Hockey World Cup 2018: India enters quarters, Belgium and Canada claim crossovers spots
India thrashed Canada 5-1 to enter the quarterfinals of the Hockey World Cup 2018, while a same result for Belgium over South Africa at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar earned it a spot in the crossovers.
South Africa needed to upset World No. 3 Belgium in order to qualify for the cross-overs and started in excellent fashion with Nicholas Spooner's 1st minute goal, but Alexander Hendrickx scored from a penalty corner in the 14th minute to pull Belgium level. (Getty Images)
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Four minutes later, Simon Gougnard added another goal to give Belgium a 2-1 lead and from there on, it was all Belgium. (Getty Images)
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Loick Luypaert added another goal to the bulging scoreline on the stroke of half-time after Alexander Hendrickx scored from a short corner in the 22nd minute. Belgium should have scored more, but went into lemon-time with 4-1. (Getty Images)
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Cedric Charlier made sure that Belgium will be in contention for a direct quarterfinal spot with a 48th minute finish from close range and end the match 5-1. South Africa, with one point, had no chance of making it to the cross-overs with a goal difference of -9. (Biswaranjan Rout)
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India, needing a win, opened the scoring through Harmanpreet Singh's dragflick in the 12th minute. (Biswaranjan Rout)
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But Canada equalised through Floris Van Son in the 39th minute and looked like scoring more as India struggled to link passes together. (Getty Images)
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But India came guns blazing in the final quarter, as a goal by vice-captain Chinglensana Singh, put India back in the lead. (Biswaranjan Rout)
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Amit Rohidas scored with a superb penalty corner variation in the 51st minute to make it 3-1 as India put Canada to the sword with its slick passing moves. (PTI)
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Lalit Kumar Upadhyay made it 3-1 in the next minute and added another in the 57th minute and was rightly adjudged Man of the Match. The win booked India's spot in the quarterfinals, while Belgium and Canada will take the cross-over route and face teams from Pool D to get to the last eight. (PTI)
