Hockey World Cup 2018: Spain vs New Zealand - 5 Talking Points

Spain and New Zealand played out a thrilling draw at the Kalinga Stadium
Spain and New Zealand played out a thrilling draw at the Kalinga Stadium

#2 Kane Russell changes the game

Kane Russell
Kane Russell

If the assault by Hayden Phillips on the Spanish goal wasn't enough, the New Zealand prepared their own China moment for the Spanish team. The first goal for New Zealand didn't equalize the match, but gave the Black Sticks a new confidence to pull out a fresh assault on the Spanish team.

However, within 6 minutes, like the Chinese player Du Talake, drag flicker Kane Russell, who'd earlier scored in the crucial victory against France, capitalized on the only penalty corner that New Zealand earned throughout the match, to not only equalize the score, but also pull New Zealand out of the mess.

Interestingly, Kane Russell is the same man who gave New Zealand their first silver in Commonwealth Games after 16 years, as he played a crucial role in serving the vital passes to the Kiwi players in the semifinals against India, denying them the victory they needed to get into their 3rd consecutive finals.

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Edited by Ram Kumar
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