In a grueling contest, world number three Belgium get past two-time champions Germany 2-1 to advance into the semi-final of the ongoing men's Hockey World Cup here at the Kalinga Stadium on Thursday.
The match, which saw both the European countries engaged in a cut to cut battle, tilted towards Belgium when their striker Tom Boon gave his side a lead in the 50th minute of the match. The goal, though scrappy in nature, was an important one as it changed the narrative of the game.
The hero of the match, however, was Belgian defender Arthur Van Doren who made some exceptional contribution on the field to keep the German strikers at bay.
Interestingly, it was Germany who had made an aggressive start to the game. With some of the best strikers in their line-up, their attacking mindset on the field did not come as a surprise. Belgium, on the flip side, were visibly struggling to put forward a meaningful attack.
Germany put initial pressure on Belgium with a goal in the very first quarter of the crucial quarter-final match. What followed was a strong comeback from Belgium players who earned some penalty corners to create scoring opportunities. Belgium's efforts paid off in the 18th minute when their defender Alexander Hendrickx scored an equalizer for his side.
The consecutive quarters saw Belgium improving their ball possession percentage drastically to make a comeback in the game.
Next, host nation India will be up against the Netherlands to qualify for the semi-final round of the prestigious tournament.
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