MELBOURNE: Australia striker Grant Schubert scored three first-half goals as the titleholders beat the Netherlands 7-2 on Sunday, remaining the only undefeated team after two rounds of the Champions Trophy hockey tournament.
Earlier, Seo Jong-ho’s two second-half goals helped South Korea to a 5-3 win over Beijing Olympic champions Germany, giving both teams 1-1 records.
First-day losers Spain and England were scheduled to meet later Sunday in the tournament that features the six top-ranked men’s teams in the world.
The top two teams after the round-robin portion of the tournament will play next Sunday’s final.
The Dutch led after three minutes when all-time highest Champions Trophy goal scorer Taeke Taekema notched his 43rd career goal with a drag flick off a penalty corner.
Schubert leveled five minutes later with a penalty stroke, and the hosts added four more goals before halftime by Glenn Turner, Brent Dancer and Schubert’s second and third of the day just a minute apart.
Australia added two more goals in the second half before Robbert Kemperman scored for the Netherlands with two minutes left.
The teams have an off-day Monday. On Tuesday, Spain takes on Germany, the Netherlands play South Korea and Australia faces England.
Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel admitted the match was lost in the calamitous first half.
“In that period we were overpowered by Australia and the effect of the jet-lag on us was clear,” he said.
Australia did not apply the same pressure on Netherlands in the second half, disappointing their coach Ric Charlesworth.
“The game drifted in the second half and it was a disappointing half for us,” Charlesworth said.
Luke Doerner, who plays in the Dutch hockey league, confounded the Netherlands when he hit a penalty corner drive for Australia’s sixth goal rather than using his customary drag-flick.
Jamie Dwyer nailed a backstick drive from the left over the head of goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann for Australia’s last goal before Robert Kemperman scored on a breakaway for a Dutch consolation goal in the last minutes.