Madrid double-act in final4 as Bloemendaal and Racing advance

Sanse Complutense and Club de Campo set up a Madrid derby in the ABN AMRO EHL Women’s FINAL4 following their FINAL8 victories while Bloemendaal and Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles advanced to the men’s semi-finals.

Read about a thrilling day one of the ABN AMRO EHL FINAL8 below

Women

Pembroke 0 Sanse Complutense 4 (Maria Garcia, Sara Carmona, Paula Jimenez, Valentina Teruggi)

Sanse Complutense made a strong EHL debut to advance to the FINAL4 of the EHL Women’s competition, seeing off fellow first-time entrants 4-0.

It took less than three minutes to get off the mark as Paula Jimenez broke down the right wing and her cross into the centre was turned in by Maria Garcia. 

Jimenez then provided the assist from the same area with Sara Carmona this time taking a sharp chance at the left post. 

Jimenez got the goal her performance deserved in the third quarter with a corner rebound and Valentina Teruggi completed the win in the closing stages with a close range deflection.

Gantoise 0 Club de Campo de Madrid 3 (Empar Gil, Alejandra Torres-Quevedo, Lucia Abajo Saenz de Tejada)

Club de Campo set up an all-Madrid FINAL4 battle as they had the ruthless edge in the circle to get by the challenge of Gantoise. 

They went in front from a corner when Maria Lopez slapped the ball to the right post where Empar Gil guided the ball home. Campo had another disallowed on video with the corner stopped inside the circle but they had their second goal two minutes into the second quarter following a flowing move with Blanca Perez finding Alejandra Torres-Quevedo all alone on the left and she took her time before banding in.

Gantoise were dangerous at times with balls flashing across the face of the Spanish side’s goal with some good scramble defence in the third quarter. 

But Campo always had a big threat and they were out of sight with six minutes to go when Carmen Cano’s shot got a tip from Lucia Abajo Saenz de Tejada.

Men

HC Bloemendaal 7 (Tim Swaen 2, Thierry Brinkman 2, C van der Veen, T Beins, T Hiebendaal) Harvestehuder THC 2 (P Glander, M Körper)

Bloemendaal produced a breathtaking second half to pull away from Harvestehuder THC and continue their incredible winning run in the EHL.

Thierry Brinkman did get Bloemendaal off to a brilliant start, shooting home on his backhand in the second minute but HTHC battled back with 17-year-old Paul Glander ripping home a penalty corner drag-flick via a defensive stick for 1-1.

In a brilliant first half, the chances flowed thick and fast and it looked evenly poised at the big break but the Dutch giants pulled away in the second half. Tim Swaen dragged in a corner to take back the lead.

And then Casper van der Veen burst clear to finish off a pitch-length move with a beauty of a goal and 3-1. Brinkman picked up the pieces for a fourth before the end of Q3. 

Teun Beins and Swaen notched corner second phase goals and while Michael Körper dragged one back, Tom Hiebendaal then finished off the victory.

Pinoké 2 (Marlon Landbrug, Alex Hendrickx) Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles 3 (Samuel Malherbe 2, Tanguy Cosyns)

Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles made it through to the EHL Men’s FINAL4 for the second time as they stunned a raucous Wagener Stadium to outdoor hosts Pinoké.

Tanguy Cosyns grabbed the winner with a rocket drag-flick with 11 minutes to go and they just about held on as Pinoké hit the post in the closing seconds to prevent a shoot-out.

The Amstelveen club hit the front six minutes in when Marlon Landbrug popped up on the left baseline and picked out the top corner with a great flick.

Racing, though, were not unnerved by the loud crowd, enjoying a break in the day’s torrential rain. And they got back on terms when Samuel Malherbe’s dancing run in from the left wing ended with the ball squeezing into the net off a defensive stick.

Malherbe then put his side in front when he followed off the pads of Hidde Brink with a smart rebound. Alex Hendrickx slung in for 2-2 at half-time from a corner, setting up a lively second half.

Racing, though, looked the side more likely to breakthrough with Alexis Cayphas unable to cash in from a big chance before Cosyns got the big corner goal. Hendrickx missed out from a drag of his own late on and then hit the post. Racing go on to face Bloemendaal in the FINAL4.