Cullen’s double-strike secures draw against Olympic Champions
Pool A – Great Britain 2-2 Netherlands

The Netherlands gave away a 2-0 lead against Great Britain who fought back thanks to a double-strike of Crista Cullen. Both teams are on four points now but the Netherlands stay leaders in pool A due to the better goal-difference.

The crowd had to wait for 15 years to see Great Britain take on the Netherlands again in Champions Trophy history. The last time these teams met in a Champions Trophy match was in 1997.

Netherlands started off with great pressure winning two penalty corners in the fifth minute but Maartje Paumen’s attempts were saved by the British goalie Abi Walker who played her Champions Trophy debut same as Dutch Kitty van Male. However Naomi van As (7’) took the lead two minutes later netting for the first time in Champions Trophy since 2008. Despite of the heat in the stadium Great Britain kept high pace and put the Dutch defence under pressure. Unlucky for them, that they lost their video referral already in the first half after they asked whether there was a foot in the Dutch circle. However they won their first penalty corner soon after but the Dutch goalkeeper Joyce Sombroek saved Kate Walsh’s attempt. Their second penalty corner led to a penalty stroke. Umpire Wendy Stewart had called before Alex Danson tipped the ball into the goal. Team-captain Walsh took responsibility but her shot went wide. Just before halftime Kim Lammers (32’) doubled the lead for the Dutch was against the run of play as Great Britain had been putting tremendous pressure on the Dutch defence but the goal came from a turn-over deep in Dutch territory.

At the beginning of the second half Great Britain finally put themselves on the score-board when Crista Cullen (40’) converted a penalty corner. After the British goalie Walker kept her team in the game making some brilliant saves against a Dutch penalty corner series. The British won their second penalty stroke in this match after a poor stick-tackle from Willemijn Bos. This time Cullen tried but was denied by Sombroek. Anyhow the British did not give up and fought until they have achieved the equalizer. Cullen (61’) scored an outstanding goal when her penalty corner shot was deflected onto the crossbar, came down and found its way into the net. Converting penalty corners is currently the biggest issue for the Dutch as they have failed to score from six penalty corners in this match and twelve in this tournament so far.

Match Review 6. Great Britain - Netherlands 2-2

> GB win their first point in a CT match vs Netherlands since winning 3-2 in 1989.
> GB are top in Pool A after Day 2 on 4 points from 2 matches. The Dutch are ranked 2nd on goal difference.
> Crista Cullen converted 2 of 4 penalty corners for GB in this match. Cullen now tops the goal scorer list of 3 (PC) goals.
> Crista Cullen has equalled Rebecca Herbert on 5 CT career goals. The record from most CT career goals for England and /or Great Britain is 6 by Karen Brown.
> GB are now on 3 for 7 in terms of penalty corners at Rosario 2012.
> GB failed to convert 2 penalty strokes awarded in this match. Kate Walsh attempt went wide and Crista Cullen’s push was saved.
> The Dutch failed to score from 6 penalty corners awarded in this match. They are now on 0 for 12 at Rosario 2012.
> Naomi van As netted her first CT goal since 2008. She is now on 4 CT career goals (in 44 CT matches), all scored against European opposition.
> Before scoring today, Van As had failed to score in 13 successive CT matches.
> Kim Lammers netted her 18th CT career goal exceeding Ageeth Boomgaardt's career total of 17. Only Maartje Paumen (21) has scored more CT goals for Netherlands.
> GB goalkeeper Abi Walker and Dutch field player Kitty van Male made their Champions Trophy debut today.
> Van Male received a green and a yellow card in her CT debut match.

Match Preview 6. Great Britain - Netherlands (January 29th, 3:00pm)

Head-to-Heads
> Netherlands have taken on Great Britain four times in CT competition, winning three and losing once.
> Their last CT encounter came in 1997 with the Dutch winning 1-0.
> Holland’s biggest CT victory over GB came in their first meeting in 1987 (4-0).
> GB’s sole win over the Netherlands came at the 1989 CT (3-2). This was also the only time they managed to score against the Dutch in CT competition.

Great Britain
> On Day 1 GB beat Japan 3-0, goals scored by Crista Cullen (PC), Helen Richardson and Alex Danson.
> This marked the first time GB won their opening match in a CT tournament.
> Helen Richardson and Alex Danson are now on 4 CT goals. The record from most CT career goals for England and /or Great Britain is 6 by Karen Brown. Rebecca Herbert in on 5.
> GB have converted 1 of 3 penalty corners awarded at Rosario 2012.
> GB goalkeeper Abi Walker celebrates her 30th birthday today.
> GB make their first Champions Trophy appearance since 1997, when they were ranked 5th.
> GB’s best result came in 1989 when they were ranked 4th.
> Alex Danson is the only player in the current squad to have score against the Netherlands in CT competition. Danson scored a field goal in a 2-2 draw against the Dutch in 2009.

Netherlands
> Netherlands participate for the 19th time in a CT tournament breaking the record for most participations, which was jointly held with Australia. The Dutch only missed out on the Mar del Plata tournament in 1995.
> The Dutch have finished in the top 3 in 17 of their 18 previous CT participations.
> Netherlands are top of the World Ranking leading Argentina by a margin of only 33 points (2063 vs 2030 points).
> Defending champions Netherlands are a record breaking 7th Champions Trophy title. They are now tied on 6 gold medals with Australia.
> The Dutch are the reigning European champions, Olympic champions and Champions Trophy champions.
> Kim Lammers, Maartje Paumen and Argentina’s Luciana Aymar aim to collect their fifth CT gold medal to equal the record shared by Australia’s Rechelle Hawkes and Juliet Haslam.
> Maartje Paumen needs 1 more goal to equal Germany’s Nadine Ernsting-Krienke as all-time Champions Trophy top scorer on 22 goals.
> Paumen is on 19 PC goals in CT competition. The CT record is 20 by Argentina’s Noel Barrionuevo. China’s Ma Yibo is also on 19 PC career goals in CT competition after Day 1.
> Joyce Sombroek, Willemijn Bos and Maartje Paumen were all selected in the FIH 2011 Women’s All Star team.
> Kitty van Male can make her Champions Trophy debut.
> Netherlands failed to convert 6 penalty corners awarded in their opening match against China, which they won 3-1 through 2 goals by Lidewij Welten and one by Marilyn Agliotti.