Hockey World Cup 2018: France vs China - 3 standout players from the match

#2 Victor Lockwood

France celebrate the winning goal

The vital crossover game was always going be an occasion to remember for Victor Lockwood who earned his one-hundredth cap against the Chinese.

The 26-year-old defender ensured by his exploits on the pitch that the win against China which catapulted the lowest-ranked side of the World Cup to the quarterfinal will forever be etched in memory.

Defence is the forte of the Chinese side and getting past Kim's fortress had proven to be a challenging task for the English and the Irish as well.

The French, however, were not to be undone and Victor Lockwood's efforts on the pitch contributed greatly towards breaching the Chinese defence.

Lockwood strung together some crucial passes which made all the difference up front and was the architect of the all-important goal that allowed the French to advance.

A scintillating run down the left flank followed by an angular cross directed in from the baseline found Maximillien Branicki who unleashed a powerful reverse, and Timothee Clement was aptly positioned at the goalmouth to direct the deflection past Caiyu who had been brilliant in goal.