Spain outplayed Germany 3-0 and Australia defeated Netherlands 3-2 meaning both winners qualified for the Champions Trophy final yesterday. Australia had a chance to make the final if either Spain or Australia lost as Argentina shares 10 points with Spain and Australia but has a poorer goal difference and therefore plays Netherlands for third place.
Argentina’s best result in their three previous Champions Trophy appearances was fifth place in 1987 and 2003. Spain started impressively, scoring 12 seconds after the start as Santiago Freixa passed to defender Ramon Alegre running through on the right who drove to the left post where Pol Amat crashed a backstick deflection into the net.
“Spain coach Maurits Hendriks admitted to being surprised by the goal. It was not a set move we practice but one worked out by the players so it surprised me when I saw it,” Hendriks said. “We have the creativity in the team to make this type of move.”
Spain maintained a high tempo to run Germany around as Sebastian Biederlack was under suspension for the match and Germany played with one less player. David Alegre scored a field goal and Santiago Freixa converted Spain’s third penalty corner, getting a deflection into goal off the stick of Germany’s runner to seal the match. Hendriks praised his team’s effort.
“It was an all-round solid performance from the first moment,” Hendriks said.
Germany coach Markus Weise was dejected following the loss.
“I’m disappointed and we lack energy right now,” Weise said.
Netherlands 3-2 loss to Australia was crafted by Jamie Dwyer and Eddie Ockenden, assisted by the pressure of expectations of the capacity crowd expecting nothing less than a Netherlands win. Netherlands were unwilling to take risks to win. Netherlands Roderick Weusthof drilled Netherlands second penalty corner into Australia goalkeeper Stephen Lambert and the rebound fell to Geert-Jan Derikx at the left post to make an easy push into goal behind Lambert.
For 10 minutes from the middle of the first half Australia camped in Netherlands defensive quarter, pressuring for the equalizer which finally came when Grant Schubert punished a defensive error by Robert van der Horst and drove into the top of goal from the left with 11 seconds to play before the break. Australia continued to pressure Netherlands in the second half, gaining several shots on goal.
Netherlands captain Jeroen Delmee passed over 40m to Jeroen Hertzberger who deflected high into goal to bring the Rotterdam crowd to its feet.
Jonas Vingegaard on Tuesday claimed the overall Vuelta a Espana lead while Jay Vine earned the stage 10 victory for his second triumph of the race. Two-time Tour de France winner Vingegaard overhauled Torstein Traen’s lead to head the general classification by 26 seconds from the Norwegian, with Joao Almeida third and trailing the Dane by 38 seconds. Vine put in an unmatchable performance on the final climb to finish ahead of Spanish Movistar riders Pablo Castrillo and Javier Romo. “Back in red, I’m happy with it, it’s a beautiful jersey,” Vingegaard said. “I’m happy with how the day went,
Australian Alex de Minaur reached the second week of the US Open for the third year in a row with little fanfare on Saturday and said he intended to keep winning until the tournament organizers were forced to give him better billing. Despite being the eighth seed and a quarter-finalist last year at Flushing Meadows, De Minaur’s third-round match against German Daniel Altmaier was scheduled for Court 17 — the smallest of the four stadium venues in the precinct. “It is a little bit of a headscratcher for me. I’m not gonna lie,” he told reporters after progressing 6-7 (9/7), 6-3, 6-4,
RIVALRY: Carlos Alcaraz lost his previous two matches against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, in the Australian Open quarter-finals this year and Paris Olympics final last year Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday dazzled at the US Open to make the semi-finals before Novak Djokovic of Serbia danced his way through to book a New York showdown with the Spaniard that would mark the latest chapter in their generational rivalry. Former champion Alcaraz produced yet another entertaining display at Flushing Meadows to dismantle 20th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 at a sunbathed Arthur Ashe Stadium, securing his place in the last four without dropping a set this year. “Sometimes I play a shot that I should not play in that moment, but it’s the way I love
Spain are in danger of not getting out of EuroBasket Group C after losing 67-63 to Italy on Tuesday, but the defending champions still control their destiny. Marco Spissu put Italy in front for good at 64-63 with two free throws with 31 seconds left and made two more with 14 seconds remaining. Giampaolo Ricci converted one of two free throws with eight seconds on the clock. Spain, which in 2022 won their fourth title, are tied with Georgia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 2-2 each. Greece and Italy have clinched two of the group’s four spots in the round-of-16,
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