Bhubaneswar, India (dpa) - Hosts India set up a semi-final against
arch-rivals Pakistan by beating Belgium 4-2 in hockey's Champions
Trophy Thursday.
Holders Australia beat Argentina 4-2 to reach the last four for a meeting with Germany, who ousted England 2-0.
Pakistan stunned Pool B winners Netherlands 4-2, a first victory
over the Dutch since 1998.
All four semi-finalists overcame a poor group stage in which Australia, Germany and India had won just one of their three games each, and Pakistan none.
The results have produced two intriguing semi-final games.
World champions Australia, the record 13-times and five-time reigning champions, come against the Olympic champions in Germany.
India, who have never won the tournament, meet old foes Pakistan, whose last of three titles was in 1994. The two team met for third place in 2012 when Pakistan won 3-2.
India came from two goals down to defeat Belgium who led through Felix Denayer (12th minute) and Sebastien Dockier (18). Rupinder Singh immediately replied from a penalty corner and field goals followed from Uthappa Sannuvanda (27), Akashdeep Singh (41) and Dharamvir Singh (49).
Australia came back from 2-1 down to beat the third-place World Cup finishers Argentina.
Jeremy Hayward and Chris Ciriello were on target off penalty corners on either side of Daniel Beale's effort for victory. Earlier, Matias Paredes and Manuel Brunet had cancelled out the Kookaburras' early lead from Simon Orchard.
"It was a tough pool stage but we are just working on ourselves and our own team plan to get it together for these final stages. As for six (titles) in-a-row, we only think of one game at a time. It would be good to make history but we don't think that way," Hayward said.
The champions now run into Germany who have won the tournament nine times, and despite fielding a young team they managed to outlast England, who had gone unbeaten in the group stage.
Moritz Fuerste opened the scoring off a penalty corner shortly before half-time, and Christopher Ruhr wrapped up matters with three minutes left after the Germans escaped several scary moments on the other end.
"We were very dissatisfied after the group stage. We wanted to deliver a game with which we could be satisfied over the full 90 minutes," the captain Fuerste said.
Pakistan, whose third and so far last title at the prestigious event dates back two decades to 1994, came alive at last to beat the Dutch for the first time since 1998.
Muhammed Irfan's double clinched victory against the eight-time champions, 3-2 off a corner and 4-2 on the counter. The Dutch had taken an early lead from Jeroen Hertzberger but Pakistan reversed matters from Muhammand Tousiq and Imran for a 2-1 half-time lead. Constantijn Jonker levelled again for the Dutch.
"It was a good as well as a lucky day for us as Holland have been the best team until now in the tournament. After losing (their last group game) to India, I think we caught them low on confidence," Imran said.
Dutch coach Max Caldas said: "We are not yet able to perform at the highest level when we are under stress; this is something we need to learn. The tournament is not over, it showed us where we stand at the moment and mentally we are not yet where we would like to be."
Holders Australia beat Argentina 4-2 to reach the last four for a meeting with Germany, who ousted England 2-0.
Pakistan stunned Pool B winners Netherlands 4-2, a first victory
over the Dutch since 1998.
All four semi-finalists overcame a poor group stage in which Australia, Germany and India had won just one of their three games each, and Pakistan none.
The results have produced two intriguing semi-final games.
World champions Australia, the record 13-times and five-time reigning champions, come against the Olympic champions in Germany.
India, who have never won the tournament, meet old foes Pakistan, whose last of three titles was in 1994. The two team met for third place in 2012 when Pakistan won 3-2.
India came from two goals down to defeat Belgium who led through Felix Denayer (12th minute) and Sebastien Dockier (18). Rupinder Singh immediately replied from a penalty corner and field goals followed from Uthappa Sannuvanda (27), Akashdeep Singh (41) and Dharamvir Singh (49).
Australia came back from 2-1 down to beat the third-place World Cup finishers Argentina.
Jeremy Hayward and Chris Ciriello were on target off penalty corners on either side of Daniel Beale's effort for victory. Earlier, Matias Paredes and Manuel Brunet had cancelled out the Kookaburras' early lead from Simon Orchard.
"It was a tough pool stage but we are just working on ourselves and our own team plan to get it together for these final stages. As for six (titles) in-a-row, we only think of one game at a time. It would be good to make history but we don't think that way," Hayward said.
The champions now run into Germany who have won the tournament nine times, and despite fielding a young team they managed to outlast England, who had gone unbeaten in the group stage.
Moritz Fuerste opened the scoring off a penalty corner shortly before half-time, and Christopher Ruhr wrapped up matters with three minutes left after the Germans escaped several scary moments on the other end.
"We were very dissatisfied after the group stage. We wanted to deliver a game with which we could be satisfied over the full 90 minutes," the captain Fuerste said.
Pakistan, whose third and so far last title at the prestigious event dates back two decades to 1994, came alive at last to beat the Dutch for the first time since 1998.
Muhammed Irfan's double clinched victory against the eight-time champions, 3-2 off a corner and 4-2 on the counter. The Dutch had taken an early lead from Jeroen Hertzberger but Pakistan reversed matters from Muhammand Tousiq and Imran for a 2-1 half-time lead. Constantijn Jonker levelled again for the Dutch.
"It was a good as well as a lucky day for us as Holland have been the best team until now in the tournament. After losing (their last group game) to India, I think we caught them low on confidence," Imran said.
Dutch coach Max Caldas said: "We are not yet able to perform at the highest level when we are under stress; this is something we need to learn. The tournament is not over, it showed us where we stand at the moment and mentally we are not yet where we would like to be."
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