KUALA LUMPUR – Which team will make it to the quarter-finals from Group D?
Fans can expect an uphill battle between Belgium and Pakistan on Saturday as the Red Lions fell to the Netherlands in their second group match of the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
The battle of the European giants saw the Netherlands taking the edge to defeat their arch-hockey rivals Belgium 5-3 in an intense match that saw a total of 27 shots from both sides.
Netherlands head coach Jesse Mahiue is delighted with his players for staging a comeback in the last two quarters of the match.
“Both our teams have played many times in Europe, and I would say that playing on a World Cup stage is indeed a different feeling.
“The boys had a great game, and it’s always a great feeling for us to win a match against a formidable team like Belgium.
“At halftime, we didn’t speak much about tactics as I told my players if you want to win the game, you have to fight for it. Belgium chose a less offensive pressing style of game, and I think maybe they did that due to the weather.
“But I kept telling my players to keep pressing and attacking them throughout the match so that we will be able to score more,” said Mahiue in today’s post-match conference.
However, Mahiue added that he was disappointed with his players’ discipline during the game and expects them to rectify it before their final group match against New Zealand on Saturday.
“We were not good in our defence as we gave away many penalty corners, green cards, and yellow cards.
“These are the minor mistakes that we have to work on before our next match, but overall, I’m happy that my players stuck to the plan and kept working hard throughout the match,” Mahiue added.
Meanwhile, Belgium head coach Jeroen Baart commended his players’ performance despite their defeat and expects them to go full gear for their final group match against Pakistan.
“We were expecting a very tough game as both our nations are well-known for our excellent hockey gameplay.
“My boys were disappointed after conceding several easy goals that could have been avoided.
“But I told my boys to lift their heads and look in my eyes as I am still proud of them for putting up a good fight.
“It’s time for us to learn from this match and give our 100% against Pakistan, which is also a very strong team in our group.
The goals for the Netherlands were scored by Timo Boers (9th, 60th), Casper Veen (18th), Lucas Veen (40th), and Menno Boeren (53rd).
Belgium’s goals were scored by Hugo Labouchere (10th, 35th) and Maximilian Langer (12th).
Pakistan currently top the group with four points and a four-goal difference.
Netherlands sit second with four points, while Belgium sit in third place with three points.
New Zealand have been officially eliminated from the tournament after losing 4-0 to Pakistan earlier today. – December 7,2023