Australia win hockey World Cup

Kookaburras beat Germany at third time of asking in final with Luke Doerner winner.

Hockey World Cup winners
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Florian Fuchs contemplates defeat [AFP]

Australia won the field hockey World Cup for the first time in 24 years by defeating two-time defending champions Germany 2-1 in New Delhi.
 
Luke Doerner scored the winner in the 59th minute through a penalty corner for Australia, who were beaten by top-ranked Germany in the previous two World Cup finals.

This time, the Kookaburras turned the tables with substitute Doerner’s winner from a low drag-flicked penalty corner 11 minutes from the end at Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

Edward Ockenden opened the scoring for Australia during a sixth minute goalmouth scramble, and Germany equalised in the 46th through a penalty corner goal by Moritz Furste.

World number two Australia started as tournament favourites after winning a record 10th Champions Trophy in December when they beat Olympic champions Germany 5-3 in the final.

“It has taken us 15 months to prepare this team,” coach Ric Charlesworth said on Saturday.

“The Germans have improved since we beat them in the Champions Trophy, so it is a creditable victory for us.”

Charlesworth, the first man to win the World Cup as a player and a coach, watched the final between the world’s top two sides from among the spectators rather than the bench.

‘Too noisy’

“There are no superstitions involved,” he said.

“I get too noisy and excited on the bench, so I always change it with other people.”

Germany captain Max Muller said the penalty corners proved to be the decisive factor.

“Australia scored the second goal from a penalty corner, and we had a corner at 2-1 but could not score,” Muller said.

“We’re a young side.

“Losing the final is a big disappointment at the moment, but tomorrow morning we may feel proud to have reached this far.”

It was Germany’s fourth straight major final, starting in 2008 with the Beijing Olympics, which they won for a third time.

Australia hadn’t beaten Germany in the World Cup since 1994.

Earlier, the Netherlands rallied to beat European champions England 4-3 to win the bronze.

Source: News Agencies