- Netherlands defeated Malaysia to begin their quest for fourth championship.
- Experienced Thierry Brinkman scored a pair of goals for the Dutch.
- To take first place, they must defeat Chile on Thursday.
The Netherlands romped to a 4-0 victory against New Zealand in their Pool C matchup at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium on Monday. Experienced Thierry Brinkman scored a pair of goals for the Dutch.
In the second and twelfth minutes of the game, Brinkman slammed home field goals to score twice in the opening frame. The fourth goal was scored by Koen Bijen (19th minute) and Tjep Hoedemakers (54th minute) for the Dutch, who also won the championship in 1973, 1990, and 1998.
The Netherlands defeated Malaysia 4-0 to begin their quest for a fourth championship. They gave New Zealand the same decision on Monday after their 3-1 victory against Chile in their first game had all but guaranteed them a spot in the quarterfinals.
They have six points from two victories, while Malaysia and New Zealand, who earlier in the day defeated Chile 3-2, both have three points from two games. Chile has yet to open their account and has dropped both of its games thus far.
The Netherlands launched a fierce offensive right away, and Brinkman capitalised by scoring in the second minute of a brilliant attack. In the fourth minute, New Zealand had a chance to tie the game, but they failed to take advantage of their first penalty corner.
In the 12th minute, Brinkman once again made no errors as he added another field goal to make it 2-0 for the third-ranked squad in the world. Just one minute before the first quarter came to a close, the Dutch were awarded their first penalty corner, but it was unsuccessful.
The second quarter was also dominated by the Netherlands. In the 19th minute, Koen capitalised on a solid attack to score their third goal. Although they received their second PC this quarter, neither of them resulted in any goals.
Six minutes before the final buzzer, Tjep Hoedemakers scored the fourth goal for the Netherlands following a scoreless third period.
The Black Sticks launched a few attacks in the second half, but they were unable to score even one PC, allowing the Netherlands to win with ease.
To take first place in the standings with an undefeated record, the Netherlands must defeat underdog Chile in their last Pool C encounter on Thursday. On Thursday, a game between Malaysia and New Zealand will determine who advances to the crossover stage. They certainly have a chance to secure a direct entry into the final eight, but they will also need Chile to defeat the Netherlands in addition to a convincing victory over their opponent.
