Betfair Official Blog

Women's Hockey Preview: Classy Dutch look good to reach final

Brilliant orange to rival reds in the final, says Steve Rawlings.

The line up for the women's semi finals is pretty much as expected.
Pool A had three main protagonists and it was the Australians who were edged out on goal difference after drawing 2-2 draw with China yesterday.

Favourites Holland topped the group without dropping a point and meet Pool B runners up Argentina in the second semi final.

Las Leonas, as the Argentines are known, were very slow starters failing to beat the USA or GB in their first two games, drawing both encounters 2-2. They then scraped past Japan 2-1 but hammered group winners Germany 4-0.

I think they'll struggle against the classy Dutch though. They've impressed from the get go and and they've already beaten quality opposition and are very worthy favourites.

The first semi final tomorrow sees Pool A runners up China take on Germany in a rematch from four years ago. On that occasion the Germans won on penalty shots before beating Holland in the final but I fancy in front of their own crowd the Chinese could avenge that defeat.

Having comfortably won their matches against the Pool A lesser lights, China gave the Dutch a good fight, going down narrowly 1-0.

They very nearly let things slip against the Hockeyroos yesterday, giving up a 2-0 lead in the second half, but they hung on under late Aussie pressure and deserve their place in tomorrow's match.

The Germans, already exposed by Las Leonas, look vulnerable and I predict a China - Holland final on Friday.