Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup: Belgium has a comfortable 5-1 win last pool game
Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup: Belgium has a comfortable 5-1 win last pool game
Olympic runners-up Belgium overcame an opening minute goal deficit to beat African champion South Africa 5-1 to end its pool engagements on a winning note in the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. The win, the second for Belgium, puts them in the knock out round. For South Africa it was second defeat in three games.
Belgium had a good practice of scoring through penalty corners in the game against South Africa. Three of its five goals came from penalty corners. The fifth and the final goal by Cedric Charlier, a field goal, was a beauty.
South Africa had the misfortune of getting a penalty stroke award cancelled by the Video Referee. For Belgium, too, Video Referee also proved unlucky as it disallowed two of its goals, one of a penalty corner for the ball not being stopped outside the circle before the flick and the second in the last minute when goal was scored jus a fraction of second after the hooter.
It was a dream start for the African champion South Africa hoisting its first goal in the 35th second. Nicholas Spooner surprised the Belgian defence as he ran through and slammed the ball past Vanasch. Stung by the reverse, the Olympic runner-up Belgium took control of the game and scored thrice in a span of nine minutes through drag flicker Alexander Hendrickx in the 13th and 22nd minutes with a goal in between from Simon Gougnard (18th minute) to surge ahead 3-1.Before the teams broke for the breather, Loick Luipaert, converted yet another penalty corner, third for his team, to make the score look one-sided 4-1 at end of 30 minutes of play.
Belgium and South Africa do not have long hockey history. Belgium has won six of previous 12 games and lost four while the remaining two ended in draws. Belgium has scored 39 and conceded 25.
Man of the match : Simon Gougnard (Belgium - PTC News
