands (SO: 0 – 2)
Participant of the match: Joosje Burg (NED)
Umpires: Ole Ingwersen (GER), Kamile Mockaityte (LTU), Ben Goentgen (GER-video)
Males
Outcome: Match 71 (M)
Belgium 4 – 4 England (SO: 3 – 0)
Participant of the match: Tom Boon (BEL)
Umpires: Ben Goentgen (GER), Ivona Makar (CRO), Kamile Mockaityte (LTU-video)
