Hockey World Cup 2018, Quarterfinal 4: 3 reasons why India lost to Netherlands

India's valiant run in the 2018 Hockey World Cup came to a grinding halt
India's valiant run in the 2018 Hockey World Cup came to a grinding halt

#1 Conceding too many penalty corners

Mink van der Weerden's stellar drag-flick propelled the Netherlands to victory
Mink van der Weerden's stellar drag-flick propelled the Netherlands to victory

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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