FIH Hockey World Cup action recap

England’s men beat Pakistan 4-1 in their opening World Cup group match

England got their Hockey World Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 4-1 victory over Pakistan at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amsterdam.

England set the tone early, taking the lead in the 12th minute when Stuart Rushmere finished smartly from open play to make it 1-0. Pakistan were reduced to ten men for a spell midway through the first half after Abu Mahmood received a green card in the 20th minute, and England looked to press home their advantage as the half went on.

The second quarter brought further reward for England's control of the game. Sam Ward doubled the lead in the 28th minute with a well-taken field goal, and Samuel Hooper added a third from a penalty corner just three minutes later to send England into the break firmly in command at 3-0.

England continued to dominate proceedings after the restart, and James Albery got in on the act himself, converting a penalty corner in the 47th minute to make it 4-0. Pakistan did find a way back into the contest through Afraz, who pulled a goal back in the 50th minute, but it proved to be no more than a consolation as England saw out the win in comfortable fashion.

Tom Sorsby was named the player of the match.

England’s women beat South Africa 4-0 in their opening World Cup group match

England's women got their Hockey World Cup campaign underway in style, producing a dominant and clinical display to defeat South Africa 4-0 at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amsterdam.

England made a flying start, taking the lead in the 10th minute when Darcy Bourne converted a penalty corner to make it 1-0. They doubled their advantage just four minutes later as Tess Howard showed excellent composure to finish from open play, giving England a commanding 2-0 lead heading into the remainder of the first half.

South Africa were reduced to ten players midway through the second quarter after Ané Janse van Vuuren received a green card in the 28th minute, and England made the most of their numerical advantage. Lizzie Neal added a third from a penalty corner in the 30th minute to send England into half-time firmly in control at 3-0.

England continued to press in the second half, and their dominance was rewarded once more when Sophie Hamilton finished smartly from open play in the 41st minute to make it 4-0. From there, England saw out the remainder of the game comfortably, closing out a commanding win to open their World Cup campaign.

Tess Howard was named the player of the match.

England’s men fight back to beat India 4-2 in their second World Cup group match

England battled back from behind to defeat India 4-2 in an entertaining contest at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen.

England made the perfect start, taking the lead in the 14th minute when Nicholas Bandurak finished well from open play to make it 1-0. India responded strongly, though, levelling the scores in the 17th minute through Harmanpreet Singh's penalty corner, before Dilpreet Singh put India in front for the first time in the 25th minute with a well-taken field goal, sending them into half-time with a 2-1 advantage.

England responded superbly in the third quarter to turn the game on its head. Stuart Rushmere levelled the scores in the 39th minute with a fine finish from open play, before Henry Croft put England in front just four minutes later to make it 3-2. Conor Williamson was shown a green card in the 45th minute as the contest continued to simmer.

England saw out the win in the fourth quarter, with Bandurak getting his second of the match in the 55th minute, converting from a penalty corner to make it 4-2 and seal a hard-fought victory for England.

England's women beaten 4-2 by China in their second World Cup group match

England's women lost in their second group match of the World Cup, going down 4-2 to China at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen despite a spirited late fightback.

The opening quarter passed without a goal, but China found their breakthrough in the 18th minute when Zou Meirong finished from open play to make it 1-0. Worse followed for England in a damaging spell either side of the midway point, as Chen Yang added a second field goal in the 22nd minute and Liu Chencheng struck again just a minute later to put China 3-0 up at the break.

China extended their lead early in the third quarter, Zou Meirong claiming her second of the afternoon from a penalty corner in the 35th minute to make it 4-0. 

England refused to let the scoreline stand and finished the match strongly. Tess Howard pulled a goal back in the 54th minute with a well-taken field goal, and Sophie Hamilton added a second from open play three minutes later to make it 4-2. England pushed for more in the closing minutes but ran out of time, with China holding on for the win.

England's men beat Wales 8-2 to win every group match

England's men closed out their group stage in ruthless fashion, running out 8-2 winners over Wales at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen.

England made an immediate statement, taking the lead inside the second minute when Sam Ward finished from open play to make it 1-0. Will Calnan doubled England's tally in the 13th minute with a well-taken field goal, before adding his second of the match in the 20th minute to put England 3-0 up. Wales were reduced to ten men shortly after when Daniel Kyriakides was shown a green card, and England continued to press home their advantage, with Thomas Sorsby converting from open play in the 22nd minute to make it 4-0 at the break.

After the restart, Captain Zach Wallace struck in the 41st minute to make it 5-0, before a rapid burst of second-half goals put the result beyond doubt: Samuel Hooper converted a penalty corner in the 48th minute, Henry Croft added another from a penalty corner three minutes later, and Nick Bandurak rounded off a dominant England performance with a fine finish in the 54th minute to make it 8-0. Kyriakides picked up a second card, this time yellow, in the 44th minute as Wales' afternoon continued to unravel.

Wales found some late consolation in a frantic finish, with Gareth Furlong converting a penalty stroke in the 58th minute and following up with a penalty corner a minute later to make the final score 8-2.

The win rounds off a perfect group campaign for England ahead of the knockout stages.

England's women held to a goalless draw by India in their third World Cup group match

England's women had to settle for a point in their final group match, playing out a 0-0 draw with India at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen — a result that ends their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.

