In the second match of the day, Two-time defending champions Australia made sure they are on course to create a rare history as they defeated France 3-0 to progress to their 11th successive semi-finals of the Men’s Hockey World Cup. World No.1 Australia scored all their goals from penalty corners through Jeremy Hayward (4th minute), Blake Govers (19th) and skipper Aran Zalewski (37th) at the Kalinga Stadium.
However, the final scoreline was far from convincing from Australia’s point of view, especially against a side which ranked lowest in the tournament at 20th. The Frenchmen played good hockey in bits and pieces but were undone by the Kookaburras’ vast experience and skills. Despite the loss, the Frenchmen would return home with pride, especially with the superb show here that includes a shocking win over Olympic champions Argentina in the pool stages.
The @Kookaburras kept up their rich hockey pedigree with some brilliant performances that have earned the team their 11th successive spot in the Semi-Finals of the OHMWC Bhubaneswar 2018. Congratulations on making it to the top 4!#IndiaKaGame #HWC2018 #DilHockey pic.twitter.com/kcOvAX0oAW
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) December 12, 2018
Australia will play the winner of Thursday’s last quarter-final between India and Netherlands in the semi-finals on Saturday.