Hockey World Cup 2018, Semifinal 2: 3 Reasons Why Netherlands beat Australia

#2 Dutch midfield too strong for Australia

The Netherlands' midfield three were playing a simple yet efficient game

Max Caldas set up his team in a simple 4-3-3 as compared to the 2-5-3 formation used by Batch.

The Netherlands' midfield three were playing a simple yet efficient game as they stopped many Australian attacks from building in their infancy by intercepting and man-marking.

The Oranje also passed the ball quickly with a better tempo as compared to the Australians which reflected on the scoreline at halftime as well.

The Netherlands while trailed in possession and shots taken but had 17 successful tackles compared to Australia's 5 at halftime. Most of these can be attributed to the hard-working Dutch midfield players.