Hockey World Cup 2018 Match 1: Belgium vs Canada, 5 talking points

Belgian players warming up ahead of the match
Belgian players warming up ahead of the match

#3 Belgian players tightly knit as a unit

The Red Lions displayed some really nice pieces of play in the first half of the match itself showed some positive signs. Their captain and star forward Thomas Briels was always in the thick of things.

Arthur Van Doren passed the ball to his captain Briels in the circle, who in turn took a beautiful turn towards goal and fired in a peach of a shot to double the lead for Belgium. Even Kindler had no answer to such a fierce shot. Charlier and Tom Boon were also extremely impressive and worked hard on the field.

However, the highlight of the match was the understanding between the Belgian team and Briels as well as coach Shane McLeod must be credited for it. The positioning of the Belgian team was spot on. Their strategy of sitting back in their own half and breaking in the opposition half with intent worked really well in the first half.

The Red Lions were unpredictable to the opposition. The Belgian defense was also tightly knit and did their job well for the major part of the match. Arthur Van Doren a delight to watch on the field. He was also named the player of the match for his wonderful performance.

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Edited by Sagnik Monga