Shattered after the close 1-2 loss against arch-rivals Pakistan, Indian men's hockey team will have to regroup themselves quickly and eye atleast a draw in their last crucial Pool B fixture against China here on Friday, to qualify for the semifinals of the 17th Asian Games.
After dishing out an insipid display, both in attack and defence, against Pakistan on Thursday, the Sardar Singh-led side will need to tighten their belt and come up with a much more convincing display against China.
A draw on Saturday would be enough for India to seal their semifinal berth as the second best team from Pool B as they enjoy a better goal difference than the Chinese.
India, thanks to their superior goal difference of plus 17, are lying second in the pool ahead of their crunch game against China which they have to win or draw to ensure their berth in the last four.
But if they manage to qualify, it won't be easy for India in the semifinals as they clash against hosts and four-time champions South Korea, who will end up in the top spot in Pool A.
The danger of going in with a defensive mind-set to force a draw in the match might just backfire for the Indians which was the reason for chief coach Terry Walsh to say that his wards needed to win the game against China after the defeat against eight-time champions Pakistan.
Speaking about the match against China, Indian captain and midfielder Sardar Singh said: “It was an intense match against Pakistan and it was unfortunate that we conceded the last goal and lost. leaving the loss behind, the team is very much focussed on the match against China which is a strong team. We are prepared and confident about putting up a promising show against them on Friday.”
Chief coach Terry Walsh, however, sounded the caution when he mentioned having seen China stifle Pakistan with goals only coming from rare chances in the 3rd and 4th quarters.
“This game could be very tight and the focus will be on our effectiveness inside the attacking scoring zone. Chances will need to be created with quality ball control. Good decisions must be made to open up the Chinese defence. Recognising how China plays in different phases of the game will be the key. We must bring the energy necessary for this crucial contest,” he said.
While the Indian forward-line functioned disjointedly against the skillful Pakistanis with hardly any support from the midfield, besides missing a few gilt-edge chances. The Indian defence was also panicked whenever the rivals attacked deep into their area. India hardly produced a defence-splitting pass during the entire duration of the game and failed to stitch together enough number of passes to break through the determined Pakistan defence.
BUT EVES SHINE
The Indian women’s hockey team sealed an impressive 6-1 victory against Malaysia in the last league match of Pool A and booked a semi-final berth in the 17th Asian Games 2014 here on Friday.
The eves displayed a marvellous game and dominated the match by scoring goals at regular intervals. Forward Rani and defender Jaspreet Kaur scored two goals each to take their team to the semis. India opened the scorecard with a beautifully crafted field goal by Rani in the 4th minute of the game. Without wasting much of time, Jaspreet Kaur converted a penalty for India in the 9th minute and advanced the score to 2-0 in the 1st quarter.
Heading towards the second quarter of the game, two quick goals collaborated by Namita Toppo and Rani in the 17th and 20th minute respectively indicated the game to be in favour of India. Indian eves played the match with the right determination, approach and concentration and did not interrupt their momentum for long. Before entering the third quarter of the game, India took a 4-0 lead.
The Indian team was seen in full swing and continued to dominate Malaysia by adding the fifth goal which came through the stick of Jaspreet Kaur as she made no mistake in converting the penalty corner in the 39th minute. Malaysia’s first breakthrough came with a penalty corner converted by the Captain Rahman Nadia in the 41st minute of the third quarter.
Going in the last quarter of the game, Vandana Katariya scored a brilliant field goal in the 50th minute to register an amazing 6-1 victory for India against the Malaysian eves.