Hosts India will face defending champions Belgium in the quarterfinals of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup if they beat New Zealand in a crossover match in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. India had finished second behind England in Pool D on goal difference, forcing the home team to play in the crossover round. They needed to beat Wales by an eight-goal margin in their final pool match on Thursday to qualify directly for the quarter-finals, but could only win 4–2.
The top team from each of the four pools qualifies directly for the quarter-finals while the second and third place teams play in crossover matches to fill the remaining four spots in the last eight stage.
in the beginning pool b matHalf an hour into the day at the Birsa Munda Stadium, Belgium thrashed Japan 7-1 to top the group and directly qualify for the quarterfinals. Tom Boon scored five goals in a fine finishing performance to help defending champions Belgium steamroll Japan. Boom kicked four field goals in the 22nd, 27th, 28th and 51st minutes before converting a penalty stroke in the 56th minute. Cedric Charlier (18th) and Sébastien Dockier (52nd) scored for Belgium. Both made field goals. Kentaro Fukuda scored a consolation field goal for Japan in the 46th minute.
Belgium will play the winner of the crossover match between India and New Zealand in the quarter-finals at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Japan lost all three of their matches and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing bottom of the pool. Japan defended well in the first and second quarters, allowing no goals. Belgium showed their class by scoring four goals in the third quarter and three in the fourth.
India is really excited to host the Hockey World Cup in Odisha!
Hockey has a timeless tale of spellbinding moments in the hearts of Indians! Best wishes to the teams!#HWC2023#hockeycomeshome pic.twitter.com/wOQN5xiOfk— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) January 11, 2023
Belgium got six penalty corners in the match while Japan got two. In another match, Germany beat South Korea 7–2 to finish second in Pool B. Germany will now play a crossover match against France on January 23 in Bhubaneswar for a place in the quarter-finals.
South Korea, who finished third in the pool with three points – from one win and two losses – will face Argentina in their crossover match on January 23 in Bhubaneswar.
Germany and Belgium, who had drawn 2–2 against each other, finished on the same seven points – two wins and one draw – but the latter topped the pool by virtue of better goal difference (Belgium’s plus 11). Stay on and plus eight Germany).
Wellen Niklas Wellen (2nd, 17th and 41st) scored a hat trick – all field efforts – while Gonzalo Pilat (43rd), Justus Weigand (51st), Mats Grambusch (53rd) and Moritz Ludwig (53rd) scored the other goals for Germany. .
Jung Jonghyun scored both the goals for South Korea in the 15th and 60th minutes. All the pool matches of the World Cup ended on Friday. Australia topped Pool A, while Belgium, the Netherlands and England did the same in Pools B, C and D respectively to qualify directly for the quarter-finals.