By Alam Zeb Safi
ANTWERP, Belgium: Belgium delivered a commanding display of attacking hockey to impose a crushing 6-0 defeat in the FIH Hockey Pro League on Friday.
The veteran striker Tom Boon hit a treble as the hosts maintained control from the opening minute to the final whistle at the Belfius Hockey Arena.
The world-class Belgian side needed less than a minute to break the deadlock when Nicolas de Kerpel struck after just 57 seconds, setting the tone for a one-sided contest in front of the home crowd.
Pakistan, seeking to compete with one of the sport’s modern powerhouses, struggled to contain Belgium’s relentless pressure and found themselves two goals down midway through the opening quarter when Boon finished clinically in the 17th minute.
Belgium continued to dominate possession and territory, repeatedly penetrating the Pakistani circle. Boon added his second goal in the 23rd minute, helping the hosts take a comfortable 3-0 lead into halftime.
The visitors showed flashes of resistance after the break but were unable to create meaningful scoring opportunities. Belgium’s superior structure and ball movement eventually stretched the Pakistani defence again, with Victor Foubert extending the lead in the 41st minute.
Pakistan’s frustrations grew as green cards were shown to Moin Shakeel and Zikriya Hayat during a difficult second half. Reduced defensive stability allowed Belgium to tighten their grip on the contest.
Boon completed his hat-trick in the 46th minute, converting his third field goal of the evening to put the result beyond any doubt and take his personal tally to three goals.
Belgium added further gloss to the scoreline in the closing stages when Hugo Labouchere converted a penalty corner in the 50th minute, capping a comprehensive performance by the hosts.
The statistics underlined Belgium’s dominance. The home side registered 25 circle penetrations compared with Pakistan’s 10, scored five field goals and converted one of five penalty corners. Pakistan failed to earn a single penalty corner and rarely threatened Belgian goalkeeper Simon Vandenbroucke.
Captain Arthur Van Doren marshalled the Belgian defence effectively as the hosts secured a clean sheet, while Boon’s finishing provided the highlight of an impressive all-round display.
For Pakistan, the heavy defeat exposed the gap that still exists between the rebuilding Asian side and one of Europe’s elite teams. The visitors were unable to convert possession into scoring chances and spent much of the match defending against sustained Belgian attacks.
This is the 11th loss for Pakistan in the league so far and third successive in this phase in Belgium. Pakistan have just one game to play against Spain and it will be followed by their final stint in England where the Green-shirts will face England and India.
Pakistan had got the opportunity to play in the Pro League after the FIH Nations Cup winners New Zealand withdrew from the event due to financial reasons. The runners-up Pakistan were invited and they accepted the invitation.
Scorers:
Belgium – Nicolas de Kerpel 1′, Tom Boon 17′, 23′, 46′, Victor Foubert 41′, Hugo Labouchere 50′ (penalty corner).
