Big names reach Quarter Finals at KO16 Rotterdam
The first day of KO16 Rotterdam – the Euro Hockey League’s unique four day knock-out tournament – saw its fair share of top class action, with some big name players making an impact for their respective club teams.
In the first match of the day, Belgium’s KHC Leuven surged into the Quarter Finals of the Euro Hockey League thanks to a 1-3 victory over Beeston of England. It was an incredible result for Leuven, who had lost 3-0 to the Englishmen in the Pool phase earlier in the year. The win has sealed a place in the Euro Hockey League Semi Finals, where they will face either Amsterdam H&BC or East Grinstead on Sunday. Irishman Phelie Maguire scored a crucial goal for the Belgians, with Argentina international Juane Garreta and Patrice Houssein also finding the target.
Spain’s Real Club de Polo de Barcelona defeated Reading HC 2-1 in the second game of the day, avenging the 1-0 defeat that they suffered at the hands of the Englishmen at the same point of last year’s competition. International superstars Matthias Witthaus (Germany) and Pau Quemada (Spain) scored important goals for RC Polo, while Reading netted a solitary second half strike from England striker Jonty Clarke. The win gives RC Polo a Quarter Final clash against Rot-Weiss Köln (GER) who were victorious later in the day against Ireland’s Pembroke Wanderers.
The day’s third match saw Amsterdam H&BC come from behind on two occasions to record a 3-2 victory over England’s East Grinstead. South African international Gareth Carr had twice given Grinstead the lead from a penalty corner and a penalty stroke, but goals from Taeke Taekema, Valentin Verga and Don Prins were enough for Amsterdam to set up a Quarter Final meeting with Belgium’s KHC Leuven. East Grinstead’s exit from the EHL meant that all three of the English representatives in the competition were eliminated in the first three games of KO16 Rotterdam.
A Man-of-the-Match goalkeeping performance from David Harte was not enough to deny Christopher Zeller’s Rot-Weiss Köln a place in the Quarter Finals, with the German giants running out 3-0 winners. Goals from Philipp Zeller, Benjamin Wess and Christopher Zeller were enough to seal victory in a match that was far closer than many would have predicted. The result has set up a mouth-watering meeting between Rot-Weiss Köln and RC Polo Barcelona of Spain, who defeated England’s Reading HC earlier in the day.
Day 2 of KO16 Rotterdam will see the remaining Round 2 matches taking place, with many big name teams and players taking to the field. Xavi Ribas’ Atlétic Terrassa will aim to secure their place in the quarter finals by defeating Polish champions WKS Grunwald Poznan at 09.30 (CEST), with the winner facing either Pol Amat’s Club Egara or host club H.C. Rotterdam, who face each other at 12.00noon. The other two fixtures involve the two previous winners of the Euro Hockey League, with reigning champions HC Bloemendaal (NED) – a team featuring Jamie Dwyer and Teun de Nooijer – looking to defeat Germany’s Der Club an der Alster at 14.30hrs, before 2008 winners UHC Hamburg (GER) face Waterloo Ducks of Belgium at 17.00hrs.
You can follow all of the action from KO16 Rotterdam on the Euro Hockey League website, with coverage including a free live stream of all the matches and all the latest news. Highlights of each match will be uploaded onto the website each evening. For more information, visit www.ehlhockey.tv.
