Hockey World Cup 2018, Netherlands vs Malaysia: 5 Talking Points

Netherlands started the campaign with a commanding win over Malaysia
Netherlands started the campaign with a commanding win over Malaysia

#4 Smashing the bubble fame of Malaysia

Netherlands demolish the bubble fame of Malaysia (Image courtesy: Hockey India)
Netherlands demolish the bubble fame of Malaysia (Image courtesy: Hockey India)

If this match can be remembered for anything else, it will be the way the Dutch demolished the bubble fame of Team Malaysia.

The Asian side was expected to create another upset on the lines of China, who shocked England with a historic draw.

Malaysia had stepped onto the field as the silver medalists from the Jakarta Asian Games 2018, having shocked India in an intense penalty shootout in the semifinals.

Their junior team also worked wonders, giving Asia their first gold medal in field hockey at Youth Olympics, defeating India here once again by 4-2.

Into such a scenario, stepped in Roelant Oltmans. Having succeeded in his tenure as a coach for the Indian team, and having suffered gross apathy from Pakistan, Oltmans looked forward to making a formidable outfit from Malaysia.

However, the way Netherlands pummeled Malaysia, it doesn't look like they would recover anytime soon from this drubbing.

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Edited by Alan John