Australia 2 Germany 1

Australia have won the Hockey World Cup for the first time in 24 years with a 2-1 victory over defending champions Germany in New Delhi.

Luke Doerner scored the winning penalty corner 11 minutes from the end after Edward Ockenden had put Australia ahead in the sixth minute and Moritz Furste drew level for Germany in the 48th.

Doerner's eighth goal in the tournament made him the joint leading scorer with another penalty corner specialist Taeke Taekema of Holland.

Australia, whose previous Hockey World Cup title came way back in 1986, had lost the last two finals against Germany in 2002 and 2006.

The Germans, hoping to become the first team in history to bag a hat-trick of titles to add to the Beijing Olympic gold medal two years ago, were outpaced by the speedy Australians.

Australia's legendary coach Ric Charlesworth watched the final from the stands behind the goal, rather than on the bench, just as he had done in the semi-final against the Netherlands.

Charlesworth, who was part of Australia's Cup winning squad in 1986, became only the second man after Dutchman Hans Jorritsma to win the World Cup both as a player and coach.

Holland 4 England 3

Holland fought back from a 3-1 half-time deficit to end England's hopes of a bronze-medal finish in the third and fourth place classification game at the Hockey World Cup in Delhi.

Rogier Hofman scored the winning goal three minutes before the final whistle to give teammate and veteran goalkeeper Guus Vogels the perfect retirement present.

Vogels, who turns 35 later this month, was named the Dutch captain instead of Teun de Nooijer for the bronze medal match, his last international game after earning 259 caps for his country.

European champions England, hoping for a podium finish for the first time since winning the silver medal at the Hockey World Cup in 1986, were swept aside in the second half by a determined Dutch side.

European champions England, hoping for a podium finish for the first time since winning the silver medal in 1986, were swept aside in the second half by a determined Dutch side.

"It is absolutely devastating," said England captain Barry Middleton. "All the hard work we have done in the tournament has come to nothing because we failed to win a medal.

"We just did not do the little things well in the match. It was our worst game in the tournament."

De Nooijer put the Netherlands ahead in the 22nd minute, before two goals from penalty-corner specialist Ashley Jackson and one from Alastair Brogdon helped England snatch a comfortable lead.

Dutch penalty-corner expert Taeke Taekema scored his eighth goal in the tournament to make it 2-3 in the 48th minute, before Klaas Vermeulen equalised six minutes later.

Hofman, who had a goal disallowed by the video umpire in the 13th minute, scored in the 67th minute to seal his team's emphatic win.

The Dutch will take the World Cup podium for the first time since 2002 when they won the bronze medal in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Defending champions Germany are due to meet strong challengers Australia in the final later today.

Kiwis stumble to ninth position

New Zealand held their nerves to beat South Africa on penalties and finish ninth in the hockey World Cup.

In a match where fortunes fluctuated from one side to another, it was New Zealand who held their nerves to beat South Africa 5-4 on penalty strokes at Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Friday.

The match had ended 4-4 after extra-time. Andrew Hayward struck a hat-trick for the Kiwis, while Hugo Inglis scored one. Justin Reid-Ross, Llyod Norris-Jones, Taine Paton and Thomas Hammond netted once each for the Proteas.

The Africans dictated most of the early play, making early in roads into the Kiwi circle and they were rewarded as early as the fourth minute. Ried-Ross slammed the ball into the top-right corner to make it 1-0 in favour of the Proteas.

The Black Sticks responded immediately, but Nicholas Winlson's shot was fended off by keeper Erasmus Pieterse.

Both the teams kept pushing forward but could not change the scoreline till the end of the first-half.

If the first session of play was a drought, the second was indeed a flood. The South Africans continued from where they had left in the first half. They were aggressive, but could not find the back of the net and saw the Kiwis equalize through Inglis in the 40th minute.

Two minutes later, Hayward converted a penalty corner to give Kiwis the lead. The Africans made it 2-2 in the 45th minute.

Jones-Norris capitalized on a defensive error and made a brilliant run in the New Zealand circle and struck from the edge of the circle to equalize for his team.

The Kiwis again had their noses ahead in the 49th minute. Hayward fired a drag-flick in the right corner to make it 3-2.

The Proteas got back in the level in the very next minute. Paton picked up the ball in the Kiwi circle and fired it into the bottom right corner.

Both teams used their energy they were conserving in the early part of the game with end-to-end attacks.

The South Africans, looking for their best finish at the World Cup, again got the lead 13 minutes from time through Hammond.

