After losing their World Cup semifinal tie, England coach Jason Lee rued injuries to key players.

By Adarsh Vinay

England coach Jason Lee blamed the injuries rocking his squad after they went down 4-1 to Germany in the hockey World Cup semifinal.

Two key players Simon Mantell and Matt Daley did not accompany the England squad as they picked up injuries even before the World Cup started. Jonty Clarke missed the win over South Africa with a hamstring strain while Richard Mantell dislocated his ankle in the 5-2 win against Pakistan.

"We lost Simon and Matt before the tournament commenced. Richard's injury was another blow. That affected us a lot. In every match we took knocks and in the end it was just too many," said Lee.

He added that England's lack of exposure in big matches was another reason. "This is only our second appearance in a World Cup semifinal. The last time was in 1986. For Germany, it was their eleventh straight semifinal. The experience plays a big role."

But the England coach refused to accept that their attacking approach which left them open to counters was their undoing. "We have always played attacking hockey. That way we always create more chances. We may not keep clean sheets but that way we score more. That's always been our style," said Lee.

England had beaten Germany 5-3 in the European championship final last August but Lee said that was a different England team. "We are a different team from the one that beat Germany that day. We were more prepared for that match. The two games do not compare," he said.

But Lee praised the Germans for their performance. "They defended well and their finishing too was clinical. The difference in quality was obvious. Our marking was poor and after conceding two goals we were left chasing shadows."

But despite the loss, the England coach hailed his team's performance in the championship. "We came in as sixth in the world and still we made it to the semis. We are out of the tournament only after losing to the team that's ranked first in the world. So that's a good result. We have learnt a lot," concluded Lee.