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06/03/2010 England claim first semi-final spot in World Cup
England qualify!
England became the first team to qualify for the World Cup semi-finals with a 3-2 win over India in the Dhyan Chand Stadium, New Delhi. The visitors looked home and dry at 3-0 when Ashley Jackson finished off a scrambled mess of a goal in the 48th minute to claim his second strike of the game. But what coach Jason Lee described as "poor execution" let India back into the match for a nailbiting final few minutes.

Gurwinder Singh Chandi turned in a cross from the right by Gurbaj Singh in the 54th minute. Three minutes later, Raijpal Singh finished off a move started when England lost the ball on the Indian 25. Raijpal as had a chance to equalise in the dying minutes as a cross flew across goal. England had secured their 1-0 half-time lead with a James Tindall tap-in in the 16th minute and doubled the lead when Jackson put a rocket of a penalty corner into the top right corner in the 43rd minute.

England play Spain on Monday, a loss will still mean a semi-final spot, but if Australia, as expected, beat Pakistan, then the Kookaburras will almost certainly finish top of the group thanks to the goal difference produced by their 12-0 thrashing of South Africa. Earlier in the day, Spain showed the rest of the sides in New Delhi how to play against the Kookaburras. Astute aerials and balls into the corner to fast forwards continually turned the Aussies around and stifled their attacking drive. Australia's opener (Luke Doerner, PC, 20mins) came against the run of play. The Aussies stepped up the on-the-ball pressure on the Spanish defence in the second half, and as a result stifled some of the earlier long passing. The Spanish withstood the pressure with their usual quick-footed defence, but the yellow-carding Ramon Alegre in the 52nd minute (for attempting to fell Jamie Dwyer in full flight) tipped the balance in favour of the Kookaburras. Glenn Turner then finished of a corner in the 60th minute. A few spirited attacks gave the Spanish some hope but Australia held out.

The battle of the cellar-dwellers in group B ended in a 4-3 win for South Africa over the higher-ranked Pakistan. Two late penalty corner goals made the scoreline more flattering than Pakistan deserved in a game where they started well but then recaptured their appalling form from their opener against India.

Day Eight Preview
The big game in group B is leaders Netherlands taking on Germany in the third game - this match will probably end up deciding the 1/2 placings in the group. The opener, Korea v Cana will have no effect on the top placings. New Zealand are still in with an outside chance of a semi-final but they face the under-rated Argentinians who have already lost two heartbreakers - last minute against Korea 2-1 and a heroic 4-3 defeat by Germany.


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