New Delhi: Holders Germany will face challengers France in their title defence at the Hockey Junior World Cup final after both teams won their respective semifinal matches here on Friday.
While France surprised Malaysia by winning the penalty shootout 3-1 – after a tied score of 1-1 after 70 minutes of regulation time – Germany drubbed the Netherlands 5-3 to book a date for Sunday’s final.
A formidable encounter between two giants of the game, the match-up was the final of the last edition of the tournament when Germany narrowly prevailed over the Netherlands..
Meanwhile in the fifth-eighth place classification matches earlier in the day, Belgium thrashed Korea 6-1, while Australia eked out a narrow 2-1 win over Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand.
Belgium will now face Australia in the fifth-sixth place play-off match, while Korea will play New Zealand for the seventh-eighth place.
Earlier France, who had never reached the top-four of any previous edition of the prestigious tournament, came back from a goal-down, to first level the match 1-1, and then beat Malaysia in a penalty shootout.
France were finally rewarded with their persistence in the 63rd minute when Jean-Laurent Kieffer managed a slight touch on a ball drilled into the circle to tie the proceedings and maintain the scoreline till the end and force a penalty shootout, the first of the competition. (IANS)