Neither side could find a breakthrough in a tight opening half. England were reduced to ten players for a spell in the first quarter after Sophie Hamilton was shown a green card in the 13th minute, and they faced a sterner test at the end of the second when Tess Howard picked up a yellow card in the 30th minute, leaving England a player short as the sides went into the break level at 0-0.

The pattern continued after the restart, with England's defence standing firm during Howard's suspension. India in turn had to manage a spell with ten players of their own after Ishika Chaudhary received a green card in the 42nd minute, but neither team could turn their pressure into a goal.

The final quarter followed suit, with chances at a premium and both defences holding out to leave the match goalless at full time. The draw leaves England outside the top two in Pool D, meaning they miss out on a place in the crossover pools and will instead compete in the classification matches for places 5th to 16th.

Lottie Bingham was named the player of the match.

England's women bounced back with a 4-1 win over Chile in their opening classification match

England's women returned to winning ways with a 4-1 victory over Chile at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, with Darcy Bourne scoring twice in a dominant display.

Chile made the brighter start and took a shock lead in the fourth minute through a Paula Valdivia field goal, but England's response was immediate. Lily Walker levelled from a penalty stroke just a minute later to make it 1-1, and the sides remained locked together through the rest of a scrappy opening quarter, in which Valdivia was shown a green card in the 15th minute.

The breakthrough came late in the second quarter, and it came in a rush. Bourne struck from open play in the 29th minute to put England ahead for the first time, then repeated the trick a minute later to make it 3-1 and send England into the break with a commanding lead.

Chile could not find a way back after the restart, and England saw out the final quarter comfortably despite Hannah French picking up a yellow card in the 53rd minute. Lottie Bingham rounded off the scoring with a field goal in the 57th minute to complete a 4-1 win.

Darcy Bourne was named the player of the match.

England's men beaten 3-1 by Argentina in Pool E match

England's men were beaten 3-1 by Argentina at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, with a Tomás Domene hat-trick proving the difference in a crucial Pool E encounter.

The opening quarter passed without a goal, but Argentina made the breakthrough midway through the second when Domene converted a penalty corner in the 26th minute to make it 1-0. Nicolás Keenan was shown a green card a minute later, but England were unable to make the extra player count and went into the break a goal down.

Argentina doubled their lead early in the third quarter, Domene turning provider for himself with a field goal in the 36th minute to put the South Americans 2-0 up.

England responded through Sam Hooper, who fired home from a penalty corner in the 49th minute to halve the deficit and set up a tense final quarter. But Argentina restored their two-goal cushion with two minutes remaining, Domene completing his hat-trick from another penalty corner in the 58th minute to seal a 3-1 win.

Lucio Méndez was named the player of the match.

England's women made it two wins from two in the classification pool with a 3-2 victory over Japan

England's women came through a tight contest with Japan, holding on for a 3-2 win at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen to make it back-to-back victories in Pool G.

England could hardly have started better. Alice Atkinson converted a penalty corner inside the opening two minutes to put England ahead, and Holly Hunt doubled the advantage with a field goal in the eighth minute to make it 2-0 before the first quarter was out.

Japan responded early in the second quarter through a Shiho Kobayakawa field goal in the 16th minute, but England restored their two-goal cushion before the break as Grace Balsdon found the target from a penalty corner in the 27th minute to make it 3-1.

Emi Nishikori pulled Japan back to within a goal from a penalty corner in the 38th minute to set up a nervy finish, but England's defence held firm through a goalless final quarter to see out a 3-2 win in a match that passed without a single card.

Sophie Hamilton was named the player of the match.

England draw 2-2 with the Netherlands to miss Semi-Final spot

England secured a 2-2 draw by hosts Netherlands in a tense contest at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen.

England made the ideal start, taking the lead in the 6th minute when Stuart Rushmere finished well from open play to make it 1-0. Will Calnan was shown a green card in the 15th minute, with Netherlands defender Floris Wortelboer picking up a card of his own at the same moment, and the hosts gradually worked their way back into the contest. 

The Netherlands drew level in the 30th minute through Jip Janssen's penalty corner, before captain Thierry Brinkman put the hosts in front for the first time just two minutes later with a well-taken field goal to make it 2-1 at the break.

England pushed hard for an equaliser after the restart and got their reward in the 48th minute, when Henry Croft converted from a penalty corner to make it 2-2. Neither side could find a winner from there, and England finished third in the group to miss their Semi-Final place. 

England's women beat USA 3-1 in the ninth-place play-off at the Hockey World Cup

England's women closed out their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over the United States in the ninth/tenth place classification match at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Belgium.

England struck first through a penalty corner, Lizzie Neal finding the target in the 11th minute to make it 1-0, though the USA responded before the break, Ryleigh Heck converting her own penalty corner in the 20th minute to level the scores at 1-1. The opening exchanges also saw green cards shown to Sophie Hamilton in the 8th minute and USA's Madeleine Zimmer in the 10th, but neither side was reduced in numbers for long.

England regained the lead just before half-time, Lily Owsley converting from a penalty corner in the 25th minute to make it 2-1, and that advantage held firm through a quiet third quarter in which neither side could add to the scoreline.

England made the game safe late on, with Tess Howard rounding off the scoring from a penalty corner in the 55th minute to make it 3-1, a scoreline that held to the final whistle and secured ninth place for England at the tournament.