Hockey World Cup Semifinals LIVE: Australia vs Germany & Belgium vs Netherland: FIH Hockey World Cup semi-final matches will be played on Friday, January 27 at the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar. Australia will play against Germany in the first semifinal, while Belgium will take on the Netherlands in the second. The grand finale will take place on Sunday. The last round of classification matches at the Rourkela stadium's Birsa Munda will take place tomorrow.
Defending champions Belgium are into the final of the International
Hockey Federation Men's Hockey World Cup, having dramatically won a
shootout against rivals The Netherlands in the semi-finals today at
the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Belgium's golden generation of players stayed on course to defend its World Cup title after edging past a young Netherlands 3-2 in the penalty shootout, setting up the summit clash against Germany here on Friday. Reigning Olympic champions and world number two Belgium won in the battle of lowlands after the two sides were locked 2-2 in the regulation time in a tense semifinal
Germany are no more perceived to be the super heavyweights of world hockey. Australia and the Netherlands have brilliantly maintained that status quo for over three decades while Belgium, the reigning Olympic and World champions, have now emerged as the new super force, pushing Germany down the pecking order.