Hockey World Cup 2018: Final - Belgium vs Netherlands

Two sides who knew each other extremely well played out an intense and absorbing contest that was balanced on a knife-edge for pretty much the entire duration of play.

Both sides got through to the quarterfinals with an identical 2-1 margin in matches that could have gone either way. The Belgians made it past Germany with a winning goal scored in the 50th minute by Tom Boon after the Germans had taken an early lead.

Incredibly enough, the Dutch too got past the Indians with Mink van der Weeden scoring the winner in the 50th minute - in more controversial circumstances, possibly.

The semifinals, however, could not have been more different as the Red Lions mauled Danny Kerry's hapless English side by a 6-0 margin while Max Caldas' boys had to endure the unenviable pressure of getting through a tense shootout after pushing the Australians back with some amazing aggression in regulation time.

It was always expected to be a close contest, and it could not have been any closer.

The slightest error on one end of the pitch could have led to a deciding goal, but that was not to be, as both sides were tidy and thorough in defence - tightening up the gaps at the back as the match progressed.

We take a look at 3 factors that may have influenced the final outcome of the summit clash that ended with a victory for Belgium in sudden death shootout after a goalless draw in regulation time.

#3 Mink van der Weeden - one of the biggest disappointments at Odisha 2018

At the Rio Olympics, Mink Van der Weeden was in prime form as he displayed his lethal drag flicking skills on the big stage, scoring a couple of goals against Ireland, a hattrick against Canada, and one goal each against Argentina, India, and Australia.

Van der Weeden also scored against the Belgians at Rio, albeit in a losing cause in the semifinals - but failed to repeat the feat in the World Cup finals in spite of the Dutch earning a couple of PCs.

The ace drag-flicker who returned from injury after missing the Champions Trophy at Breda was touted to be the most lethal weapon in Max Caldas' arsenal - but ends the World Cup with just three goals from seven matches.

The winner against India - scored with one runner less to defend, after Amit Rohidas had been penalized, can hardly be described as van der Weeden's best effort,

It would be fair to say that the Dutch strikers performed admirably to help their side win a second successive silver without much help from their principal drag-flicker, as former India goalkeeper Ashish Ballal pointed out after the match.

"PCs let Holland done. Holland was feared for their lethal penalty corners - but the PCs were dismal in this tournament and let them down on the day."

#2 The pace slows down - but the intensity hots up as the minutes go by

Neither side was willing to concede an inch in a high-pressure final

Vincent Vanasch in the Belgian goal was called into action early as Jeroen Hertzberger took a goalbound shot in the second minute of play- but within seconds, the action shifted to the other end as Sebastien Dockier tested the Dutch defence who were given scant time to settle down.

The end-to-end hockey in the early stages enthralled the crowds with Billy Bakker attempting some scintillating solo runs to inspire the Dutch, and the first quarter ended with four circle penetrations each and two shots on target.

The pace slowed down as the match progressed with both sides unwilling to commit too many forward, but the element of intensity kept rising as the probing balls were handled cleanly and efficiently near the back line.

Patience was the key for both the teams and neither committed any glaring errors despite the pressure of playing in a World Cup final as a result of which a tie-breaker had to be resorted to, where sadly, one team had to concede defeat.

#1 Two great sides play a contest worthy of a final

It was tough to determine as to which side was better on the day

The two European neighbors have played some really big knockouts in the past few years and displayed yet again that they have the capacity to up the ante when it matters the most.

The Belgians did not have the best of starts, managing a hard-fought 2-1 win over Canada followed by a 2-2 draw with India - but grew into the tournament gradually.

Even after losing two of their key men - John-John Dohmen, to illness, and the vastly experienced Emmanuel Stockbroekx to injury, early in the competition, the Red Lions went about their business unruffled.

Simon Gougnard lost his father on Friday night but played the semifinals on Saturday - and managed to score as well, apart from being playing a huge role on the pitch in the semifinal and final as well.

The Dutch too were rather inconsistent, to begin with, losing to the Germans after having walloped Malaysia, but got better with every match, as they brushed Pakistan and Canada aside, before keeping their heads against India and giving world champions Australia a taste of their own medicine with some great attacking play.

Winning a World Cup involves more than just topping the pool, and champion sides have the knack of shifting gears at will - putting their best foot forward when it matters the most.

Netherlands and Belgium played a flawless game with neither side giving the other an inch after a fantastic campaign at Bhubaneswar, and while one side had to eventually lose out in a sudden death shootout - the game of hockey was the ultimate winner.

Sportskeeda's experts, Jude Felix, and Ashish Ballal were both of the opinion that the better team won.

"The best team won - Belgium was the better team on the day. Belgium really dominated," said Ashish Ballal.

Jude Felix, former India captain and coach of the Indian juniors rooted for the Dutch, but felt the Belgians created a lot more chances.

"Very even game and Belgium had a slight edge considering the number of chances they created. The intention of both sides was to win right from the start which made the game interesting. Belgium, worthy winners - although I rooted for the Dutch."