Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 Pool B: Belgium favourites to qualify

Two heavy-weights of the competition will be in what can be assumed to be the group of death.

The Pool B of the Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 comprises Belgium, Germany, South Korea and Japan. The Pool contains two World Cup winners in Belgium and Germany. While Japan and South Korea are participating after 17 and nine years respectively. As in all the other groups, the pool topper will go directly to the quarterfinals. While the second and third spot takers will go to the crossovers, from whereon their progression will be based on the respective results.

Fact Sheet

Teams

Belgium

History at World Cup:

Ranked second in the World Rankings, defending champions Belgium are entering the tournament as top contenders. With a combined of 4426 international caps, the Red Lions are by far the most experienced bunch of men going into this war that anticipates more than one or two victory contenders.

This will be Belgium's seventh Men's World Cup appearance. Before their fifth-place finish in 2014, they haven't had a finish outside the bottom three. In 2018, they went all the way and clinched their first-ever World Title, becoming the sixth ever to do so. The last five years have been the country's best-ever run in Field Hockey, winning every major title coming the way.

Coach & key players:

Michel van den Heuvel took over from Shane MacLeod after the Tokyo Olympic Gold Medal. The Dutchman coached his country to a Bronze Medal in the 2010 iteration of this tournament. He later coaches Pakistan's men's side till 2012. As the Belgian head coach, the team has won 10 out of 16 games, losing only twice.

Strengths & Weaknesses:

The Red Lions know how to win on the big stages. Team coordination and chemistry are the biggest pluses for Heuvel's side. The added depth and strengths across the field make them more dangerous. It could be pretty hard to find a weakness in a team that's been on a rampant run.

Expectation:

It's being considered a safe bet to bet on the Belgians to defend their title. They are the top rankers in the European Hockey Federation Rankings. One can count on them to head directly to the quarters, except it's never easy when Germans are on the brink.

Germany

History at World Cup:

Germany have an enviable history in Hockey. They stand strong with four Olympic golds, two World Cups and eight European titles. They won their first World title the year their Football equivalent lost the final to Brazil in 2002. The Hockey team followed the same feat in 2006 after defeating Australia for the second consecutive time in the World Cup final. They have played 47 games and have a win percentage of 61.7 - only less than Australia.

Coach & key players:

Coached by Andre Henning, the Germans have quite a few superstars in the expected squad. Attacker Niklas Wellen and Goalkeeper Alexander Stadler were shortlisted for the FIH Best Player and Best Goalkeeper of 2022 respectively. Alongside Christopher Rühr and captain Mats Grambusch, Argentine Gonzalo Peillat has joined forces with Die Honamas. Peillat had fired Argentina to the Rio Olympic Gold in 2016.

Strengths & Weaknesses:

Having such brilliant players throughout the ranks ensures Henning of the strengths he possesses. With the addition of Gonzalo Peillat, there is an elite Penalty Corner threat in the German armour.

Expectation:

If things go as expected, the January 17 clash between Germany and Belgium is going to be the most anticipated fixture in the Pool. It will be their second pool and the winner, if any, will surely notch up the top spot unless of an upset.

Japan

History at World Cup:

Japanese Men are making their fifth World Cup appearance and first since 2006. The Samurai's best performance came in 2006 when they ended the tournament ninth in the 12-team competition. They had sealed their place in this World Cup with a semifinal finish in last year's Men's Asia Cup.

Coach & key players:

Akira Takahashi, who represented Japan in the 2002 World Cup, coached his nation in the following edition in Monchengladbach. He will be coaching his side in Odisha once again. The team is led by their thirty-year-old captain Seren Tanaka. Alongside him, seasoned players like goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa, Shota Yamada, Masaki Ohashi, Hiromasa Ochiai and Koji Yamasaki will play a crucial role in getting a better position.

Strengths & Weaknesses:

Japan were the 2018 Asian Games winner but unfortunately, they were knocked out in the Pool phase of their home Olympics. A lot has changed in the squad since then. The squad that has landed in Odisha has as many as 10 U-23 players and 11 players who have less than 50 international caps. On paper, it seems like inexperience could be a downside against opponents like Belgium.

Expectation:

Expectations won't be high for the Samurais. However, in a tournament like this, there always opens up opportunities when one stirs an upset. But under normal circumstances, Japan can find itself in crossovers at most.

South Korea

History at World Cup:

South Korea failed to qualify last time around. But they are back and this time as the Asian Champions. They were international heavyweights in the 2000s decade, securing fourth-place finishes in the 2002 and 2006 editions. Their last WC appearance in 2014 wasn't kind to them as they finished third last, at least ahead of Malaysia

Coach & key players:

Veteran defender Jang Jonghyun and Hwang Taeil contributed 11 goals to South Korea's triumphant run in the Asia Cup, sealing Korea’s place back. So they will be crucial elements in their journey this time. Their evergreen 39-year-old skipper Namyong Lee is also someone to regularly count on.

Strengths & Weaknesses:

The Koreans may not be the heavyweights they were once. However, the big win in Asia Cup 2022 will make a world of difference for the team. Scoring goals wouldn't be an issue for them, and they certainly wouldn't be afraid of any challenges, having beaten the hosts earlier this year in the aforementioned competition. Albeit the hosts the sent their developmental squad in the Asia Cup, it was packed with a lot of talented players.

Expectation:

South Korea are a strong contender for the second crossover spot. For that, they will have to stop Japan from springing any surprise on January 17.

Pool B Schedule

• Belgium vs South Korea, January 14, 17:00 IST (Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar)
• Germany vs Japan, January 14, 19:00 IST (Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar)
• South Korea vs Japan, January 17, 17:00 IST (Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar)
• Germany vs Belgium, January 17, 19:00 IST (Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar)
• Belgium vs Japan, January 20, 17:00 IST (Birsa Munda Stadium, Rourkela)
• South Korea vs Germany, January 20, 19:00 IST (Birsa Munda Stadium, Rourkela)