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Defending champions Belgium won the second semifinal of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2023 against the Netherlands through a penalty shootout on Friday, January 27. There was a sense of déjà vu as both these teams faced off in the final of the previous edition of Hockey World Cup at this very venue. On that occasion, too, it was a shootout that decided the result.
The Dutch team led twice in the match but couldn’t hold onto the lead. The score at the end of the regulation time was 2-2. The Belgian side could have won the game if Tom Boon had converted a penalty stroke that his team won in the fourth quarter. However, that wasn’t to be and a shootout ensued.
Vincent Vanasch shone while mistakes from Dutch strikers led to the Belgian side winning 3-2. Vanasch was also awarded the Player of the Match award.
Netherlands emerge the better side in first half
Despite their reputation as the favorites to win, Belgium started diffidently. They had to defend for most of the first quarter. Netherlands launched several good attacks from the right flank but Belgium managed to avoid conceding a field goal.
However, a penalty corner proved too hot to handle for the Belgians. Jip Janssen used his drag-flick to great effect for scoring the first goal of the match, in the 12th minute.
Belgium managed to improve their play in the second quarter. However, they were still not playing with the efficiency that usually characterizes their game. But they also managed to score from a penalty corner. Tom Boon scored for the defending champions in the 27th minute to equalize.
Belgium find their groove in second half
Things changed after the half-time break. Belgium decided to go on the attack and press high. But they suffered a setback in the 36th minute when another penalty corner gave Jip Janssen his second goal.
Despite falling behind, the current world champions started to find their rhythm. Their structure became solid and the currently Olympic and world champions started using very incisive passes to create problems for the Dutch team.
The repeated incursions into the circle brought about by effective passes led to an equalizer in the very last minute of the third quarter. An aerial ball that came towards the goal from the left-hand side was ineffectively parried away by the Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak. The ball went towards Nicolas de Kerpel, who drilled it into the goal post from the right.
The last quarter witnessed a sustained period of good play from the Belgian side. Players like Tom Boon were repeatedly creating opportunities. What was most impressive was the ability of the team to find routes into the circle. Perhaps the Dutch team didn’t mark the Belgian players too well, or maybe they were too good to be tied up.
A sustained period of pressure led to a penalty stroke being given to Belgium when one of their attackers was pushed from behind as he was about to take a shot at goal from the center of the circle. However, Blaak moved to his right and made the save.
With both teams unable to break the deadlock, the game headed into a shootout. It started badly for the Dutch team as Thijs van Dam missed the first attempt of the team. Belgium scored from all of their first three attempts.
Terrance Pieters committed a back-stick foul on the fourth attempt to give Belgium a chance to win the game on their fourth attempt. However, Tanguy Cosyns also missed. Yet, it didn’t make a great change as Seve van Ass missed the fifth sally for the Netherlands to give the defending champions a shot at retaining the title.
