Resolute Belgians thwart Indians
Naveen Peter, December 6, 2015, Raipur, DHNS
Hockey World League Final : Europeans set up final date with Australia
They played out of their skins in the final quarter, creating chance after chance. But nothing could undo the sloppiness with which they let the opposition dominate the game for most parts as India bowed out of the Hockey World League Final with a 1-0 loss to Belgium in the second semifinal here on Saturday.
The Indians, however, ensured that the spectators at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel stadium here stayed back till the final hooter as they attacked the Belgian goal with intent in the dying moments. But they somehow couldn’t find a way past the goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch as Belgium held their ground to march into the final where they will take on world champions Australia for the title.
Inconsistency being their biggest enemy for long, the Indians once again fell prey to their nemesis as the Belgians pressurised the Indians with their high-pressing game. And it didn’t take them long to impose themselves in the tie as veteran Tom Boon led the Belgian attack with purpose.
While they threatened to break down the Indian defence with a few sleek moves down the right flank, an agile VR Raghunath stood tall to thwart away any such attempts in the early moments of the game.
But his vigil didn’t last long as the Belgians went ahead through a Cedric Charlier strike in the fifth minute. Jerome Truyens displayed some smart hockey to get past his marker and found Charlier on the edge of the striking circle. The Belgian vice-captain made the most of the opportunity as he took a few steps in and sent in a strike that caught the Indian defence napping as the ball rolled past goalkeeper PR Sreejesh into the goal.
The Belgians could have inflicted more pain on the hosts moments later. But Simon Gougnard was a bit slow to latch on to a Boon pass as an alert Sreejesh came out of his line to see off the danger.
Though restricted to their own half for most part of the game, the Indians did test ’keeper Vanasch with their desperate attempts.
Early in the second quarter, striker SV Sunil did all the hard work to set his strike partner Akashdeep Singh with a delightful through ball that split open the defence. But the 20-year-old striker fumbled under pressure as his attempt flew straight at the Belgian shot-stopper who had no trouble in pushing it off to safety. Later in the final quarter, the Indians once again came close to scoring the all-important equaliser. This time it was the Karnataka player, Sunil, who let go off a sitter.
Getting on the other end of a Dharamvir Singh pass, Sunil too found the ‘keeper with his hit.
Though the ricochet crated a flurry inside the striking circle, and the Indians even going ahead with their referral with a hope of earning a short corner for dangerous play by the Belgians, nothing seemed to go their way as their sojourn came to a disappointing end.
Results: Semifinals: Belgium: 1 (Cedric Charlier 5th) bt India: 0.
Classification (7/8 place): Germany: 8 (Christopher Ruhr 3rd, 4th, Moritz Furste 8th, Niklas Wellen 18th, Lukas Windfeder 24th, Florian Fuchs 51st, Oliver Korn 54th, Constantin Staib 59th) bt Canada: 3 (Gordon Johnston 30th, Matthew Guest 41st, Scott Tupper 49th).
Today’s matches: India vs Netherlands (third place play-off, 6:30 pm); Australia vs Belgium (Final, 8:45 pm).
The Indians, however, ensured that the spectators at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel stadium here stayed back till the final hooter as they attacked the Belgian goal with intent in the dying moments. But they somehow couldn’t find a way past the goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch as Belgium held their ground to march into the final where they will take on world champions Australia for the title.
Inconsistency being their biggest enemy for long, the Indians once again fell prey to their nemesis as the Belgians pressurised the Indians with their high-pressing game. And it didn’t take them long to impose themselves in the tie as veteran Tom Boon led the Belgian attack with purpose.
While they threatened to break down the Indian defence with a few sleek moves down the right flank, an agile VR Raghunath stood tall to thwart away any such attempts in the early moments of the game.
But his vigil didn’t last long as the Belgians went ahead through a Cedric Charlier strike in the fifth minute. Jerome Truyens displayed some smart hockey to get past his marker and found Charlier on the edge of the striking circle. The Belgian vice-captain made the most of the opportunity as he took a few steps in and sent in a strike that caught the Indian defence napping as the ball rolled past goalkeeper PR Sreejesh into the goal.
The Belgians could have inflicted more pain on the hosts moments later. But Simon Gougnard was a bit slow to latch on to a Boon pass as an alert Sreejesh came out of his line to see off the danger.
Though restricted to their own half for most part of the game, the Indians did test ’keeper Vanasch with their desperate attempts.
Early in the second quarter, striker SV Sunil did all the hard work to set his strike partner Akashdeep Singh with a delightful through ball that split open the defence. But the 20-year-old striker fumbled under pressure as his attempt flew straight at the Belgian shot-stopper who had no trouble in pushing it off to safety. Later in the final quarter, the Indians once again came close to scoring the all-important equaliser. This time it was the Karnataka player, Sunil, who let go off a sitter.
Getting on the other end of a Dharamvir Singh pass, Sunil too found the ‘keeper with his hit.
Though the ricochet crated a flurry inside the striking circle, and the Indians even going ahead with their referral with a hope of earning a short corner for dangerous play by the Belgians, nothing seemed to go their way as their sojourn came to a disappointing end.
Results: Semifinals: Belgium: 1 (Cedric Charlier 5th) bt India: 0.
Classification (7/8 place): Germany: 8 (Christopher Ruhr 3rd, 4th, Moritz Furste 8th, Niklas Wellen 18th, Lukas Windfeder 24th, Florian Fuchs 51st, Oliver Korn 54th, Constantin Staib 59th) bt Canada: 3 (Gordon Johnston 30th, Matthew Guest 41st, Scott Tupper 49th).
Today’s matches: India vs Netherlands (third place play-off, 6:30 pm); Australia vs Belgium (Final, 8:45 pm).
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