Wednesday, July 15, 2009 SYDNEY: The Netherlands leads the women's field hockey Champions Trophy after beating Germany 1-0. Australia drew 2-2 with China and now must win its two remaining games against England and Olympic and World Cup gold medallists the Netherlands to have any chance of being in the final on Sunday. The Netherlands captain Janneke Schopman scored the only goal of the match, deflecting in Maatje Paumen's fourth penalty corner chance at the left post to beat Yvonne Franks in Germany's goal. The Netherlands always looked in control, dominating possession with 11 shots on goal to Germany's one, and six penalty corners to Germany's nil. The Dutch captain Janneke Schopman liked the Netherlands level of control but not the lack of goals. "We have not made the most of the opportunities we have had to score," Schopman said. Maatje Paumen continued her poor form, converting only one of six penalty corner chances for the Netherlands, giving her a conversion rate of three from 19 in this tournament. Germany captain Fanny Rinne said their defence was not strong enough. "We concede six penalty corners and that is too many against Netherlands," Rinne said. Meanwhile, China's Jiahui Liao crushed Australia's vocal local supporters, scoring the equaliser five minutes from time to give China its first tournament points. The four second half goals had China playing catch-up. Ashleigh Nelson's deflected in Casey Eastham's cross from the left followed by Quingling Song's equaliser for China. Eastham converted Australia's sixth penalty corner to put Australia ahead 2-1 only to have Liao scamble the ball into the net in the dying minutes of play. The split round in which each team plays two matches over three days continues Wednesday with China against Germany and Argentina against England.
BAGHDAD: Nearly 500 U.S. Army combat engineers who specialize in clearing roads of explosives started shifting to southern Afghanistan."We are probably going to be the beginning of the influx you are going to see to Afghanistan," Lt. Col. Kevin Landers, commander of the Fort Carson, Colo.-based 4th Engineer Battalion, said as crews packed crates and cleaned vehicles for the flight to Kandahar.Obama has ordered 17,000 more U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan to bolster the 38,000 American troops already battling the resurgent Taliban."We are going to take this footprint out of Iraq," said Landers, whose battalion received word of its reassignment last month just after taking command of clearing roads in Baghdad of bombs and debris.
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