Belgium notched up a stunning 4-0 win over Germany in their first practice match, while Australia blanked Argentina 2-0 in another warm-up game ahead of FIH Men’s Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
The opening goal for Belgium came through the stick of Sebastien Dockier, followed by Tanguy Cosyns who scored the second goal. Tom Boon produced another beautifully crafted goal at the Kalinga Stadium.
Belgium is grouped in Pool A, whereas Germany will be playing in Pool B.
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Speaking after the match, Belgium player, Thomas Briels said, “I am glad we started with a win in the first practice match of the tournament. We are very happy to be here and excited to start the tournament.
“All the conditions are in place, the pitch is also nice and we expect a lot of supporters and look forward to play our first match of the tournament against Pakistan.”
Placed in Pool A, Australia notched up their first goal through Russell Ford, while the second goal of the match was scored by Matt Gohdes.
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While Argentina missed all the probabilities of scoring goals in the entire match without any opening, Australia advanced the lead to 2-0 and ended the game on a winning note.
Commenting after the match played, Australian player, Russell Ford said: “Our main aim is to keep improving each day and implementing our strategies on field as we will face tough challenges from the top eight teams of the world.
“The Hero Men’s Champions Trophy is one of the major tournaments in hockey and we certainly can’t afford to lose a single game. We are here to play our best in the tournament.”