The Hockeyroos go into their final pool match against Spain motivated to remain at the top of the Pool B standings to secure a favourable Olympic quarterfinal berth.
The Hockeyroos go into their final pool match against Spain motivated to remain at the top of the Pool B standings to secure a favourable Olympic quarterfinal berth.
The Hockeyroos remain unbeaten in Paris, their worst result coming against Tokyo silver medallists Argentina on Thursday when they pulled off a spectacular comeback to draw three-all and save their position on the standings.
Spain presents a large unknown for the Hockeyroos as both sides haven’t faced each other for over a year.
The last outing was in the quarterfinals of the FIH Women’s World Cup in 2022 and Australia won 2-0.
Triple Olympian and two-time gold medallist Katrina Powell, who is guiding the Hockeyroos campaign, knows the importance of entering the pools with the team building momentum and belief.
“Spain is a really difficult side,” Katrina.
“We've had some really close battles with them over the years and I've got no doubt they will be looking to overturn that World Cup result.”
Both sides have already earned their spot in the quarterfinals, Spain has won two matches, drawn one and lost one and sit three points lower than the Hockeyroos on the table.
“We're treating every game as a quarter-final and we want to head into the quarter-finals in good form, so how we play and perform in this match is equally as important as getting the points,” Katrina said.
“The most important thing is we need to stay in the present. It’s another tough outing and if we're not ready we'll be in trouble.”
The Hockeyroos play Spain at 8.15pm AEST at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium.
Kristina Eddy
