(field) Hockey around the globe

[Duncan Gardner]

RdG- yes, similar to those EW cricketers you regularly enthuse about

Looking at the squad, a couple play for my school's old girls- though as others are from Blomendaal maybe the ringer net is cast wider than I thought.

[Janik]

At least three of the team, including the star goalie Ayeisha McFerran, are from Ulster. Whether that is the part of Ulster north or south of the border is not clear from the scant details I've heard. But this is an entity like the Rugby team representing both countries, so Dunc can feel free to climb onboard the bandwagon.
Here's the Belfast Telegraph doing the same thing:- https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/s...-37180911.html


Edit - the ones players in Holland and Belgium have moved there for their careers, i.e. they can be paid to play Hockey. Which they can't in Ireland, or much in England for that matter (some of the England squad are also out there in Holland). As far as I know the team is free of ringers. The closest they come is the daughter of an ex-pat like Elena Tice (born somewhere in England), which is a name that Cricket fans may recognise seeing as she also had 50+ caps for the cricket team before dropping that to focus on Hockey. Which is some going, given that Tice is only 20!

[Janik]

For the complexities caused by the existence of a trans-national Ireland team, see the cases of the four Northern Irish players (Iain Lewers, David Ames, Ian Sloan and Mark Gleghorne) who were part of the GB Men's squad for the Rio Olympics. All, if they were going to play for anyone at an Olympics were going to play for Great Britain and not the Republic of Ireland, be that allegiance or simply opportunity seeing as Rep.Ireland rarely qualify. However for three out of every four years 'Great Britain' does not exist in Hockey terms; the sides competing are England, Scotland and Wales. And Ireland. But if the Northern Irish players played for Ireland for those three years, which was in theory their option and something all of them had done previously dozens of times, then come the fourth when GB hoves back into view they would suddenly be playing against their teammates for another side! And that is leaving aside any waiting period for changing eligibility, given that Ireland is regarded as the de facto Republic of Ireland side. So all four switched to playing for England for the intervening years, which allows them to be selected for GB as well.

This did make the bronze medal match at the 2015 Euros, played at Lee Valley, rather ironic - Ireland beat an England side featuring Ames, Gleghorne and Lewers 4-2! You may notice that that game also had a pair of brothers playing on opposing sides. Oh, and having turned their backs on Ireland, these players then saw their former teammates (and siblings) qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 2016.

[Duncan Gardner]

For the complexities caused by the existence of a trans-national Ireland team, see the cases of the four Northern Irish players (Iain Lewers, David Ames, Ian Sloan and Mark Gleghorne) who were part of the GB Men's squad for the Rio Olympics. All, if they were going to play for anyone at an Olympics were going to play for Great Britain and not the Republic of Ireland, be that allegiance or simply opportunity seeing as Rep.Ireland rarely qualify. However for three out of every four years 'Great Britain' does not exist in Hockey terms; the sides competing are England, Scotland and Wales. And Ireland. But if the Northern Irish players played for Ireland for those three years, which was in theory their option and something all of them had done previously dozens of times, then come the fourth when GB hoves back into view they would suddenly be playing against their teammates for another side! And that is leaving aside any waiting period for changing eligibility, given that Ireland is regarded as the de facto Republic of Ireland side. So all four switched to playing for England for the intervening years, which allows them to be selected for GB as well.

This did make the bronze medal match at the 2015 Euros, played at Lee Valley, rather ironic - Ireland beat an England side featuring Ames, Gleghorne and Lewers 4-2! You may notice that that game also had a pair of brothers playing on opposing sides. Oh, and having turned their backs on Ireland, these players then saw their former teammates (and siblings) qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 2016.

Thanks Janik, very good summary.

Northern Ireland's top performers in a wide range of sports have represented otherwise/ instead of/ as well as the all-Ireland side for that sport. Other examples include cricketers for England, various Olympians Britain, Commonwealth Games events NI itself and of course all the golfers, motorcyclists, snooker players who appear individually under the red hand fleg

ps the keeper is from Larne, we could be related

[Gangster Octopus]

I thought that everyone on the island of Ireland was related...

[Duncan Gardner]

Aye, it all began when a shipload of adventurers from Larne moved to Rotherham. Immediately doubling the average IQ in both towns

[Ray de Galles]

However for three out of every four years 'Great Britain' does not exist in Hockey terms; the sides competing are England, Scotland and Wales. And Ireland.

There were adverts last night for GB games in London in 2019, in the World League I think?

[Janik]

Oh, is that GB rather than England? I've seen it advertised, but everything I've received about it has come from England Hockey, so I assumed...
It's a new thing, either way (and sounds like a bad idea FWIW, teams flying all around the globe for one-off league games). Maybe it's got Olympic qualification attached, as that is when the GB side usually comes out of mothballs.

