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Reiterating their number three position in the FIH rankings, Belgium came up with a resilient performance to vanquish two-time champions Germany by a narrow 2-1 margin in the third quarterfinal of the 2018 Hockey World Cup.
The Red Lions reaped rich rewards for embarking on an aggressive approach to catch their defensively strong opposition off guard.
In what was an engrossing encounter at the Kalinga Stadium, Germany took the lead in the 14th minute through some excellent team-work. A string of deft passes eventually resulted in Dieter Linnekogel slotting the ball into the back of the net.
Belgium came roaring back when Alexander Hendrickx's sublime drag-flick found a way past Tobias Walter in the 18th minute. The remainder of the second quarter, as well as the entirety of the third quarter, evinced a game of cat and mouse as neither team was willing to give an inch.
In the 50th minute, Tom Boon displayed tremendous awareness to fire a rebound off Walter into the goal. Back in the lead, Belgium held on till the final hooter to seal their maiden semifinal appearance in World Cup history.
Here are the three standout players from Belgium's riveting triumph against Germany in the third quarterfinal.
#3 Arthur van Doren (Belgium)
Arthur van Doren, who had procured the Player of the Match award against Canada, added to his tally with another influential display in the quarterfinal. The 24-year-old defender's steady composure helped Belgium avert plenty of threatening marches from the German attackers.
During the second quarter, van Doren's crucial interceptions and calm clearances frustrated Germany to a significant extent. As the game progressed to its business stages, he held his nerve to deny prowling attackers like Dan Nguyen and Mats Grambusch.
In the last quarter, van Doren once again came to Belgium's rescue with his tranquil defensive skills. His confident demeanour as well as ability to predict their moves aggravated Germany's woes.
#2 Tobias Walter (Germany)
With the German defenders appearing lackluster, the onus fell on goalkeeper Tobias Walter to shore up their fortunes against the hungry Red Lions attackers. The 28-year-old, who incidentally plies his trade for KHC Dragons in Belgium's domestic circuit, demonstrated incredible anticipation and made plenty of splendid saves.
In the 14th minute, Walter rose to the occasion and denied Belgium with a stunning save. His slick reflexes helped the Germans stave off a slew of penalty corners towards the end of the opening quarter. When the second quarter began, he was at it again. Diving low and using his feet, he kept the Red Lions at bay almost singlehandedly.
One particular instance of Walter's acuity came at the 20th minute. Sebastien Dockier came storming into the inner circle from a rapid counterattack. However, the German goalkeeper left his mark and charged towards the Belgian. Putting his body on the line for his country, he cleared the danger admirably.
During the third quarter, Walter kept his team in the contest by seeing off a lethal drag-flick from Alexander Hendrickx. He was extremely unlucky in the final quarter as Tom Boon latched on to the rebound off his body and scored the decisive goal for Belgium.
#1 Thomas Briels (Belgium)
During the second quarterfinal between Australia and France, the Kookaburras skipper had led from the front to seal victory for his team. Taking a cue from the performance of Aran Zalewski yesterday, Belgium captain Thomas Briels stepped up to the plate for the Red Lions in a high-pressure encounter against Germany.
Briels' sharp intellect came to the fore when he challenged the on-field decision and earned a penalty-corner in the first quarter. The 31-year old kept pushing the German defenders by making incisive circle penetrations. He utilised his experience and created quite a few scoring opportunities for the Red Lions.
At the final quarter, Briels paved the way for the most important goal of the match. Charging in from the left flank, he synchronised brilliantly with his fellow strikers. The veteran fired in a powerful strike to dent the imperious Walter. Although the skipper's shot did not directly yield the goal, Tom Boon pounced on the ensuing rebound to make it 2-1.
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