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Maximum fun for World Cup winners

January 14, 2021

In the first of our series of videos celebrating Legendary Moments in international hockey, we are turning our attention to the 2014 Women's World Cup, which took place in The Hague, Netherlands.

The event, where both men's and women's World Cups ran side by side at the two-pitch venue, was one of the most atmospheric competitions of recent times. Day after day, the stands were full with a multi-national, knowledgeable and vocal crowd.

Side events, bars and the hockey village became a hub of activity throughout the vibrant, colourful and exciting event.

The Netherlands women were supreme throughout. They conceded just one goal in the entire competition and marched towards the final in imperious style. The question was whether they might crack under the huge pressure of a stadium full of orange-clad supporters?

"We wanted the players to view the national stadium as their home, and playing at home should always be an advantage. The emphasis was on having fun. We tried to envisage ourselves playing the World Cup in our own backyard with our family and friends around."

Max Caldas was head coach to the Oranje. He had already led the team to victory at the London 2012 Olympic Games and now he was after the World Cup. Together with his team of coaches and support staff, Max created a programme of training and preparation that put the emphasis on fun. 

Hear from the head coach himself how those preparations involved blindfolds, camping equipment and getting lost on purpose in The Hague. 

Then relive those moments as Natherlands sealed their World Cup with a 2-0 win over Australia by clicking here to watch the match in full..

#LegendaryMoments

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