Hockey World Cup 2018: Final - Belgium vs Netherlands - 3 talking points

#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.