However, the team coached by Mariano Ronconi, a former Argentine goalkeeper, has had a difficult World Cup, reaching the semifinals only once in their 13 appearances so faru2014in 2014, when they had finished third. They won their group the previous time out, but they lost 3-2 to England in the quarterfinals.
Gonzalo Peillat, a star penalty corner specialist who had appeared in more than 100 Argentina matches, will be missed by the German team. Even though they are well into their 30s, Agustin Mazzilli, Lucas Vila, and team captain Matias Rey, who was named Player of the Tournament as his team won the 2022 Pan American Cup in Santiago, Chile, to win the World Cup, are players to keep an eye out for.
Australia, the world’s no. 1) The Kookaburras have remained in the top four of the FIH World Rankings for the past 30 years, making them the most consistent men’s hockey team. They have won the Olympic, World Cup, FIH Hockey Pro League, and Oceania Cup titles, among other prizes.
After losing in a shootout to Belgium at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the team coached by former striker Colin Batch has not played many games. They, on the other hand, defeated India 7-0 in the final in Birmingham in August of last year to win their sensational seventh Commonwealth Games title.
Since then, they have only played five games against India. In a high-scoring home series in November and December, they won 4-1. Australia, unlike many other teams competing in this World Cup, has not started playing in the Pro-League yet. However, the Australians are known for playing fast-paced, attacking hockey with a compact defense, and it is clear that they will try to win a record-breaking fourth World Cup title.
They had defeated England in the third-place match after losing in a shootout to the eventual runners-up, Netherlands.
The Kookaburras’ captain Eddie Ockenden, penalty corner specialist Blake Govers, defender Jake Harvie, and midfielder Aran Zalewski are among the players to keep an eye on.
Belgium (the world’s no. 2) One of the most memorable stories of the past two decades is Belgium’s rise from being a European underdog to the top of international hockey. The Red Lions have won every major title available over the past few years, including the World Cup (2018), Olympic Games (2021), European Championship (2019), and FIH Hockey Pro League (2020-21).
Along with Australia and the Netherlands, they are again the favorites to win the title and defend their Kalinga Stadium victory four years ago. India (World No. 6) has only won the World Cup once, in 1975, and has not advanced past the quarterfinals since. In the first competition, they took home a bronze medal in 1971 and a silver in 1973.
They made it past the group stage in the previous edition, which was also held in Bhubaneswar, but they didn’t win a game in the quarterfinals against the Netherlands. They were unable to advance past the group stage from 1978 to 2014. India is back at the top of the world after years of falling behind and failing to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games, a competition they had previously won an unprecedented eight times.
A significant achievement for the team was winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, which was followed by a third-place finish in the FIH Hockey Pro League in 2021-22.
India’s stature has increased since Graham Reid became the head coach. He has been able to bring out the best in the players by adding tactical discipline to their trademark skillful, fluid playing style, which has made them a team that is both respected and feared.
India had made significant progress in the away series against the Kookaburras after losing to Australia by a score of 0-7 in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games final. In the high-scoring series, India lost 1-4, but they played on equal footing in three matches and won a rare match against formidable opponents.
Harmanpreet Singh, captain and FIH Player of the Year, is a great defender who is also one of the best drag flickers in the game. He will be the main player, but goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, midfielders Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, and Mandeep Singh can all change the game.
Other players to keep an eye on include forward Akashdeep Singh and defender Amit Rohidas, who has captained the team in the past and also takes penalty corners. Netherlands (world no. 3) have found consistency in their performance under head coach Jeroen Delmee, a legendary Dutch defender who also won two Olympic gold medals as a player. Delmee has brought a lot of new talent to the Oranje team since taking over in the latter part of 2021.
In order to win the FIH Hockey Pro League for the first time in 2021-2022, the young players rose to the occasion in style by winning 12 of their 16 matches. The Netherlands will be hoping to win a fourth FIH Men’s World Cup title, a feat that has only been accomplished by Pakistan, after suffering humiliating defeats in the previous two competitions.
Among the players to keep an eye on are captain Thierry Brinkman, striker Koen Bijen, penalty corner specialist Jip Janssen, and goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak.
However, they have entered this World Cup with a young team that includes ten players who have never played at this level before.
source: FieldHockeyTubeRoper Phill, Condon David, Martin Harry, and Zach Wallace are just a few of the England players to keep an eye on. Spain (world number: 8) In 1971, Spain hosted the first World Cup. Spain has reached the finals of hockey’s most prestigious competition twice, in 1971 and 1998, but has not prevailed.
They will be the underdog in Pool D, which also includes England, Wales, and India. They will undoubtedly believe that a young team can defeat the best teams in the world after recent victories against India and New Zealand.
