Junior Hockey World Cup 2025: France batters South Korea, Australia holds off Bangladesh comeback
Under overcast skies in Chennai, last edition’s runner-up, France, launched its FIH Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 campaign with an 11-1 thrashing of South Korea in the opening Pool F match at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium on Saturday.
Australia, one of the other major contenders, got its competition in Pool F off to a dominant start with victories over another Asian opposition. Switzerland bagged its second win of Pool B ahead of its final clash against India.
The French attack was relentless, featuring seven different goal-scorers in the rout. Star forward Arthur Plauche led the scoring spree with a brilliant hat-trick, supported by braces from Victor Saint-Martin and Gabin Lorrazuri. Seven goals came from open play, showcasing the team’s fluidity, while four were converted from penalty corners.
France, the sixth-ranked side in the world, wasted no time asserting dominance, finding the net within 91 seconds. Captain Denis Gaspard initiated the move, playing the ball wide to Tom Gaillard, who delivered a perfect square pass for Lorrazuri to tap home.
While the goals piled up, it was French goalkeeper Antoine Robert who earned the loudest cheers from the Chennai crowd, pulling off three world-class saves to deny Korea an early equaliser after it won a succession of penalty corners.
The midfield, controlled with panache by Mathias Dierckens’ side, dictated the entire tempo of the game. Constant positional interchanging and deep-dropping forwards dragged the Korean man-markers out of position, allowing French midfielders to make devastating attacking runs and secure a comprehensive victory.
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Australia overcomes spirited Bangladesh
Australia survived a late scare from a determined Bangladesh side to secure a 5-3 victory in a floodlit encounter of Pool F.
The Burras launched out of the gates, with Oliver Will netting just 46 seconds in following a lightning-fast restart that left the Bangladeshi defence flat-footed. Despite conceding early, the Asian debutant quickly found its rhythm. Amirul Islam, fresh off the 2025 Senior Asia Cup campaign, unleashed a powerful drag-flick to blast home Bangladesh’s first from a penalty corner.
Australia, the reigning Sultan of Johor Cup champion, then showcased its renowned penalty corner efficiency in the second quarter, converting two of three chances. Ian Grobbelaar scored first, followed by Dylan Brick, before Duncan Jackson slotted in another field goal, giving Australia a comfortable 4-1 lead heading into the break.
The intensity of the match, however, changed with the strengthening of the rain. The waterlogged pitch slowed the ball, disrupting Australia’s control and opening the door for a Bangladeshi resurgence. In the second half, the flow completely shifted: Australia failed to earn a single short corner, while Bangladesh earned five.
Capitalising on the momentum, Amirul converted two more penalty corners to complete his hat-trick, pulling the score to a tense 5-3 and putting immense pressure on the Australian defence. While Siegfried Aikman’s boys impressed everyone with their bold, attacking debut on the world stage, the initial three-goal deficit proved too steep to overcome.
Switzerland knocks Chile out of knockout contention
In the first Pool B match of the evening, Switzerland secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over higher-ranked Chile, positioning itself atop the group standings ahead of the India vs. Oman clash.
The match began with a fiery display of Chilean spirit, as the players loudly sang their national anthem after the official instrumental rendition, setting an intense tone for the crucial fixture. This passion translated into immediate action, with the Latin Americans earning three consecutive penalty corners within the first two minutes. However, the Swiss defence held firm, successfully weathering the early pressure.
Having survived the storm, the Europeans ventured forward and drew first blood. Jonathan Baumbach struck from Switzerland’s first penalty corner, his powerful slap shot breaching the Chilean defence to give his side the lead. Switzerland extended its advantage in the second quarter when skipper Jens Fluck converted another short corner, sending the teams into halftime with the Swiss holding a comfortable cushion.
Chile returned from the break with renewed vigour and swiftly pulled a goal back. Following a goal-bound scramble from a penalty corner, Tomas Hasson outsmarted the Swiss goalkeeper and defence with a precise clip into the net. The momentum shift was short-lived, however, as Mattia Ribaudo restored Switzerland’s two-goal lead almost immediately, converting yet another penalty corner.
In a dramatic final push, Chile threw everything forward in the last 15 minutes. Its efforts were rewarded in the 12th minute when Felipe Duisberg scored its second goal, setting up a tense and nail-biting conclusion.
Despite the late surge, the Swiss defence, especially goalkeeper Timo Graf, held on for the narrow 3-2 win.
Chile coach Matias Amoroso will be disappointed with the outcome, as the primary objective of finishing second in the group was dashed on just the second day of the tournament, severely diminishing his team’s chances of making the knockouts.
Published on Nov 29, 2025