Belgium take on quarterfinal exit frustration on Korea, win 6-1

Fancied Belgium took out its pent-up frustration of making a surprising quarterfinal exit in the FIH 10^th Hero Junior Men’s World Cup hockey tournament on Korea, belting them 6-1 in a classification game to be in contention for the 5^th spot at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.

The Redshirts, who stunned all and sundry when they lost to France 4-5 after holding a cozy 4-2 lead at one stage, weathered stiff resistance from the Koreans as both teams duked it out.

Belgium’s penalty corner expert Alexander Hendrickx put his side ahead in the 27^th minute off a set-piece to gain the upper hand at half-time, leaving Korea with much to do in the second half – it was Hendrickx’s fourth goal having scored a fine hat-trick in their 5-0 win over Egypt.

The late first half goal seemed to have injected an extra dose of confidence in Belgium as they took the Koreans by the scruff of their neck. Maxime Plennevaux and Mathew Cobbaert struck twice in two minutes in the second stanza as the Reds literally deflated the Asian giants.

Korea did not know what hit them as Belgium were all over them – Gaetan Perez compounded their woes, pumping home the fourth goal before Maxime Capelle made the scoreline 5-0 a minute later.

A stunning period of play, which saw four goals in a span of seven minutes, knocked the stuffing out of the Koreans who scored through Nam Yunseon, but that was of little consolation as Belgium completed the winning formalities scoring the sixth goal through Thierry Dorian in the 68th minute. 

They will now play the winner of the trans-Tasman clash between Australia and New Zealand.