Hosts India are out
England, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands are through to the semi-finals of the men’s Hockey World League in India which will take place on Friday, January 17. The first semi-final match is between England and New Zealand and will kick off at 17.45 local time. England, who are unbeaten in the tournament, put out Belgium 1-0 despite considerable pressure. New Zealand just managed to beat Argentina in a sudden death penalty shoot-out after the match ended 1-1.
Australia and the Netherlands will meet in their semi-final at 20.00 local time. Australia had the easiest ride to the semis with a 7-2 quarter-final win over the hosts India. The Netherlands beat world number one Germany 2-1 after moving 2-0 up within the first six minutes.
The final takes place on Saturday January 18, at 20.00 local time. The Hockey World League is not only a prestigious prize in the international hockey calendar but it is important in calculating the world rankings. These rankings will form the basis of the pool allocation for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 which takes place in The Hague in June.