But the Kiwis were relentless in their attacks and found the equalizer in the very last minute. Hayward completed his hat-trick to push the game into extra-time.

The two sides were cautious in the extra period and made very few attempts on goal.

Both the teams could not find the golden goal, and the fate of the match was to be decided by penalty strokes.

The Kiwis held their nerves to win the match 5-4 on penalties.

Argentina drub sorry India

The South Americans beat India 4-2 to finish seventh in the hockey World Cup.

Argentina overcame India 4-2 in the seventh-eighth play-off at the hockey World Cup in New Delhi on Friday.

Lucas Martin Vila scored twice for Argentina while Tomas Argento Innocente and Facundo Callioni added one each. For the hosts, Sandeep Singh and Shivendra Singh got on the scoresheet.

Argentina took the lead in the 28th minute. Fernando Oscar Zylberberg's long ball found Argento who put the South Americans in front.

Despite winning two penalty corners and enjoying most of the possession, India were unable to pull level and the first half ended 1-0.

They finally equalised in the 42nd minute when Sandeep scored off a penalty stroke. This was his fourth goal of the championship and he finished as India's topscorer.

But whatever hope India had of a comeback quickly vanished in the next few minutes. Vila scored a quickfire brace and Callioni added one more inside four minutes to give Argentina a three-goal advantage.

With the score at 4-1, the tie looked beyond India's reach and though the team fought resiliently, the stadium's sudden silence told the tale.

Shivendra pulled one back for India in the 49th minute granting some respectability to the scoreboard. But in the end, Brasa's men fell short again as the match ended 4-2.

The eighth-place finish for the hosts is their best at the World Cup in 16 years.

Pol Amat brace sinks Korea

Pol Amat was on target twice as Spain beat Korea to earn a Champions Trophy spot.

Two first half goals from Pol Amat helped Spain beat Korea 2-0 in the play-off for the fifth-sixth place at the hockey World Cup. The fifth-place finish booked them a berth in the Champions Trophy later this year.

The 2008 Olympic runners-up Spain started on a brisk note and went ahead after just 18 seconds. Amat slammed the ball into the top right corner to score the fastest goal of the tournament.

This helped the Spaniards to calm their nerves. They kept majority of the possession and did not let the Koreans wander near their goal.

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Korea were more than happy to play from the midfield and they attacked from the wings. But their attacks came to nothing as the Spanish defence was too good for them.

The Asians had their first serious attempt on goal in the 28th minute but could not get past keeper Francisco Cortes.

Four minutes later, Spain doubled their advantage when Amat tapped in a Xavier Ribas-cross.

The second half started just as the first had, with Spain retaining most of the possession. The Koreans kept pushing forward in search of a goal but they lacked a real intent to score a goal.

Barring a few occasions, where the Koreans earned three penalty corners, the Spaniards were never forced out of their comfort zone. They never really pushed forward after the early lead and a tight defence ensured that there were no hiccups for the Europeans.

This is the worst performance for the Koreans in 12 years, after reaching the semi-finals in the previous two editions.

Dutch to face Australia in semis

Despite a 2-1 loss to Korea in their last round-robin tie, the Netherlands booked a semifinal berth against Australia.

Both Korea and the Netherlands came into the match with the semifinals in sight. Germany entered the last-four with a 5-2 win over New Zealand earlier in the evening but the second spot from Pool A was still up for grabs.

The Netherlands could afford a draw or even a loss by a one-goal margin and still make the semis while Korea had to win by two goals to achieve the same. The night belonged to Korea, who emerged 2-1 winners, but it was the Dutch who advanced.

They will take on Pool B leaders Australia in their semifinal encounter on Thursday while England will meet Germany earlier on the same day.

Ronald Brouwer gave the Netherlands an early lead before Hyun Woo Nam and Jong Ho Seo put the Asians in front. But in the end it was not enough as Korea missed out on a last-four spot by one goal.

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The Netherlands attacked right from the start and were a goal up in just 25 seconds. Veteran striker Neun de Nooijer raced through the right flank before squaring it to Brouwer who made it 1-0.

That early blow woke the Asians up. They faced an uphill task needing at least three goals to advance. Compelled to attack, they pushed forward but were always under the risk of a Dutch breakaway. Nevertheless, it made for a fast-paced game.

As the half drew to a close, Korea picked up momentum and equalised in the 31st minute. A trademark counter initiated by Seo led to a penalty corner. The Dutch keeper Guus Vogels never stood a chance against Nam’s scorching dragflick.

