England couldn't manage two wins in the Champions Trophy when they lost out to Spain in the 5th/6th place play-off. The only consolation was Ashley Jackson winning the WorldHockey Young Player of the Year 2009.
England started in sleep mode once more and conceded at goal in the first two minutes when Pau Quemada was unmarked on the far post to tap in Spain's first. Spain went 2-0 up 25 minutes later when Richard Mantell slipped in the circle and Xavi Lleonart put the ball past James Fair.
England pulled one back from a Jackson penalty corner flick high to the keeper's right. But Eduard Tubau restored Spain's two goal cushion when Mantell once more lost the ball, this time near the half way line, and England were caught short at the back.
Midway through the second half and Spain earned another penalty corner and Xavier Ribas put the ball low to Fair's right to score. Then with less than ten minutes to go Jackson fired in a low shot from England's second penalty corner. 4-2. Then a superb run by Middleton along the back line and James Tindall was on hand, unfortunately his foot got in the way when everyone was cheering the goal which didn't come. Had England scored then Spain may have become jittery once more, but as England pressed to get another goal it was Spain's Pol Amat who finished the scoring with a lovely lob over Fair in the final minute to make a final score of 5-2.
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In the gold medal match Des Abbott gave Australia an early lead before Florian Fuchs leveled things up for Germany. Australia put on lots of pressure, but it was the Germans who took the lead when Martin Haner scored from a penalty corner and then Matthias Withaus made it 3-1, also from a penalty corner, before half time.
Australia came storming out in the second half and De Young scored from a penalty corner in the first minute. Luke Doerner added two from penalty corners for Australia to take the lead, before his quick lift over the top from a free hit gave Fergus Kavanagh the chance to lob the ball over Max Weinhold to finish it off at 5-3.
Final presentations were made at the end of the match with The Netherlands winning the Fair Play trophy and Korea's Myung Ho Lee the goalkeeper of the tournament. With Doerner's two goals in the final he shared the top scorer of the tournament with Grant Schubert who was also awarded the player of the tournament.
In the bronze medal match it was Korea who took a deserved win over the Netherlands by 4-2.
Rob Reckers opened the scoring for the Netherlands after a cautious start by both sides. However, Korea struck back in the second half through captain Jong Ho Seo before Hyun Woo Nam scored his fifth of the tournament from the penalty corner and then Nam Yong Lee made it three with a deflected shot from a switch in play at the next penalty corner. With two minutes to go Taeke Taekema made it 3-2 from another of his trademark penalty corners, but immediately from the restart one of the best goals of the tournament was scored when Soo Kyuk Yang passed the ball through to Young Jin Kim and his cross was met by a diving Hyo Sik You.
At half time the WorldHockey Players of the Year and Young Players of the Year were named.
Argentina's Luciana Aymar and The Netherlands Naomi van As received exactly the same number of votes in the women's player of the year. Amyar now has her sixth WorldHockey Player of the Year award following her wins in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Van As won the best player of the tournament as The Netherlands won the European Championships in August. Australia's Casey Eastham was crowned the women's WorldHockey Young Player of the Year.
Jamie Dwyer won another Player of the Year title, having previously won it in 2004 and 2007. Dwyer takes over the title from Pol Amat who was also nominated again this year.
And Ashley Jackson (pictured) became the first English winner of a WorldHockey Player of the Year award when he won the Young Player of the Year.
