Belgium and New Zealand go into a high-voltage encounter tomorrow in the 31st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match that will decide a spot for the winning team in Sunday’s final.
“We have been working with a group that’s very diligent in what they try to do. So, we’re very with our team’s performance, and it’s kind of something that we’ve been searching for and trying to build towards every match,” said Belgium head coach Shane McLeod ahead of their crucial match against the Black Sticks.
The Belgians, ranked World No 3, and Nations Cup champions New Zealand, are embroiled in the race for a slot in the final, together with five-time champions India.
Belgium has amassed 10 points to head the table standings and are shadowed by India in second spot (9 points), followed by New Zealand on seven points and Canada hooking up in fourth place, with the Malaysians in fifth place (4 pts) while South Korea is at the bottom with no points to show.
“We have been away from this tournament for 17 years and are glad to be competing again. We are enjoying the moments. The team is playing well, with Tom Boon and several other players having a good understanding,” said McLeod.
“The players worked hard in earlier matches, so that was a great experience. So, what I’ll be talking to the players about is just trying to get some good clips of stuff we did well, and then getting us ready to play New Zealand, which is a fascinating team,” he added.
Meanwhile, Canadian coach Patrick Tshutshani promises a better show against India in their final Sultan Azan Shah Cup match-round-robin match tomorrow.
“Looking ahead, we are building and working on anticipating a tough game against the Indians, who are riding high. There is nothing for us to lose in this match but only take the opportunity to win and find a slot in the third-fourth place match,” said Tshutshani.
The Canadians posted their first win in the tournament following a 3-2 victory against the Koreans on Thursday, and are now bent on keeping the Indians in check.
“We were super composed against Belgium in our first match and held them to a 1-1 draw, and we aim to continue to build on that against India. There is a chance for us to win, and we are taking those chances,” he added.
In other matches, the Canadians, ranked World No 20, lost to Malaysia (2-3), and 2-4 against New Zealand respectively.
