Rampant Spain blow Ireland away with 9-1 victory
BEN NELSON SCORED a late consolation goal for Ireland as they suffered a 9-1 defeat to Spain in their last game of the 2024/25 Pro League season.
The Spanish were rampant from the start and, chasing a fourth-place finish to provide automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, they struck eight goals in the first half to blow Ireland away.
Speaking after the game, Ireland captain Kyle Marshall said: 'It's definitely frustrating considering it's our last game [in the FIH Pro League 2024/25]. We don't have a chance to put that one right so to speak. We definitely showed that we can play in the second half, but it's not where we want to be.'
Ireland's attention now turns to the EuroHockey Championship II in Portugal from 27 July to 2 August. A top two finish in that tournament – which they won in 2023 – would ensure a spot in the World Cup qualifiers.
Advertisement
'Luckily, we have something to aspire to. We need a top two finish in the EuroHockey Championship II. We could definitely put a bit of pressure on ourselves in the second half today to do what we expect of ourselves, our basic standards and hold ourselves accountable,' Marshall said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Real Madrid move closer to Club World Cup knockout stages with win over Pachuca
Asencio was sent off in the seventh minute for hauling down Salomon Rondon and things looked bleak for the Spanish giants, who had been held to a frustrating draw by Al Hilal in their opening match, and were missing Kylian Mbappe due to illness. But after soaking up a spell of pressure, Real broke the deadlock through Jude Bellingham in the 35th minute before Arda Guler doubled the lead ahead of half-time. Federico Valverde volleyed in a third with 20 minutes left, before the Mexicans grabbed a late consolation through Elias Montiel's deflected effort. Real Madrid conclude their Group H fixtures against Red Bull Salzburg in Philadelphia on June 26. Kenan Yildiz scored twice as Juventus seized control of Group G with a 4-1 win over Wydad Casablanca. The Italian side, who opened their campaign by thumping Al Ain 5-0, were tested by the Moroccans for whom Thembinkosi Lorch's effort sparked thunderous celebrations. Yildiz had a hand in Juve's opener after six minutes when his shot was deflected in by Wydad defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil. Yildiz doubled Juve's advantage after 16 minutes when he lashed int the top corner from the edge of the box, before Lorch gave Wydad hope with a cool chip to reduce the deficit after 25 minutes. Wydad pushed for an equaliser but Juventus rode out with the storm with Andrea Cambiaso striking the woodwork before Yildiz grabbed his side's third after 70 minutes and Dusan Vlahovic completed victory with an injury time penalty. River Plate and Monterrey fought out a goalless draw in Group E, with the former having Kevin Castano sent off in injury time.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Real Madrid move closer to CWC knockout stages with win over Pachuca
Real Madrid shrugged off an early red card for Raul Asencio to move closer to the knockout stages of the Club World Cup after a 3-1 win over Mexican side Pachuca in Charlotte. Asencio was sent off in the seventh minute for hauling down Salomon Rondon and things looked bleak for the Spanish giants, who had been held to a frustrating draw by Al Hilal in their opening match, and were missing Kylian Mbappe due to illness. But after soaking up a spell of pressure, Real broke the deadlock through Jude Bellingham in the 35th minute before Arda Guler doubled the lead ahead of half-time. Federico Valverde volleyed in a third with 20 minutes left, before the Mexicans grabbed a late consolation through Elias Montiel's deflected effort. Real Madrid conclude their Group H fixtures against Red Bull Salzburg in Philadelphia on June 26. Kenan Yildiz scored twice as Juventus seized control of Group G with a 4-1 win over Wydad Casablanca. The Italian side, who opened their campaign by thumping Al Ain 5-0, were tested by the Moroccans for whom Thembinkosi Lorch's effort sparked thunderous celebrations. Yildiz had a hand in Juve's opener after six minutes when his shot was deflected in by Wydad defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil. Yildiz doubled Juve's advantage after 16 minutes when he lashed int the top corner from the edge of the box, before Lorch gave Wydad hope with a cool chip to reduce the deficit after 25 minutes. Wydad pushed for an equaliser but Juventus rode out with the storm with Andrea Cambiaso striking the woodwork before Yildiz grabbed his side's third after 70 minutes and Dusan Vlahovic completed victory with an injury time penalty.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Legendary BBC and ITV commentator retires after glittering 48-year career as sporting icons say goodbye
ICONIC broadcaster Steve Ryder is hanging up his mic after 48 years. The 75-year-old worked at both ITV and the BBC during his nearly five-decade career. 3 Steve Ryder is signing off for the final time after 48 years in broadcasting Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 The former BBC presenter has been the face of motorsport on ITV since 2005 Credit: Getty 3 Ryder (right) was a former presenter on the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year Credit: PA:Press Association Ryder signed off for the final time on Sunday at the He bid farewell to broadcasting after the race weekend, which was shown live on ITV4. A host of drivers from the past and present recorded messages for Ryder. The two-minute montage featured a host of famous names from the world of F1. READ MORE ON SPORT Ryder is best known for hosting the BBC sports show Grandstand. He also fronted coverage of rugby, golf, motorsports and rowing for the Beeb, as well as Sports Personality of the Year. Ryder left the BBC in 2005 to join ITV, where he has since taken charge of their F1 coverage and World Cup broadcasts. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Speaking about his decision to retire, he told The Mail: "The biggest emotion as you get into the last two minutes of something like that is, 'For God's sake, don't c**k it up!' "Because you'd be thinking about that for the next 20 years. Lando Norris punished by F1 bosses with five-second penalty after being snitched on by rival Max Verstappen "I've probably outstayed my welcome. I've been hugely lucky with the places that the career has taken me. "But it's close to 50 years now, so the cracks are showing." Ryder was He underwent emergency surgery, which successfully prevented the tumour from spreading. He told BBC Breakfast: "They took one look and said, 'We're going to operate in two weeks'. "No messing around. We did Brands Hatch for ITV on the Sunday and I had the operation on the Thursday. "So it slotted into the schedule quite nicely!"
