Men's Hockey Pro League 2020: 3 teams with the best attack

India's counterattacking skills are feared the world over

#2 The Netherlands

The Dutch strikers in action in the Pro League 2019

Few attacks in the world of hockey look as menacing as the Dutch forays with men advancing upfield in numbers and sprinting in from both flanks before delivering deft through-balls that beat the defence all ends up but manage to find a lone unmarked teammate in the attacking circle.

Imagine then, the nightmarish dilemma that the best goalkeepers face when two Dutchmen lurk in the vicinity of the post with one directing a scathing shot goalwards while another lies in wait to direct the deflection home.

Mirco Pruyser has the uncanny knack of positioning himself at a spot in the striking circle where the ball more often than not seems to find his outstretched stick inches in front of the post while Jeroen Hertzberger, Bjorn Kellerman, Bob de Voogd, and Valentin Verga cause havoc in and around the opposition 23-meter line.

Max Caldas' side seems to have an unlimited stream of talent coming to the fore, which only adds to the potency of the attacks and the Netherlands strikers will be on the watch list of quite a few think tanks when the Pro League 2020 gets underway.

About the author

Subhashish has been an Indian sports journalist at Sportskeeda since 2017. He primarily covers hockey along with other Indian Sports, and endeavors to bridge the coverage gap between the multitude of Indian sports and cricket via his articles. Subhashish’s interest in Indian sports peaked after watching a few hockey and football matches live during his childhood days, and has also played Hockey, Football, Table Tennis, Badminton at school and college level.

As a journalist, he covered every single Indian hockey match at the 2018 & 2022 Commonwealth Games, 2018 & 2023 Asian Games, 2018 Women's World Cup, 2018 & 2023 Men’s World Cup and the 2021 Olympics. An interview specialist, he has conducted over 100 interviews with the Indian Men's and Women's Hockey team, and has also been part of the UK-based DesiSportsCast Podcast.

Subhashish’s favorite Indian athlete is Vandana Katariya for her relentlessness and never-say-die attitude. For him, India men's hockey team's 7-1 win over Pakistan in 2017 Hockey World League semis on the same day as India men's cricket team's loss to the same opponent in the Champions Trophy final is an iconic moment in Indian Sports history.

When not writing, he likes to spend his free time blogging, singing, jogging, and trekking.

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Edited by Prasen Moudgal