[Ray de Galles]

Full info here, though it’d actually the “Pro League”.

Pakistan playing their “home” matches in Scotland, interestingly.

[Janik]

Quick primer for any sudden Irish converts to Hockey watching;

This is the first time Ireland('s women) have qualified for a World Cup in 16 years. They have never previously avoided finishing bottom of their opening round pool.
Many of the team play or have played abroad, mostly in Germany, Netherlands or in the US college system. This is due to the paucity of finance in the Irish domestic game. Indeed the squad actually pay to play for Ireland!
Shirley McCay is the most capped woman in Irish sport, with pushing 250+ appearances. She is due to retire after this tournament.
Megan Frazer was considered a superstar as a teenager, when she broke into the team. She moved to Mannheim in 2016 and did cruciate ligaments in one of her first training sessions. She only return to fitness this spring.
Anna O'Flannagan is one goal off Ireland's all-time record. She has 64, the mark is 65.
Ayeisha McFerran is a brilliantly goalie in the running for the 'keeper of the tournament.

Spain are into their second World Cup SF, having also made the last four in 2006. They finished fourth that year.
Spain won the Olympic gold at their first attempt. In 1992. In Barcelona. That remains their only World-level medal, though they did win a couple of silvers in Euros in the mid 2000s.
Gigi Oliva, the Spanish captain, is a bundle of feisty spice. By my count she has had two green and two yellow cards so far in the tournament, which I'm sure makes her the most carded player in the event. However she is also a superb shield in front of the Spanish defence, and was player of the match in the QF against Germany (part of Helen Richardson-Walsh's citation was that she 'stayed on the field all game'!). You can recognise her by her position, small stature and big shock of curly dark hair. Oh and the no.23 shirt.
Spain have an effective drag-flicker in Lola Riera (no.17). Ireland want to avoid giving Spain many (any) penalty corners when she is on the field.
Spain finished third in their pool with one win (vs South Africa) and two defeats (Argentina and Germany). They then beat Belgium on penalty shuffles after a 0-0 draw in the crossover before withstanding three quarters of German pressure then coming out to win the fourth 1-0 in a shock QF win.

Spain beat Ireland 7-2 in the 5th-8th play-off pool at last year's Euro championship. However more recently the sides played four friendlies in a week in Spain, and each side won two of those.
Pre-tournament rankings were Spain - 11 (third seeds in their pool) and Ireland - 16 (fourth seeds in their pool, second lowest ranked team in the event).
Whichever side wins will become only the sixth side to reach a Women's World Cup Final (this is the 14th competition), and the first new face since 1990. The last seven finals have featured some combination of Argentina, Australia and Netherlands. And no-one else.

[Janik]

Oh yeah, one more thing - Ireland haven't scored a goal in over a week. Their last was in the second pool game against India, with a 0-1 defeat to England (in what, to be fair, was a dead rubber from an Irish perspective) and the 0-0 win on pens QF against India.
Oh yes, and one more - Ireland have had to play in the heat of the day on the two hottest days of the year so far. This was both matches against India. That may counterbalance the Spanish having had one more match to get to this stage.

[Janik]

First attack, first corner won, first goal for Ireland. Anna O'Flannagan, who is now the joint highest scorer of all time for her side.

Ireland have only conceded two goals all tournament, so that is a huge start for them.

[Janik]

Ireland are finding loads of space on the left wing. That is where the corner was won from, and they were just in again down the same flank.

[Janik]

I should have mentioned the elephant in the room, which is whatever side loses this is likely to also lose the bronze medal match and miss out on a medal entirely.

[Janik]

Very good quarter for Ireland. They had two circle penetrations, converted into two corners, from which two shots on goal and one goal resulted. Spain managed two circle penetrations late in the period, no corners, one shot off target.

[Janik]

1-0 at half-time. Spain had the better of that quarter, but Ireland just about survived.

[Janik]

Equaliser for Spain, which they have deserved. The striker took the shot unexpectedly early, which worked.

[Janik]

Spain were well on top when they had to push for a leveller, but have sat off again since it went back to all-square. I think penalties is the most likely outcome. 4th quarter just starting...

[Janik]

PC to Ireland with 2 mins to play...

[Janik]

Cleared after the 'keeper had missed it.

[Janik]

And penalty shuffles it is.

[Janik]

Spain were probably marginally the better side overall. They were more on top in quarters two and three than Ireland were in one and four.
Both are 1/1 in penalties so far in this tournament. Ireland probably have the better goalie...

[Janik]

Riera of Spain, having to score to take it to sudden death, lobs McFerran while she is standing up! On we go...

[Janik]

No more. Ireland win 3-2 on penalties.

[Janik]

The Irish team have just invaded the post-match on-field interview with their teammate. This should happen more often.