Hockey World Cup: Spain thrash Wales 5-1 to claim first win, remain in the hunt

World No. 8 Spain recovered from their opening match defeat against hosts India to thrash Wales 5-1 and maintained their chances of advancing from Pool D in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Sunday.

Marc Reyne (16th min, 38th min) and Marc Miralles (32nd min, 56th min) scored a brace of goals each while skipper Alvaro Iglesias (22nd min) struck one goal for Spain, who had lost 0-2 to India at the same venue on Friday. James Carson scored the lone goal for Wales in the 52nd minute.

The win put Spain's campaign back on track with a comprehensive victory as they are in a tight race with hosts India and England for the quarterfinal spot from Pool D. Wales slumped to their second successive defeat in as many matches in the four-team Pool D.

The Los Redsticks started the match on a positive note and earned their first penalty corner in the sixth minute but they failed as the first quarter ended goalless.

However, they got going at the start of the second quarter with Marc Reyne scoring a field goal in the 16th minute and six minutes later skipper Iglesias made it 2-0. They could have made it 3-0 in the 25th minute but failed to convert a penalty stroke.

At the start of the second half, Spain earned a penalty corner in the 32nd minute and Marc Miralles converted the third PC, awarded immediately after, to make it 3-0 for Spain. Marc Reyne made it 4-0 in the 39th minute when he scored a field goal.

They were soon reduced to 10 men when Xavier Gispert got a green card. Wales earned their first PC within a minute but they could not convert it as the score stayed 4-0 at the end of the third quarter.

James Carson, however, was successful for Wales at the start of the fourth quarter in the 52nd minute to make 1-4. But Miralles scored his second goal of the match in the 56th minute to make it 5-1 as Spain sealed a comprehensive victory.