The 16 finest males’s groups from around the globe are converging in Odisha, India as we countdown to the ultimate free days until the beginning of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023. Each group comes with the goal of turning into world champions, however just one group can earn the very best honour on the finish of the World Cup. The first impediment for all 16 groups within the occasion come within the type of their pool opponents. Winning the pool provides the groups an enormous benefit, because it results in straight qualification into the quarterfinals, whereas second and third positioned groups play a further cross-over spherical.
Here is the preview for groups in Pool D:
England
Having participated in each version of the FIH Men’s World Cup, England are all the time able to reaching nice issues. They have reached the semi-finals of the final three World Cup competitions however missed the rostrum on every event. That is one thing they are going to be determined to vary this time round, as they goal to safe a primary FIH Men’s World Cup medal since grabbing silver on the 1986 occasion on dwelling soil in Willesden, London. They actually have an excellent squad of gamers, however first must navigate their method out of a tough pool that incorporates dwelling favourites India, in-form Spain, and neighbours Wales.
England – coached by Paul Revington, former head coach of South Africa and Malaysia males and assistant coach to Great Britain ladies – had been excellent on the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, with striker Nick Bandurak ending because the competitors’s prime scorer with 11 objectives as his group snatched the bronze medal. Only one group managed to defeat the Englishmen in that competitors, with the mighty Australia – a aspect which have solely ever received gold within the Commonwealths – overturning a two-goal deficit within the semi-final to triumph 3-2. Captain Zach Wallace, midfield ace Phil Roper and attacker Sam Ward had been all key gamers in Birmingham and might be hoping to copy that kind in Odisha. If they do, the sky is the restrict.
India
After years of sliding down the FIH World Rankings which culminated in failure to qualify for the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 – a contest that they’d received a report eight occasions – India are again on the prime desk of the worldwide recreation. A bronze medal on the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was a landmark second for the group, who adopted it up with a third-place end within the 2021-22 version of the FIH Hockey Pro League.
Head coach Graham Reid is getting the most effective out of the group, injecting a tactical self-discipline to their trademark skilful, fluid enjoying fashion, making them a group each revered and feared in equal measure. The star of the present is Harmanpreet Singh, a wonderful defender and the most effective drag glints within the recreation, whereas goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, midfield ace Manpreet Singh and striker Mandeep Singh all able to game-changing moments.
Despite the simple stress that comes with being the competitors hosts, this India group has all of the attributes wanted to say their first FIH Men’s World Cup title since 1975.
Spain
Known for his or her aptitude, ability, and attacking prowess, the Red Sticks males are probably the most gifted and unpredictable groups on the market, having confirmed on numerous events that, on their day, they’ll combine it with the perfect groups on the planet. As properly as having uncommon abilities equivalent to electrifying attacker Enrique Gonzalez, skilled midfielder Marc Miralles and stylish captain Alvaro Iglesias, they’re additionally blessed with a revered head coach in Max Caldas, who loved terrific success with the Netherlands ladies and men, guiding the previous to World Cup and Olympic glory and the latter to 2 European Championship titles.
In August 2022, the Red Sticks confirmed robust kind on the current EuroHockey Championship Qualifier competitors on dwelling soil in Orense, beating Czech Republic, Portugal, and Poland to seal their ticket to the 2023 EuroHockey Championship. The group scored 20 occasions with out conceding in that competitors, with Pau Cunill (Rising Star nominee – FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2021-22), Iglesias and former Argentina worldwide and 2016 Olympic gold medallist Joaquin Menini every scoring 3 times.
They adopted that success with an outstanding begin to their 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League marketing campaign by going unbeaten of their first 4 video games, claiming notable victories over New Zealand and Pool C rivals India in matches that occurred within the World Cup host metropolis of Bhubaneswar.
Wales
After a long time of making an attempt, Wales lastly secured a primary ever FIH Men’s World Cup qualification because of a match successful show on the European Qualification occasion on dwelling soil in Cardiff. After claiming a 2-0 win towards Italy of their quarter-final, Wales went head-to-head with Ireland, with the winner taking not solely a spot within the competitors last but in addition one of many two World Cup tickets on provide on the occasion.
Wales fell behind within the very first minute of the match when Michael Robson fired dwelling, however Joe Naughalty’s equaliser early within the second quarter proved to be sufficient to ship the match to a winner-takes-all shoot-out. Successful efforts from Rupert Shipperley and Jack Pritchard gave Wales a 2-1 lead forward of the ultimate spherical, with goalkeeper Toby Reynolds-Cotterill doing sufficient to disclaim Ireland’s Lee Cole and create a second of Welsh sporting historical past.
The group completed the competitors on an excellent excessive by recording a 2-1 victory over larger ranked France, combating again from a objective down because of objectives from Luke Hawker and Shipperley, the latter arriving simply 5 minutes from the top.
Current Great Britain internationals Shipperley and Jacob Draper are each key gamers for Wales, as is penalty nook specialist Gareth Furlong, who’s a daily supply of objectives. Despite being one of many lowest ranked groups on this competitors, Wales have confirmed themselves greater than able to punching above their weight and are actually not right here to make up the numbers.
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