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Defending champions Belgium have earned a direct ticket to the 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup quarterfinals where they join Australia, England and the Netherlands.
Belgium pulverized Japan by a 7-1 margin while the Germans overcame stiff resistance from South Korea before scoring three quick goals in the final quarter to win 7-2 as the group stages of the tournament wound up in Rourkela on Friday.
The Belgian Red Lions ended up as the table toppers from Pool B with a superior goal difference, ahead of second-placed Germany, who will take on France in a Hockey World Cup crossover game on Monday.
The Indians, who failed to top Pool D, will thus need to brace themselves for a quarterfinal encounter against Belgium - one of the most experienced and successful teams in world hockey - considering they beat New Zealand in Sunday's crossover game.
Sjoerd Marijne, who coached the Indian men back in 2018 told Sportskeeda over the course of an exclusive chat that the Indians should get past the Black Sticks, although the pressure will be squarely on the host nation.
"India are the better team but these kind of matches are also about dealing with nerves and pressure. The pressure is on India, not only because they are the higher-ranked side, but also because they are playing a home match. My prediction is that India will beat New Zealand," said the coach who steered the Indian women's team to within striking distance of an Olympic medal.
'High PC efficiency'- Sjoerd Marijne on how India can upset Belgium in possible Hockey World Cup QF
Belgium, who won the 2018 edition of the Hockey World Cup before bagging gold at the 2021 Olympics, have arrived for the ongoing tournament with a largely unchanged side to the one that stood on the Tokyo podium.
The Belgians, who began their ascendancy by qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics for the first time in 32 years, stunned the hockey fraternity by veering ahead of traditional greats like Germany and the Netherlands while also challenging Australia's reign at the top of the FIH rankings.
Shane McLeod, who steered the Belgians to Olympic and World Cup glory, is no longer part of the team, but the Red Lions have shown no signs of surrendering their dominance under the tutelage of Michael van den Heuvel.
Sjoerd Marijne, who has been following the Hockey World Cup closely, feels PCs will play a key role for the Indians if they are to upset the World Cup and Olympic champions.
"Beating a team like Belgium is all about converting opportunities into goals. So a high efficiency of PCs will be very important and not too many against. Converting PCs will be the key," the Dutchman stressed.
Alexander Hendrickx, who was the highest goalscorer during the 2018 Hockey World Cup and the Tokyo Games, is yet to come into his own during the ongoing tournament after scoring the opening goal for his team against South Korea.
Hendrickx, who suffered a knee injury during an earlier match, will hope to be fit ahead of the quarterfinals even as India's Harmanpreet Singh - who has also scored a lone goal thus far - will be aiming to get his drag flicks on target.
Tom Boon, however, has been in electric form, scoring five goals against the Japanese with fellow stalwarts Cedric Charlier and Sebastien Dockier also finding the back of the net in some style.
