Spain stops Belgium’s dominance in its second game of the Women’s Field Hockey World Cup

The Spanish women’s field hockey team tied (1-1) this Tuesday against the Belgian team in its second match of the group stage of the World Championship, which is being held in Belgium and the Netherlands, thanks to a goal from Lucía Jiménez that has neutralized the clear dominance of the co-hosts.

At the Belfius Hockey Arena, the ‘RedSticks’ suffered a lot in the first quarter from Famke Van Heel’s runs from the left wing. But Belgium did not get the upper hand, running into goalkeeper Clara Pérez with a low shot and then wasting a penalty-corner by throwing wide.

Midway through the second quarter, the ‘Red Panthers’ continued to press the Spanish goal and forced three more penalty-corners, one of them serving for Stephanie Vanden Borre’s goal with a low cross shot that entered Clara Pérez’s goal less than a foot from the grass.

Spain then reacted with a drive down the right wing until reaching the baseline and neither Patricia Álvarez in the first instance nor Marta Segú in that same rebound could beat the Belgian goalkeeper. After the break, the ‘RedSticks’ began to look better and it was noticeable.

At the exit of a penalty-corner, the shot did not come out first, but Sofia Keenan managed well to tame that loose ball and quickly assist her teammate Lucía Jiménez so that she scored the 1-1, with a quick and high shot, with 3:20 left to conclude the third period.

In fact, Spain started that fourth quarter more in tune than its opponent and had a great chance in the first minutes through Berta Agulló, although goalkeeper Elodie Picard placed her two mitts at head height to prevent the goal, leaving the result unchangeable.

This tie placed both the Belgian and Spanish teams with four points, both co-leading Group C of this World Cup after their second day; The Irish team is third with three points in their locker and New Zealand occupies the last position without having scored.