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After being pipped to the post by India's vastly superior goal difference in the group stage, Belgium stormed to a 5-0 victory against Pakistan and booked a place in the quarterfinals.
The third Crossover game in the 2018 Hockey World Cup began interestingly as Pakistan dominated possession. However, their inability to make meaningful circle penetrations played into Belgium's hands.
Whenever they had the ball, the Belgian players stitched numerous productive passes and applied persistent pressure on the Green Shirts. Alexander Hendrickx's fourth goal of the tournament lifted the Red Lions to an early lead in the first quarter. Skipper Thomas Briels made it 2-0 on the back of an outstanding assist.
Belgium progressed to a 3-0 lead in the second quarter when Cedric Charlier's powerful strike ricocheted off Pakistan's stand-in captain Ammad Shakeel Butt. Sebastien Dockier's smooth finish made it 4-0 in the third quarter. During the final quarter, Tom Boon scored from the spot to complete a resounding performance from the Red Lions.
Here are the three standout players from Belgium's clinical 5-0 triumph against Pakistan in the third Crossover match.
#3 Alexander Hendrickx (Belgium)
Picking up from he left off in their final group game against South Africa, Alexander Hendrickx converted a penalty corner in the tenth minute and propelled Belgium to an early lead in the crucial encounter.
However, as the game progressed, Hendrickx's drag-flicking skills deteriorated considerably. After scoring from his initial opportunity in the first quarter, the 25-year-old missed out on two penalty-corner chances during the third quarter. But he redeemed himself in the final quarter by earning a penalty stroke for his team.
Aside from his exploits with the drag-flick, Hendrickx's defensive prowess continued to be strong right throughout the match. His admirable anticipation helped the Red Lions intercept quite a few dangerous passes from the Pakistani midfielders.
With his successful drag-flick in the opening quarter, Hendrickx has now taken his tally to four goals in the tournament thus far. He is tied with Argentina's top drag-flicker Gonzalo Peillat for the second spot. Australia's Blake Govers leads the charts with five goals.
#2 Cédric Charlier (Belgium)
Cédric Charlier played a key role in Belgium's aggressive circle penetrations during the first two quarters. Three minutes before half-time, the 31-year-old came into his own with a stunning strike.
Upon receiving the ball at the edge of the inner circle, he found himself closed out by a slew of Pakistan defenders in front of goal. However, Charlier backed himself to score from a tight angle and unleashed a powerful shot. The furious pace on the ball meant that it deflected off Ammad Shakeel Butt into the back of the net.
Sebastien Dockier's goal in the third quarter also had a touch of Charlier in it. He played the role of middleman between the unstoppable Simon Gougnard and the eventual goal-scorer.
#1 Simon Gougnard (Belgium)
Although he could not quite get his name on the score-sheet in this game, Simon Gougnard's reliability was arguably the most pivotal reason behind Belgium's domineering performance. Two of their three field goals happened due to the experienced midfielder's magical passing.
With head coach Shane McLeod using him in a more aggressive role, Gougnard responded brilliantly by piling incessant pressure on the Pakistani defence. In the 13th minute, he synchronized spectacularly alongside Nicolas de Kerpel and produced a decisive pass to the lurking Thomas Briels.
In particular, Gougnard's deft stick-work along the baseline left the Green Shirts in a perpetual state of frustration. One of those instances came during the 35th minute. He ran rings around the hapless defenders and unfurled a stellar cross to Sebastien Dockier who duly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
In a game where quite a few Belgian players also put forth their cases, Gougnard was deservedly rewarded with the Player of the Match award.
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