Olympic champions Belgium will look to beat a resilient Germany and turn into solely the fourth nation to defend the FIH Males’s Hockey World Cup title when the 2 sides conflict within the last right here on Sunday.
Pakistan, Australia and Germany have gained back-to-back titles prior to now and Belgium, who made it to the world’s elite simply round a decade in the past, would search to attain that feat and defend their title, which they gained in 2018, on the similar Kalinga Stadium.
With 11 gamers aged above 30 and three above 35, Belgium’s ‘golden era’ of hockey gamers, who’ve gained the 2018 World Cup and Tokyo Olympics golds, have proven that they’re supremely match and expertise issues greater than age. Belgium have include the majority of staff which had gained the final version of the occasion and Tokyo Video games.
It’s troublesome to seek out out any main weak point on this Belgium staff which has a few of the world’s most interesting attacking and defensive gamers in addition to penalty nook specialists.
Additionally they have top-of-the-line goalkeepers on the planet within the type of Vincent Vanasch.
Belgium have scored 18 targets with star striker Tom Boon contributing seven, and conceded simply 5 in as many matches.
However the world no.2 facet could be cautious of the “German tradition of resilience” which has been in full show on this World Cup because the Die Honamas twice got here again from 0-2 down to achieve the ultimate.
Two-time champions Germany (2002 and 2006) have been trailing by two targets towards England within the quarterfinals however struck twice within the final two and half minutes to take the sport into penalty shootout, the place they emerged winner.
Within the semifinals on Friday, world quantity 4 Germans have been once more trailing Australia, one of many title contenders, by 0-2 at half time however their never-say-die perspective got here to the fore as they made fought again to degree the scores earlier than discovering the winner in dramatic vogue with simply six seconds left on the clock.
“We’ve a number of respect for the German facet who got here out of jail twice on this event and gained. That’s one thing which is there of their tradition,” Belgium head coach Michel van del Heuvel stated.
“Germany are a really robust facet. We hope to avoid wasting our greatest for the final. We are going to analyse their sport and chalk out our plan,” added Belgium captain Felix Denayer.
The depth within the Belgium staff may also be gauged from the truth that the absence of penalty nook skilled and star defender Alexander Hendrickx because of damage early within the event was not felt.
The one chink of their armour could possibly be that Belgium have depended totally on Boon to attain the targets. Florent Van Aubel, Cedric Charlier and Sebastien Dockier have scored simply two targets every.
Arthur Van Doren and Arthur de Sloover would be the predominant males on the Belgium defence whereas captain Denayer and Victor Wegnez will attempt to management the midfield.
Germany, then again, will likely be trying to clinch their first title after 2006 and be part of the membership of different three nations to have gained the World Cup thrice or extra. Other than the benefit of getting recorded two come-from-behind wins, the Germans have been ready to achieve totally different enjoying conditions.
Germany adopted man-to-man marking sport towards England, whereas they performed a zonal system towards Australia within the semifinals.
They didn’t permit the usually fluid Australians to play their attacking model of play, with extra ball possession.
The type of penalty nook skilled Gonzalo Peillat, who gained the 2016 Olympics gold with Argentina however now represents Germany, will likely be key for the Die Honamas as his hat-trick was instrumental within the 4-3 win over Australia.
“We have to proceed to belief ourselves in our potential and in our psychological toughness. Our ball possession sport towards Australia was unbelievable and we’d need to proceed that. We need to win the World Cup,” German captain Mats Grambusch stated. The 2 sides have been collectively in the identical group and there was nothing to separate between them of their 2-2 draw Pool B match.
Tom Grambusch, the youthful brother of captain Mats, and Niklas Wellen scored in that match, and the duo will likely be Germany’s key gamers as soon as once more on Sunday.
Tom would be the defensive bulwark whereas Wellen, the person of the match towards Australia, has been the standout participant for Germany on this occasion together with his mesmerising forays in opposition circle yielding six targets in as many video games.
Traditionally additionally, there’s not a lot to distinguish between the 2 groups with Belgium having gained 15 out of the 35 matches they’ve performed towards one another. Germany have gained 13 instances whereas seven matches have been drawn.
Germany have overwhelmed Belgium simply as soon as — in FIH Professional League match in November final yr — since July 2017.
Shedding semifinalists Australia and Netherlands will face one another within the bronze medal match earlier within the day.
Learn all of the Newest Sports activities Information right here
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)