Korea played with urgency after the break. They went ahead in the 45th minute. Sung Hoon Yoon surged into the Dutch circle as Vogels did likewise in an attempt to thwart him. He deflected Yoon’s goalbound shot slightly but only for Korean skipper Seo to tap into an unguarded net.

Despite taking the lead, Korea still needed one more to pip their opponents to the semis. They attacked relentlessly in search of the all-important third goal. It never came and though the match ended in their favour, it was the Dutch who were celebrating.

Argentina pile on Canadian agony

Argentina overcome Canada in the last league match to set up their next clash with hosts India.

Argentina defeated Canada 4-2 in the last pool A match at the National Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday.

With this win, they finished fourth in their group on the basis of goal difference and will now face hosts India on Friday for the seventh and eighth spot while Canada finished last and will take on Pakistan in Thursday’s wooden spoon decider.

Lucas Martin Vila, Matias Enrique Paredes, Mario Nicolas Almada and Tomas Innocente Argento scored for the South Americans while Scott Tupper and David Jameson pulled two back for the Canadians.

Argentina, who surprised the Kiwis in their previous match with a 1-0 win, was clearly the better team in the first half, winning one penalty corner after another. However it was their fifth attempt that put them ahead of the Canadians. Vila was on target in the 29th minute after the ball ricocheted off the stick of a defender. Canada on the other hand were pathetic and not once did they test the Argentine goalie.

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After the break, nothing changed except an increase in certainty that Argentina would not lose the match at all events. Paredes doubled the lead in 43rd minute as he pounced on an accurate pass from Lucas Martin Rey from the right wing, and lobbed it over Canadian goalie Dave Carter. Almada scored the third goal in the 56th minute but the bulk of the work was done by Argento, who provided the pass after dodging a couple of defenders from the right.

Canada, against the run of play, pulled one back in the 60th minute as Tupper converted the penalty corner successfully. Jameson further reduced the lead six minutes later after the so far un-tested Argentine goalie Juan Tomas Espinosa failed to read the line of an aerial shot off him.

Argento scored in the dying moments to ensure that Canada finished the league stages without a single point.

Germany 5 New Zealand 2

Defending champions Germany outclassed New Zealand to join England and Australia in the semi-finals of Hockey World Cup 2010.

The Germans led 2-0 at half-time through goals by Christophe Menke in the 15th minute and Florian Fuchs in the 28th.

Philip Witte made it 3-0 soon after the interval, but New Zealand hit back with two goals in four minutes from Shea McAleese and Nicholas Wilson.

But the powerful Germans wrapped up their win when Moritz Furste and Matthias Witthaus scored twice in as many minutes, both goals coming from rebounds off penalty corners.

Germany, looking for a hat-trick of Hockey World Cup titles to add to the Beijing Olympic gold medal, ended the pool stage unbeaten in Group A with three wins and two draws.

The second semi-final spot from the group will be decided after the match between Holland and South Korea later on Tuesday.

The Dutch, who have 10 points against Germany's 11, need a draw to advance to the knock-out rounds.

The Koreans, Asia's lone survivor after India and Pakistan crashed out early, need a big win to move to 10 points and better the Dutch on goal difference.

Favourites Australia and European champions England have already qualified for the semi-finals from pool B.

"It does not matter whom we play in the semi-finals and I don't care," said German coach Markus Weise.

"If you have to beat any team in the semi-final, you have to be at your best.

"New Zealand gave us quite a fright after scoring those two quick goals. It could have been the turning point of the match and we started to feel a bit shaky.

"Luckily, we got two more goals to decide the game."

New Zealand coach Shane McLeod, whose team finished with two wins and three losses, rued the 1-0 defeat against Argentina.

"That defeat cost us a semi-final place," he said. "At 3-2 against Germany, I thought we had a good chance, but our defensive lapses helped Germany win."

India 3 South Africa 3

Hosts India claimed the fourth spot in their pool at Hockey World Cup 2010 after a thrilling 3-3 draw with South Africa.

After Lloyd Norris-Jones had put South Africa ahead in the seventh minute, Sarvanjit Singh and Diwakar Ram struck in quick succession to give India a 2-1 lead at the interval.

South Africa, who had beaten Pakistan earlier in the league, made it 3-2 through Justin Reid-Ross and captain Austin Smith, before Shivendra Singh equalised for India four minutes from the end.

India and South Africa both ended with four points, but the hosts had a better goal difference of minus-4 and compared to the Africans' minus-15.

