Hockey World Cup 2018, Crossover 1: England vs New Zealand - 5 Talking Points

#4 Liam Sanford, Phil Roper, and Liam Ansell's heroics

They made brilliant runs down the middle and also tried to make the injections from both the left and right flanks

Liam Sanford, Phil Roper, and Liam Ansell were all over the field -- in a good way. They made brilliant runs down the middle and also tried to make the injections from both the left and right flanks.

The three were behind many of England's circle penetrations as well as the opportunities created.

Phil Roper did all the hard work to set up the first goal. The 22-year-old brought down a long pass well -- dribbled from the left flank towards the touchline -- and weaved a magical and perfectly lofted ball for Condon to finish it off.

Liam Sanford won the Player of the match award for his exuberant display on the field and his contributions -- both at the back and in building up attacks.

Ansell also had a great goalscoring opportunity near the halfway mark. However, the 25-year-old fired it about a foot wide.

Besides this one missed chance, the youngster was at his best and played his heart out to ensure a win for his team.