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In front of a packed arena at the Kalinga Stadium, a determined Netherlands side broke Indian hearts by scraping through to the semifinals of the 2018 Hockey World Cup. The Dutch controlled their nerves better and prevailed over the hosts by a narrow margin of 2-1 in the high-octane quarterfinal.
After a riveting start to the game, India took the lead in the 12th minute when Akashdeep Singh scored off a rebound from a penalty corner. Their advantage lasted only three minutes as the Dutch came roaring back with a deft deflection from Thierry Brinkman.
Also Read: Hockey World Cup 2018, Germany vs Belgium - 3 Standout Players from Quarterfinal 3
The second and third quarters produced a keen tussle for the ball. With plenty at stake, sparks flew between the two sets of players. During the final quarter, Netherlands' penchant for relentless attacking made the difference.
A defensive error from India resulted in a costly penalty corner in the 50th minute. Mink van der Weerden's powerful drag-flick managed to evade the clutches of PR Sreejesh and the Dutch consequently pipped the hosts to the post.
Let us take a look at three crucial reasons as to why India lost their quarterfinal clash against Netherlands.
#3 Failure to build on their opening goal
In such a high-pressure knockout match, India's hopes received an early fillip when Akashdeep pounced on a loose ball to score the first goal of the match. They had a platform to build on and put pressure on the Dutch defence. However, their acclaimed attackers failed to capitalise on scoring opportunities through a combination of shoddy trapping and inadequate finishing.
With the Dutch embarking on an aggressive route from the second quarter onwards, India had ample chances to pierce their inner circle and challenge goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak. Although they created quite a few promising set-plays, the trio of Akashdeep, Simranjeet Singh and Lalit Upadhyay could not strike when the iron was hot. Credit should also be given to the Netherlands defenders for anticipating the hosts' movements.
#2 Defence finally cracks under persistent pressure
During the early stages of the match, India's defenders showed tremendous resolve to keep the Dutch attackers at bay. The likes of Surender Kumar, Varun Kumar and Harmanpreet Singh performed creditably against the opposition's relentless onslaught. They kept their sticks low, intercepted dangerous passes and held fort valiantly. But it was only a matter of time before the prowling Netherlands breached their tenacity.
Thierry Brinkman's equaliser had a hint of serendipity as his stick somehow connected with a long ball from way outside the circle. However, there was no element of luck in the later stages. The Dutch pushed men forward and kept the Indian defenders on their toes. Not resorting to half-press or full-press, they controlled possession to string together productive passes reaching India's inner circle.
#1 Conceding too many penalty corners
When the Indian team management eventually come together for their post-match analysis, they will find that penalty corners made the telling difference in the game. While the Men in Blue earned just two penalty corners, Netherlands were able to extract five such opportunities.
Finding themselves under pressure, the Indian defenders resorted to rough marking and ungainly tackles during the final quarter. One such lapse in judgement resulted in a costly penalty corner just ten minutes before the final hooter. Netherlands surged ahead by converting the golden chance.
Mink van der Weerden's rapid drag-flick zoomed past Sreejesh and settled into the back of the net. Amit Rohidas, who had helped India steadfastly defend the preceding penalty corners, stumbled at the wrong time. He aggravated India's woes by earning himself a yellow card in the 53rd minute and leaving them a man short. Subsequently, the Dutch retained their composure to thwart the hosts' frenetic attempts in the dying moments of the game.
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