The 2024-25 version of the FIH Hockey Professional League has offered followers with thrilling motion from the very first whistle, with intense shootouts, dramatic comebacks, and standout performances. Throughout the primary three levels of the season, the competitors has already seen a number of surprises, with a number of the world’s greatest groups battling for supremacy. Right here’s a glance again on the highlights from the opening levels of the season.
The brand new season of the FIH Hockey Professional League began off with a collection of gripping encounters from Hangzhou, China and Amsterdam, Netherlands, highlighted by nerve-wracking shootouts and high-scoring affairs.
Hangzhou Stage
China got here in as favourites for his or her house stage that began issues off within the new season. Contemporary off their exceptional silver medal on the Paris 2024 Olympics, Alyson Annan’s China delivered on their promise securing essentially the most (8) factors from the Hangzhou stage that additionally concerned the Belgium girls’s group and a brand new look younger English aspect with loads of debutants following a wave of retirements, publish Olympics.
Regardless of China’s favourites tag, the “league of the very best” does guarantee aggressive stability, as Belgium stayed shut on their heels, securing 7 factors from the primary stage, adopted by England who additionally picked up 3 factors with a powerful 3-1 win over the extra skilled Belgian outfit.
The video games that stood out aside from England’s win over Belgium, was Belgium’s 2-1 win over China within the second of the 2 matches between the 2 sides, after the primary one had resulted in a shoot-out win for China following a 2-2 attract regulation time. The ultimate house sport for China additionally noticed them click on into the very best gear and depart their house followers with a shocking end result as their assault smashed 8 previous England in an 8-2 win to finish the Hangzhou stage of the 2024-25 season of the FIH Professional League.
Amsterdam Stage
The Amsterdam stage noticed the beginning of males’s FIH Hockey Professional League 2024-25 competitors with three of the very best groups on this planet competing, as Netherlands, Germany and Belgium took middle stage.
A Paris 2024 gold medal rematch began issues off as as soon as once more Netherlands bought previous Germany in a shoot-out following a attract regulation and so they repeated the feat of their subsequent sport in opposition to Belgium as nicely.
Belgium to their credit score, took essentially the most factors from the Amsterdam stage with 2 wins and a couple of attracts incomes them 8 factors. Nonetheless, two losses within the shoot-outs following the attracts will sting the Belgians because the title might go right down to the wire, the place every further level can be vastly beneficial.
Netherlands picked up the bonus factors in each matches in opposition to the Crimson Lions following attracts and ended their house stage with 6 factors, by three shoot-out wins and one loss coming by the hands of the Germans.
Germany in the meantime completed with the fewest factors, as they misplaced each their matches in opposition to Belgium, selecting up 4 factors from a draw and a win in opposition to the hosts.
The Amsterdam stage delivered on its promise, with each single match being a intently fought encounter. Up till the ultimate match, the place Belgium defeated Germany 6-3, each single match was determined by only one aim or by shoot-outs.
Santiago del Estero Stage
The third stage from Argentina noticed motion proceed with Argentina, England and Eire competing within the males’s matches, whereas Netherlands and Germany joined hosts Argentina within the girls’s competitors.
England males made a close to good begin to the competitors profitable three matches and taking the shoot-out bonus within the fourth to change into the early league leaders with 11 factors. Argentina received each their matches in opposition to Eire, but in addition misplaced each encounters to the English, taking 6 factors from the stage. Eire secured a sole level at Santiago del Estero, by an entertaining 3-3 draw adopted by a shoot-out loss in opposition to England.
Netherlands, Argentina and Germany going head-to-head was an thrilling proposition for the passionate followers in Argentina in addition to around the globe, with all three groups being ranked inside the top-4 within the girls’s world rankings!
Netherlands got here in as favourites, having received each main silverware obtainable to them over the previous few years. And whereas they did find yourself taking essentially the most factors from their first stage, taking 9 out of the attainable 12, it was a step down from the earlier seasons, the place they’d close to good seasons, with out recording any outright losses. The Paris 2024 gold medalists recorded two wins in two in opposition to Germany and whereas they received their first match in opposition to Argentina, the Leonas struck again of their second match-up to even the scores for the season.
Argentina and Germany performed out two entertaining attracts with every group grabbing one bonus level by profitable one shoot-out every. Argentina discover themselves on 6 factors after the primary stage, whereas Germany have work to do to climb the factors desk, at present discovering themselves in sixth with 3 factors.
Six males’s and ladies’s groups performed their first set of 4 matches by these three levels and the remaining 3 males’s and ladies’s groups will start their 2024-25 marketing campaign in February 2025, with motion beginning in Sydney, Australia and Bhubaneswar, India. To see the total schedule, click on right here.
The present factors desk following the China, Netherlands and Argentina levels of the FIH Hockey Professional League 2024-25 might be discovered right here.
The competitors for the Hero High Scorers of the FIH Hockey Professional League 2024-25 is off to a terrific begin with Freeke Moes and Yibbi Jansen, each from the Netherlands, tied collectively on the high with 4 targets apiece within the girls’s competitors. Its a tie to begin issues off within the males’s competitors as nicely with Tom Boon (BEL) and Sam Ward (ENG) having scored 8 targets every!
