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#1 Belgium
No team, in recent times has climbed the rungs faster than the Belgian Red Lions who have stunned the hockey world with one incredible performance after another.
Displacing a team like Australia from the helm of world hockey is no mean feat and although the kookaburras have just about managed to regain the top spot in the world rankings, the rivalry continues to be intense as ever.
With a central defender of the calibre of Loick Luypaert in the team, the Red Lions can afford to venture deep into opposition territory without having to fret about potential counterattacks.
What happens when Luypaert isn't on the pitch?
The World Champions can boast of possessing one the most experienced defensive line ups in world hockey today.
Olympians Arthur Van Doren, Gauthier Boccard, and Alexander Hendrickx make sure that the most of the duels in and around the Belgian circle go the way of the Red Lions who conceded 33 goals in 16 matches in the first season of the Pro League.
At the World Cup in 2018, Shane McLeod's boys conceded 5 goals from 7 matches. The Aussies conceded one less than their arch-rivals but also played a match less since they did not have to go through the crossovers - and it will be interesting to see which of the two giants comes out on top in the 2020 edition of the Pro League.
