World Cup Countdown - Part 2

By Cathy Harris

Men

Korea
Sahara WorldHockey Team Ranking: 7
WC Appearances: 3 (1994, 1998, 2002)
Best WC Finish: 4th (2002)
2002 WC: 4th
Major Tournaments:
Olympic Games: 1988 (10th), 1996 (5th), 2000 (2nd), 2004 (8th)
World Cup: 1994 (8th), 1998 (7th), 2002 (4th)
Champions Trophy: 1997 (6th), 1998 (4th), 1999 (2nd), 2000 (3rd), 2001 (6th), 2002 (6th)

Coach
Myung Jun Cho

Key players
Midfield pair Yong Bae Kim, 32 who captained the side in Athens and the current captain, Woon Kon Yeo, 31. Both have more than 200 international appearances to their credit and are vastly experienced as well as striker Jong Ho Seo who is only 25 but already nearing the 200 caps mark.

Players to watch
Sung Kweon Hong, 21 is one from last year’s Junior World Cup and Nam Yong Lee, 22, is an experienced campaigner with more than 75 caps.

Argentina
Sahara WorldHockey Team Ranking: 8
WC Appearances: 9 (1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2002)
Best WC Finish: 6th (1986 and 2002)
2002 WC: 6th
Major Tournaments
Olympic Games: 1948 (unclassified), 1968 (14th), 1972 (14th), 1976 (11th), 1988 (8th), 1992 (11th), 1996 (9th), 2000 (8th), 2004 (11th)
World Cup: 1971 (10th), 1973 (9th), 1975 (11th), 1978 (8th), 1982 (12th), 1986 (6th), 1990 (9th), 1994 (7th), 2002 (6th)
Champions Trophy: 1987 (5th), 2003 (5th)

Coach
Sergio Vigil, a former Argentina international who played in two World Cups – London and Lahore. The diminutive Argentine made his reputation as coach of the national women’s team which won the Olympic silver medal in 2000, bronze in 2004 and triumphed in the World Cup in 2002.

He stepped down after Athens for a brief period before returning to take charge of the men’s team.

Key players
Jorge Lombi, 34, one of the greatest goal scorers the game has ever seen. Top goal scorer at the Sydney Olympics and the last World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Lombi’s powers may be declining but he remains a threat especially at the set piece.

Players to watch
Vigil has called up almost half of the side which won the Junior World Cup last year including penalty corner specialist and the team’s leading scorer at last year’s World Cup, Lucas Vila.

New Zealand
Sahara WorldHockey Team Ranking: 9
WC Appearances: 6 (1973, 1975, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2002)
Best WC Finish: 7th (1973, 1975, 1982)
2002 WC: 9th
Major Tournaments
Olympic Games: 1960 (5th), 1964 (unclassified), 1968 (7th), 1972 (9th), 1976 (1st), 1984 (7th), 1992 (8th), 2004 (6th)
World Cup: 1973 (7th), 1975 (7th), 1982 (7th), 1986 (7th), 1998 (10th), 2002 (9th)

Champions Trophy: 1976, 1983, 1984, 2004

Coach
Kevin Towns has been in charge of the team since the end of 2000. His best results include a silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and winning the World Cup qualifying tournament in China this year.

Key players
Ryan Archibald, 25, the captain and midfielder who is closing on 175 caps and striker Phil Burrows, 24, who is the team’s top scorer with more than 70 goals, many of them spectacular reverse stick efforts.

Players to watch
Simon Childs, 18, a striker with just 20 caps and Shea McAleese, 21, a defender. Both are immense talents.

Women

Japan
Sahara WorldHockey Team Ranking: 8
WC Appearances: 4 (1978, 1981, 1990, 2002)
Best WC Finish: 6th (1978)
2002 WC: 10th
Major Tournaments
Olympic Games: 2004 (8th)
World Cup: 1978 (6th), 1981 (7th), 1990 (11th), 2002 (10th)
Champions Trophy: never qualified

Coach
Australian born John Sheahan, 34, is a graduate of Tenri University where the majority of the men’s and women’s squad graduated. Sheahan has two masters degrees in Sports Science and has been coaching the men’s and women’s university teams since graduating himself.

Key players
Sachimi Iwao, a midfielder, voted player of the tournament at the Samsung Hockey World Cup Qualifier this year and defender Akemi Kato, the veteran of the side with more than 250 appearances for Japan.

Player to watch
Kaori Chiba, a fast and skilful striker who was joint leading scorer at the World Cup qualifying tournament and who has rapidly improved since the Athens Olympics.

England
Sahara WorldHockey Team Ranking: 9
WC Appearances: 6 (1983, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002)
Best WC Finish: 4th (1990)
2002 WC: 5th
Major Tournaments
Olympic Games – England, Wales and Scotland players represent Great Britain
World Cup: 1983 (5th), 1986 (5th), 1990 (4th), 1994 (9th), 1998 (9th), 2002 (5th)

Champions Trophy: 2002 (6th), 2003 (5th)

Coach
Danny Kerry, 35, who has been head coach since 2004. A former captain of Loughborough University, Kerry was a lecturer at Brunel University where he steered the side to five successive finals in the British Universities Championship, winning three consecutive titles from 1996-1998. He also enjoyed a highly successful spell with Canterbury Ladies in the English Hockey League.

Key players
Kate Walsh, the captain and defender, 26, is a brave and world class player who has been a model of consistency since her international debut seven years ago. Lucilla Wright, 26, and with nearly 200 England and Great Britain appearances to her name has also begun to turn early promise into good form.

Players to watch
Crista Cullen, 20, is one of the most exciting young players on the international scene, impressing with her athleticism and strength in defence as well as her drag flick. Forward Beckie Herbert, 20, and utility player Chloe Rogers 21 are among the new breed promoted by Kerry.

Spain
Sahara WorldHockey Team Ranking: 10
WC Appearances: 9 (1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2002)
Best WC Finish: 4th (1972)
2002 WC: 8th
Major Tournaments:
Olympic Games: 1992 (1st), 1996 (8th), 2000 (4th), 2004 (10th)
World Cup: 1972 (4th), 1974 (6th), 1976 (5th), 1978 (8th), 1981 (10th), 1986 (11th), 1990 (5th), 1994 (8th), 2002 (8th)
Champions Trophy: 1991 (4th), 1993 (5th), 1995 (5th), 2001 (6th)

Coach
Pablo Usoz, 39, is a three time Olympian and the veteran of 245 internationals. Assistant coach at the 2000 Sydney Olympics he took charge after the 2003 European Championship.

Key players
Silvia Munoz, 27, the captain and experienced striker is a double Olympian as is Nuria Camon, 28, a versatile midfield/forward. Goalkeeper Maria Jesus Rosa, 28, is also highly rated and played in the Athens Olympics.

Players to watch
Esther Termens, a forward who played in Athens and midfielder Julia Menendez a tenacious recruit from the Under 21 squad.