Belgium outclass Russia 7-1 at EuroHockey Nations Championship in Monchengladbach, Germany
The flamboyant Belgian athletes outclassed their Russian counterparts by 7-1 in their second Pool A match in the EuroHockey Nations Championship (Men) played at Warsteiner HockeyPark in Monchengladbach, Germany on Monday, August 22.
The match was quite an entertaining contest between the sides where the Belgian athletes dominated the entire course of action by scoring three goals in the first half and four in the second whereas their opponents could make only a single strike in the
second half and were remained goalless in the first one. The Belgian athletes were matchless during their show in the field because they were sparkling in their attacks and were resolute in their defence. They dictated the Russians on their own terms throughout
the match.
The Belgians started the first half with a great action as they took the early lead just four minutes into the play when Jerome Dekeyser converted their first penalty corner into the opening goal and they doubled their lead just nine minutes after when Simon
Gougnard scored a sensational field goal in the 13th minute. The Belgians continued to increase the pressure on the Russian defence and they further increased their lead in the 26th minute when they were awarded another penalty corner.
Tom Boon made no mistake in converting the penalty corner into their third goal that lasted till the interval. The first half ended at 3-0 to Belgium.
The second half was almost the replica of the first half and the Belgians once again looked at their best as they ticked the scoreboard for the fourth time in the 38th minute when Jerome Dekeyser once again contributed to the scoreboard by utilising
another penalty corner and further strengthened the Belgian lead. Seven minutes after the fourth goal, Jerome Dekeyser completed his hat-trick by converting another penalty corner into the goal in the 45th minute. On the other side the Russians
too were making desperate efforts to find their way to the Belgian net and they eventually succeeded in the 53rd minute when Alexander Zhirkov scored the solitary Russian goal to make it 1-5.
However the Belgian athletes were unstoppable in the remaining part of the second half and made a couple of strikes just before the end of the play. They scored their sixth goal in the 57th minute when Cedric Charlier made his first strike of
the match while their seventh and the final goal of the match was scored in the 64th minute, again Cedric Charlier ticked the scoreboard. The match concluded at 7-1 to Belgium.
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