Australia 2 Pakistan 1

Tournament favourites Australia advanced into the semi-finals of Hockey World Cup 2010 as they beat Pakistan 2-1 in a pulsating match to finish top of Pool B.

Desmond Abbott scored twice as Australia completed their matches in the six-team pool, finishing level with England on 12 points but topping the group on goal difference.

European champions England, who pulled off a surprise 3-2 victory over Australia in the opening match of Hockey World Cup 2010, lost 2-0 to Spain at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium for their first defeat in the competition.

Pau Quemada and Eduard Tubau scored for Olympic silver medallists Spain who finished third in the group on nine points. India meet South Africa in the day's final match.

Sohail Abbas put Pakistan ahead against Australia, who won a 10th Champions Trophy in December, in the 24th minute through a penalty corner.

Abbott scored the equaliser three minutes into the second half and netted again shortly before the final whistle.

Spain 2 England 0

Spain spoiled England's unbeaten record at the Hockey World Cup with a 2-0 win in New Delhi.

Spain made an assured start to proceedings and, with England a man down after Barry Middleton was shown a green card, came close to taking the lead through Pau Quemada but James Fair saved.

England soon settled and began to create the better chances as Ashley Jackson fired wide after Middleton had won a penalty corner before Richard Alexander's cross evaded the England attackers.

But England paid for their failure to take those chances as Spain made the most of a penalty corner with Quemada flicking the ball past Fair for his fourth goal of the tournament.

Things could have got worse for England when Edi Tubau raced clear after some nice build-up play, but his attempt to lob Fair sailed just off target.

Iain McKay, playing with a broken nose, came close to getting England back on level terms but his flick, after latching onto a loose ball, flew just wide.

Spain secured the win seven minutes from time after a poor pass gifted them possession. Tubau pounced on the loose ball and linked up well with Quemada before tapping the ball into an empty net.

England team manager Andy Halliday admitted his side had not been at their best but is confident they will bounce back in the semi-finals on Thursday.

"To be honest, we were disappointing today, we lacked energy," he said.

"To compete with Spain, who are the Olympic silver medallists, you have to be at the top of your game and we weren't.

"We're capable of beating any of the four sides who could qualify from Pool A but we'll just have to wait and see. Two days' rest between now and the semi-final will do us good."

Argentina 1 New Zealand 0

A goal from Facundo Callioni gave Argentina victory over New Zealand, who paid the price for Ryan Archibald's penalty miss.

Argentina, beaten in their three previous games, earned the winner in the 55th minute through Facundo Callioni, who diverted in a pass from the right by Pedro Ibarra.

The Black Sticks, who would have moved to nine points had they beaten Argentina, must now beat Germany to stay in contention for the semi-finals.

"Its disappointing to lose such a crucial game," said New Zealand captain Dean Couzins.

"We knew this could be a vital match and that is how it turned out. We tried our best in the end to get the equaliser, but missed a few chances.

"It now all boils down to other games, but we still need to overcome the Germans."

South Korea 9 Canada 2

Asian champions South Korea thrashed Canada to keep alive their hopes of making the semi-finals of the field hockey World Cup.

Jang Jong-hyun scored a hat-trick for South Korea, while Nam Hyun-woo and You Hyo-sik added two each. Lee Nam-yong and Yoon Sung-hoon also scored for South Korea, while Philip Wright scored twice for Canada.

The win gives South Korea seven points from four matches in Pool A. The Netherlands lead the group with nine points from three matches, while two-time defending champions Germany have seven from three games.

"We needed this win badly and I am happy it all came together today," said Korean coach Shin Seok-Kyo.

"It will take a lot from our side, and also our rivals, to ensure we make it to the semi-finals. We can only control what we do and that is to beat the Dutch."

Canada have lost all four matches so far, scoring four goals and conceding 24.

Germans, Dutch split points

Defending champions Germany were held to a draw by the Netherlands in a thrilling encounter on Sunday.

The Pool A match between Germany and the Netherlands lived up to its billing as the game of the tournament as they drew 2-2 at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.

The result threw open the group with the Dutch retaining their place at the top of the table with 10 points while Germany follow with eight. This leaves New Zealand (six) and Korea (four) with outside possibilities of semi-final berths. Argentina and Canada are already out of the tournament.

The Dutch had taken a lead in the first half via a penalty corner converted by Wouter Jolie. The Germans joined the party in the second with Oliver Korn and Jan-Marco Montag scoring within 20 minutes of each other. A 65th minute goal from Teun de Nooijer helped the Netherlands draw level.

