Germany routs England 4-1 to reach WC final

Two-time defending champion Germany stayed in the hunt for a third straight hockey World Cup title by outplaying England 4-1 on Thursday in the semifinals.

Germany, the 2002 and ‘06 World Cup winners, avenged its loss to England in last year’s European Cup final.

Jan-Marco Montag gave Germany the lead in the sixth minute and Oliver Korn deflected in a cross from the right to make it 2-0 in the 10th minute.

England reduced the lead through a penalty corner conversion by Richard Smith in the 18th minute, but Germany took a 3-1 lead at halftime through Martin Haner’s 31st-minute goal from a set-piece penalty corner attempt.

Linus Butt scored from a penalty corner in the 60th to round off the scoring for Germany.