Latest news with #MarkHager
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hosts Argentina too good for Kookaburras, Hockeyroos
Argentina have condemned Australia to FIH Pro League misery after defeating the Kookaburras and the Hockeyroos in Santiago del Estero. The Australian men's hockey team could not replicate their earlier blistering form against the Argentinians, losing 1-0 on Monday (AEDT). The Hockeyroos then coughed up an early lead to fall 2-1 to Argentina's women. Mark Hager's men had surged to a dominant 2-0 win over Argentina to start the Santiago del Estero leg last week, before suffering an agonising 4-3 penalty shootout loss to Belgium after drawing 2-2. Australia enjoyed a rest day before their Argentina rematch, but coach Hager admitted at halftime the break had only made his team slow to the ball. Unable to break the deadlock against a tactically sound opposition in the opening half, Jack Welch sent Australia's best shot at goal wide in the third quarter. The visitors were made to pay for their wastefulness just seconds later, with Bautista Capurro finding the matchwinner. Maico Casella had sent the ball over an unwitting Australian defence into the circle, with Capurro clinical to cap off the passage. The Kookaburras earned a penalty corner with 10 seconds remaining, but they fluffed their opportunity to equalise. The hunt for an equaliser falls just short as we narrowly go down to the game: v 🇧🇪 Tue 25 FEB 9am AEDT - watch live and free on 7plus — Kookaburras (@Kookaburras) February 23, 2025 Argentina leapfrog Australia in the standings to sixth with their third win of the season. "It was a tough game," Kookaburras captain Anand Gupte said. "They were a tough unit to crack defensively and they countered really fast. They found our gaps in defence. "Credit where it's due, they played really well but we'll be looking to improve our basics." Later on Monday, the Hockeyroos got onto the front foot early with Jade Smith finding the back of the net five minutes into the first quarter. But Agustina Gorzelany levelled less than a minute later before a Brisa Bruggesser goal launched Argentina ahead in the second term. Australia withstood a flurry of attacks to stem the scoreboard bleeding in the second half, but they could not mount their own challenge. Jade Smith finishes off a superb piece of team play our first of the day 👌📺 Live and free on 7plus — Hockeyroos (@Hockeyroos) February 24, 2025 Katrina Powell's charges only took five shots at goal to ten, from 16 circle entries to 27. The sixth-placed Hockeyroos are now on a four-game losing streak, dating back to their 3-1 loss to China in Sydney. Australia will return to the pitch on Tuesday morning (AEDT) for their final matches in Argentina, with the Kookaburras up first against Belgium.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kookaburras impress against Argentina, Hockeyroos lose
Cooper Burns travelled to Argentina hoping to secure his spot as a Kookaburra and the 22-year-old did his chances a world of good in his fifth international. His second goal in Friday's Pro League match helped the Australians to a 2-0 win over Argentina in Santiago del Estero. Following an exodus of players post Paris, coach Mark Hager revealed he was looking for young talent to fill the final spots of his team. Tim Brand, after a good pass from Craig Marais, opened the scoring in the first quarter. They increased their advantage five minutes before half-time when Burns found a loose ball on the edge of the circle and smacked it into the back of the net. Cooper Burns with a clinical finish after some immense pressure from Craig to force the turnover 🔥Don't miss the second half, live and free on 7plus. — Kookaburras (@Kookaburras) February 20, 2025 Argentina looked to respond immediately, hitting the post and finding clear space in the Kookaburras circle. But, in the second half, scrappy play off eight penalty corners saw Argentina fade. Kookaburras midfielder Ky Willott said the game was intense. "It was a defensive battle for us in the end, but we came out strong. It was a really pleasing performance," he said. "Even when the sun went down in the second half, it got harder as it went on, so we're happy to come out on top." The Hockeyroos, meanwhile, went down 2-1 despite a strong performance from Jade Smith. Eight minutes into the clash, Argentina found an opening when Sofia Toccalino crossed the ball into an unmarked Brisa Bruggesser who converted. The world No.2s then took a bigger foothold in the game when Agustina Gorzelany received the ball and thrashed it towards goal. The ball skimmed off an Aussie stick and went straight in between the legs of keeper Aleisha Power. The Australians did cut the deficit early in the fourth quarter when Smith capitalised off a Madison Brooks shot that ricocheted off the keeper. The Hockeyroos grew in confidence but a string of fine saves by keeper Cristina Cosentino secured the win. Captain Mariah Williams admitted the slow start had cost the Hockeyroos. "It took us a little bit to get into the game and in the second half we focused on a few things we needed to fix up," she said. "It showed on the scoreboard and on the pitch. We have a really good game to play and we came out in the second half and gave it our all." The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos next face Belgium on Saturday.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kookaburras end Sydney Pro League leg with Dutch defeat