The game started off at a brisk rate, with Germany, desperate for a win, holding strong in the midfield and attacking the Dutch from the right flank.

The Netherlands were able to stave off repeated German intrusions into their circle throughout the first half and were lucky that Philip Witte’s pass did not find his team-mate in the second minute.

The Oranje got their fair share of chances but were unable to convert a penalty corner in the 3rd minute when Taeke Taekema’s drag-flick was successfully countered by the German defence, compact as usual.

Korn created a brilliant scoring chance for the top seeds but found Dutch goal-keeper Guus Vogels too good to handle.

The Netherlands finally got ahead in the 23rd minute when Jolie converted the second penalty corner for his team, sending the sparse visiting supporters to frenzy.

Matthias Witthaus tried to equalise for Germany a minute before the hooter but his reverse shot ended up wide of the board.

Despite trailing 1-0, the Germans came out all guns blazing after the breather and their razor sharp work near the Dutch circle paid dividends in the 44th minute when Korn deflected in a stunning cross by Christoph Menke.

In fact, the world number one, turning out in their regulation black and white had a great chance to go ahead in the 45th minute but Vogels stood strong against an attempt from Wess Benjamin.

The Netherlands, spurred on by some loud cheering across the ground were well on their way to regain their lead minutes later but Rogier Hofman’s deft stroke finished wide off the nets.

The Germans took the lead in the 63rd minute when Montag netted in a rebound from the crossbar.

Keeping in chord with the high-octane match, the Dutch retaliated immediately, in the 65th minute, to steal a march into the German defence and skipper de Nooijer sounded the board, battling a strongly manned circle.

Germany had a golden opportunity to seal a thrilling win but they failed to convert a penalty corner in the last minute of the game.

Germany next play New Zealand while the Netherlands take on Korea on Tuesday in what are now virtual quarterfinals.

England 3 India 2

England are through to the semi-finals of the hockey World Cup after a hard-earned victory over hosts India in Delhi.

England's fourth consecutive win came courtesy of goals from James Tindall, Ashley Jackson and Nick Catlin, which saw Jason Lee's side take a 3-0 lead shortly after the break.

In front of a partisan home crowd England held their nerve after Gurwinder Chandi and Rajpal Singh reduced the deficit. By defeating the Indians, England have reached the last four for the first time in 24 years.

England will qualify as Group B winners should they defeat Spain on Monday, while India cannot now reach the semi-finals following their third defeat in the tournament.

"We obviously came here to reach the semi-finals, so one of our three goals has been achieved," said English coach Jason Lee.

"Now we must enter the final and then win the World Cup. This is a sort of revival of English hockey. The first big step was beating Germany in the Euro final last year."

South Africa 4 Pakistan 3

South Africa enjoyed their first taste of success at the hockey World Cup with a deserved victory over Pakistan.

Both South Africa and Pakistan have been eliminated from the knockout round after only winning one of their four matches.

Pakistan opened the scoring in the fifth minute through striker Rehan Butt to lead 1-0 at halftime. But Gareth Carr equalized in the 38th minute on a penalty corner before field goals from Ian Haley, Tanie Paton and Marvin Harper gave South Africa a 4-1 lead.

Pakistan pulled back two goals in the last three minutes on penalty corners through Muhammad Imran and Waseem Ahmed.

Australia 2 Spain 1

Favourites Australia defeated Beijing Olympic silver-medallists Spain to move closer to a semi-final berth.

The Kookaburras scored once in each half, with Luke Doerner converting a penalty corner in the 20th minute, before Glenn Turner increased the tally 10 minutes before the final whistle.

Doerner's sixth goal of the tournament helped him draw level with leading goalscorer Taeke Taekema of the Netherlands, while Turner scored his fifth.

Australia avenged the 3-2 defeat at Spain's hands in the Olympic semi-final at Beijing and took their points tally to nine from four matches in group B.

England, who already have nine points from three games, will become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals if they avoid defeat against hosts India.

The Kookaburras will fancy their chances of taking the other semi-final spot from the group with a goal difference of plus-16 ahead of their last pool match against Pakistan on Monday. Spain are almost certainly out of the semi-final race with just six points from four matches.

Australian coach Ric Charlesworth said he was delighted at the win, but slammed the umpires for awarding seven penalty corners to Spain.

"I am very angry at the umpiring today," he said. "Giving them seven penalty corners put a lot of pressure on our players. Some of them were just not warranted. Umpiring has been a problem for some years, but one expects better at a World Cup."

Spanish coach Dani Martin conceded his team will now have to be content with playing classification matches.

