Hockey World Cup 2018: The Netherlands vs Pakistan - 3 Talking Points

#2 Where was the Pakistan midfield in the second half?

The Dutch dominated the second half against Pakistan

Pakistan seemed to be performing satisfactorily without captain Rizwan Sr. when the proceedings began. In fact, it was Rizwan's replacement Arslan Qadir who earned an early PC for his side and made his presence felt out in the centre.

As the match progressed, however, it became increasingly clear that the Men in Green were being stretched to the limit without the services of Rizwan Sr. - so much so, that Pakistan who were threatening to steal points from the Dutch in the first half simply fell apart in the second.

The Netherlands gained a stranglehold over the match in the third quarter as they managed to penetrate the Pakistan circle thirteen times and pegged the green shirts back to such an extent that they managed just one ineffective foray into Dutch territory in the same period.

The final quarter was marginally better for the Men in Green, but the Dutch still managed ten circle entries and had got themselves an almost unbeatable 4-1 lead before according the Pakistan strikers a chance to end the match with a second consolation goal which never came about.

Pakistan seemed to have no support whatsoever in midfield either to stem the flow of Caldas' strikers or feed their own and have just a day to figure out what they can possibly do to offset the loss of their captain before taking on Belgium in the vital crossover tomorrow.