The 16 finest males’s groups from all over the world are converging in Odisha, India as we countdown to the ultimate free days until the beginning of the FIH Odisha Hockey Males’s World Cup 2023. Every workforce comes with the purpose of changing into world champions, however just one workforce can earn the best honour on the finish of the World Cup. The primary impediment for all 16 groups within the occasion come within the type of their pool opponents. Successful the pool offers the groups an enormous benefit, because it results in straight qualification into the quarterfinals, whereas second and third positioned groups play an extra cross-over spherical.
Right here is the preview for groups in Pool C:
Chile
On 28 January 2022, Chile secured qualification for the FIH Males’s World Cup for the primary time of their historical past. A 3-1 victory over Mexico within the cross-over part of the 2022 Males’s Pan American Cup, being performed on dwelling soil in Santiago, had arrange a winner-takes-all semi-final assembly with the USA.
It proved to be a match of giant stress, with neither workforce having the ability to break the impasse earlier than Chile emerged victorious within the shoot-out. Chilean goalkeeper Adrian Henriquez was crushed simply as soon as within the one-on-ones, with Juan Amoroso, Franco Becerra and Kay Gesswein netting the objectives to seal a spot within the occasion remaining and the all-important World Cup ticket that got here with it. The workforce have been properly crushed within the competitors remaining, with Argentina storming to a 5-1 victory, nevertheless it mattered little.
In October 2022, Chile claimed their fourth silver medal on the South American Video games in Luque, Paraguay, being defeated once more by Argentina however scoring an unbelievable 53 objectives in simply 5 matches. The workforce is captained by Fernando Renz and coached by Jorge Dabanch.
Malaysia
Malaysia will compete of their third successive FIH Males’s World Cup competitors because of a superb second place end on the 2022 Males’s Hockey Asia Cup. The Speedy Tigers have been in excellent kind on the occasion in Jakarta, Indonesia, reaching the competitors remaining with out dropping any of their six matches to safe their World Cup ticket earlier than finally taking place 2-1 to Korea within the gold medal recreation.
The workforce featured in two competitions within the latter a part of 2022, profitable the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on dwelling soil with a 3-2 victory over Korea earlier than dropping 4-0 to the identical opponent within the bronze medal match on the inaugural FIH Hockey Males’s Nations Cup South Africa 2022.
Identified for his or her distinctive model of high-paced attacking hockey, Malaysia – coached by Arul Anthoni, who represented the nation as a participant on the 1998 FIH Males’s World Cup in Utrecht, Netherlands – are definitely able to hurting any workforce that they play in opposition to. Razie Rahim is a potent weapon from penalty nook conditions, whereas Faiz Jali, Firhan Ashari and Azuan Hasan convey a wealth of worldwide expertise to the desk.
Netherlands
Below head coach Jeroen Delmee, the legendary Dutch defender who as a participant gained two Olympic gold medals, the Netherlands have discovered a consistency of their efficiency ranges which has already began to reap rewards. Since taking cost within the latter a part of 2021, Delmee has injected a big quantity of contemporary expertise into the Oranje squad.
The younger weapons rose to the problem in fashion, profitable 12 of their 16 matches within the 2021-22 version of the FIH Hockey Professional League to win the title for the primary time. Captain Thierry Brinkman and striker Koen Bijen high scored for the Netherlands with seven objectives apiece, with six objectives coming from each Dennis Warmerdam and penalty nook ace Jip Janssen. Due to their glorious kind, two Dutchmen, who’re additionally part of the World Cup squad, earned nominations for the FIH Hockey Stars Awards for 2021-22, with captain Brinkman shortlisted for the Greatest Males’s Participant prize whereas Pirmin Blaak was chosen for the Greatest Goalkeeper award.
Having suffered painful defeats within the final two FIH Males’s World Cup finals, the Netherlands will likely be aiming to make it third time fortunate this time round and win a fourth world crown, a feat solely Pakistan have managed to realize.
New Zealand
New Zealand are all set to compete of their eleventh FIH Males’s World Cup, with the Odisha occasion being their seventh in succession. They’re but to complete greater than seventh, a putting they’ve achieved on 4 separate events, however that would all change this time round.
The Black Sticks are all the time a power to be reckoned with, being blessed with some genuinely world class gamers amongst their ranks. Blair Tarrant is a superb defender who has represented his nation greater than 230 occasions, whereas the likes of veteran striker Simon Baby, Sam Lane, and penalty nook weapon Kane Russell are all objective threats. Extremely regarded defensive midfielder Nick Ross makes a return to the workforce after taking a break all through 2022, whereas 19-year-old debutant defender Charlie Morrison will likely be relishing the chance to indicate his abilities on the large stage after gaining choice.
The workforce is coached by former South Africa striker Greg Nicol, who represented his nation on the Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004 Olympic Video games in addition to the 2002 FIH Males’s World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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