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We will have the winner of the 2018 Hockey World Cup in less than two days time as there are just 4 matches left to play – two semifinals, one final, and one Bronze medal match.
Australia – the defending champions – and Netherlands will be seen battling it out in the second semifinal clash. It will be a repeat of the 2014 Hockey World Cup final in The Hague.
After winning each of their three league games against Ireland, England, and China, in Pool C – The Kookaburras entered the quarterfinals in emphatic style. Only Germany (Pool D) were another team which had secured all 9 points from their first three games.
Colin Batch’s troops were up against a gutsy French side in the quarterfinal. Les Blues had impressed one and all in the tournament and were the surprise element. The Aussies showed them why they were considered the best in the World and went on to win the match 3-0 to enter the semifinals.
Jeremy Hayward, Jake Whetton, Tim Brand, and Aran Zalewski are some of the players who have stood out in the prolific Aussie line-up.
However, it is the young forward Blake Govers who has stolen the show with his exceptional performance. The 22-year-old is the current (joint) top scorer of with 6 goals to his name.
The Netherlands are in for their toughest match yet as the World Champions possess a prolific striking unit in addition to strength at the back.
The Dutch won two of their league games with a big margin but were outdone by Germany. This resulted in their finishing 2nd in Pool D and set up their crossover match against Canada.
The World Rank 11 Canadian side stood no chance against Maximiliano Caldas' troops and lost the match 0-5. As a result, the quarterfinal match was set up against the Netherlands and the hosts India. Although the Men in Blue were resolute and showed tremendous character in the match, goals from Mink Van Der Weerden and Thierry Brinkman ensured a 2-1 win for the Dutch.
Hertzberger, Thierry Brinkman, Kemperman, the veteran Mink van der Weerden, and Thijs van Dam are some of the Dutch players whom the Australians must be wary of.
Here is all you need to know about the upcoming match between Australia and Netherlands:
Event: Men's Hockey World Cup 2018
Venue: Bhubaneswar, India
Date: 15 December 2018
Time: 6:30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST)
Telecast
India: Star Sports, Star Sports HD
UK: BT Sport
Australia: Fox Sports
Spain: Eurosport
New Zealand: Sky Sports (NZ)
Argentina: ESPN
South Africa: SuperSport
Live Streaming: Hotstar, FIH Official Youtube Channel
Live Updates: Sportskeeda
Prediction
Both Australia and Netherlands know each other astutely. Things are going well for both the teams but it is the sheer balance of Australia which may see them make their way to the finals.
Out of 11 previous clashes, 5 have been won by the Aussies, 2 have been draws, and 4 went in favour of the Dutch.
Score Prediction: Australia 3 - 1 Netherlands
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