Just 24 hours after losing to Spain, the Kookaburras have suffered another Pro League penalty shootout defeat to the Netherlands at Sydney Olympic Park. Having beaten the Dutch 4-2 on Thursday, Mark Hager's new-look outfit were confident going into the clash against the side who knocked them out of the 2024 Paris Olympics at the quarter-final stage. After both sides went close, the defending Olympic champions took the lead in the seventh minute after Derck de Vilder sliced through and finished expertly past Mitch Nicholson. Jeremy Hayward levelled in front of a boisterous home crowd, which also featured plenty of orange, firing home a penalty corner hard and low just before halftime. The hosts netted again before the main break, with Ben White flicking home the rebound for his first goal in green and gold after another penalty corner was saved. Ben White with his first goal in Kookaburras colours to put us ahead against the in to 7pus now to watch live and free. — Kookaburras (@Kookaburras) February 9, 2025 The world No.1 Dutch beat Spain 4-2 and 2-1 earlier in the week, but another clinical Hayward set-piece drag-flick conversion pushed Australia out to a 3-1 lead early in the third quarter, and White extended the advantage in the 34th minute, finishing off a wonderful Nathan Ephraums pass. But then the Dutch went into overdrive. Pepijn van der Heijden pulled one back early in the final term, and it was 4-3 with just over 10 minutes to go after Miles Bukkens deflected another penalty corner home. And it was 4-4 on 57 minutes when, yet again from a penalty corner, van der Heijden netted his second. To the shootout it went and Kookaburras goalkeeper Jed Snowden was unable to stop any Netherlands efforts, while the Aussies had three of theirs fail to find the net past Maurits Visser. The 3-1 shootout win keeps the Dutch top of the table on 14 points from eight matches, while the Kookaburras (five) are fifth after four games. The Hockeyroos will aim to make it a perfect four-from-four in Sydney when they play leaders China later on Sunday. The Pro League takes both Australian sides to Argentina this month for Tests against the host nation and Belgium.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kookaburras, Hockeyroos split wins with Spain
The Hockeyroos have continued their winning form while the Kookaburras were made to pay for their wastefulness in a Pro League shootout loss to Spain. Fresh off an upset of Olympic champions the Netherlands on Thursday, Australia's regenerated men's outfit showed plenty of enterprise under new coach Mark Hager in front of a healthy crowd at Sydney Olympic Park. But they only had one Ky Willott goal to show for it, his third in as many Pro League games in Sydney coming after Spain's Pau Cunill opened the scoring with a drag flick in the second term. Davis Atkin had a chance to put Australia ahead but his close-range effort smacked into the post, shortly before the player himself clattered into the woodwork. The hosts scrambled to fulltime at 1-1 with two players in the sin bin before Spain were faultless in a 3-0 shootout masterclass. Cooper Burns and Craig Marais had possession swatted away by Spanish goalkeeper Luis Calzado before a spinning Connar Otterbach sent his effort wide. Spain were ruthless, Kookaburras 'keeper Mitch Nicholson helpless as Xavier Gispert calmly chipped his backstick effort into the top corner, Cunill holding his nerve and a spinning Marc Reyne doing what Otterbach couldn't. The result followed a 2-1 loss to Spain on Wednesday but offered plenty of upside considering only nine who played in last year's Paris Olympics quarter-final defeat remain. Rookie Liam Henderson has been a standout in his first series, impressing with his ability to beat defenders and break lines. Out to earn one of the few remaining full-time spots in Hager's 2025 squad, forward Jack Welch's workrate was rewarded with an intercept that led to the Willott goal. "I'm enjoying every minute," Willott said. "The eight debutants are doing unreal so far and they're soaking it up with Mark Hager at the helm; it's been really enjoyable." The Hockeyroos made it 3-0 in Sydney with a comfortable 3-1 defeat of Spain as heavy rain set in later on Saturday night. Jade Smith and Maddison Brooks both scored with deflections before Claire Colwill's classy performance was rewarded with a goal. Fit-again forward Courtney Schonell was then spectacularly denied a terrific goal when Spanish goalkeeper Patricia Alvarez got a stick to her reverse-stick strike that was rocketing into the top left corner. The Kookaburras complete their Sydney duties against the Netherlands on Sunday and the Hockeyroos play China before the Pro League moves to Argentina, for Tests against the host nation and Belgium, later this month.
