AMSTELVEEN, Netherlands, June 15 (Xinhua) -- China suffered a second consecutive 3-1 defeat to world No. 1 Netherlands on Sunday at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, concluding their Dutch leg of the 2025 FIH Pro League.
After exchanging early goals in the first quarter, the Netherlands pulled ahead and widened the gap in the third. Despite China's aggressive push and several penalty corners in the second half, the visitors were unable to convert their chances. The match ended 3-1, identical to the result from the previous day.
Zhang Ying, who scored China's lone goal, said it was her first time scoring against the Dutch and credited the goal to teamwork and strong support from her teammates.
She said that playing against the world's top-ranked side was a valuable learning experience.
Head coach Alyson Annan also expressed satisfaction with the team's overall performance in the second match.
She noted that the players had followed the tactics toward a more attacking game plan.
Annan praised several young players in particular, emphasizing that they had executed the strategy well.
China will now travel to Germany for the final six matches of this FIH Pro League season. Annan said the team's goal is to fight for points in each remaining game, continue improving, and strive for World Cup qualification. ■