"You don't deserve to be in the semi-final if you waste seven penalty corners," he said. "We will now try to finish among the top six.

Holland 6 Canada 0

Rogier Hofman and Taeke Taekema scored two goals apiece as Holland routed lowly Canada 6-0 for their third successive win in the men's Hockey World Cup.

Ronald Brouwer and Rob Reckers were the other scorers as the three-time champions hit top gear in the second session, after the first had ended 0-0 at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

The Netherlands, who lead group A with nine full points, must win one of their two remaining games against Hockey World Cup champions Germany on Sunday and South Korea on Tuesday to qualify for the semi-finals.

New Zealand have six points, while Germany will move to seven if they beat Argentina later on Friday.

South Korea 1 New Zealand 2

New Zealand stayed in contention for their first-ever appearance in the semi-finals of the men's Hockey World Cup with a 2-1 win over South Korea.

Both goals for the Black Sticks came in the first half as Andrew Hayward converted a penalty corner in the fifth minute, before captain Dean Couzins pushed in a penalty stroke in the 22nd.

South Korea reduced the margin in the final minute through a stroke by Lee Nam Yong.

It was New Zealand's second win in three matches, giving them six points in group A.

The Netherlands (six points) and defending champions Germany (four) play their third round of matches later on Friday.

New Zealand, who have not finished higher than seventh in a Hockey World Cup, must win their last two games against Argentina on Sunday and Germany on Tuesday to book a semi-final spot.

South Korea, the Asian champions, are virtually out of the race with just three points in the bag. Coach Shin Seok-Kyo blamed his team's poor display in the tournament so far on the lack of proper preparation.

"We should have trained better for the World Cup, but the cold weather at home did not help," he said. "It is not a good feeling now because we are almost out of it."

New Zealand's Couzins said the 3-1 win over South Korea in the Beijing Olympics boosted his team's confidence.

"We have a good record against them and that helped," he said. "We are still in the fight for the semi-finals because we have played quite well."

Argentina make Germany work for win

Germany stay on course for a third-straight World Cup title after a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Argentina.

Defending champions Germany overcame Argentina 4-3 in a tightly-contested World Cup encounter at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.

Martin Zwicker scored twice as Matthias Witthaus and Martin Haner added one each to help Germany win against a resolute Argentina, who with three successive defeats are now out of the tournament. Lucas Martin Vila, Matias Enrique Paredes and Pedro Ibarra were on target to ensure that the South Americans were in with a chance until the final whistle.

The victory puts Germany second in Pool A with seven points. The Netherlands, after their 6-0 drubbing of Canada earlier in the evening, lead the pool with three wins out of three. New Zealand, who overcame Korea 2-1 in the opening match, are third with six points. They are followed by their Asians opponents, who are fourth with as many points. Argentina and Canada are at the bottom of the pool, with both teams having lost all their three ties.

Having won all their previous four World Cup meetings against Argentina, Germany were expected to cruise past the South Americans, who had managed only one goal in their previous two defeats in the tournament. But that was hardly the case as the 14th ranked Argentina made the champions fight for the win.

The match commenced on an expected note with Germany taking a quick lead. Witthaus set up Zwicker, who made it 1-0 in the fifth minute. But the advantage did not last for long.

Some sloppy defending by the German defenders left Vila unmarked and the 23-year-old striker raced into the circle before lobbing past German keeper Tim Jessulat to pull level within a minute.

After a brief period of sustained pressure from the Argentines, Germany reclaimed the lead. They won two quick penalty corners and scored off the second. Zwicker got his second of the night as he deflected the ball into the net.

Germany added one more in the 23rd minute when Witthaus shrugged off the markers to make it 3-1. But Argentina refused to give up. Their incessant attacking was duly rewarded when Paredes slotted home from a short corner in the 34th minute.

The two teams reached the break with the score 3-2 in Germany’s favour. With five goals coming in the fast-paced first half, the second half promised greater entertainment.

Germany came out all guns blazing in the second half. They attacked the Argentine defence from both flanks and when Haner scored in the 51st minute, the tie was believed to have been settled with the scoreboard now showing 4-2.

But the South Americans continued their fight. Ibarra scored off another penalty corner in the 56th minute to reduce Germany’s lead back to one goal. That goal made for an enthralling finish.

Argentina went on an all-out attack trying their best to draw level. But the German defence found its feet at last and saw off the final few minutes to take the win.

Germany will now play the Netherlands on Sunday while Argentina will take on New Zealand.