Hockey World Cup 2018: India's WC dream ends with quarterfinal defeat

After India’s victory over Canada in their final league stage that took them straight to the quarterfinals, head coach Harendra Singh said: “For India, the World Cup starts now.”

India’s World Cup, sadly and tearfully for them, ended 60 minutes after it started.

In their first knockout step of the 2018 World Cup here on Thursday, the hosts did everything to put their best foot forward, yet came stumbling down against a clever Netherlands outfit that beat them 2-1 to enter the semifinals. 

In a battle that saw two teams vying to outrun each other towards the finishing line, world No. 4 Netherlands not only set their own pace after the lemon break but also derailed the roaring Kalinga Stadium crowd to silence.

Stepping on the field in a bid to end a 43-year wait of making a World Cup semifinals, the fifth-ranked India began with more sense of purpose and desperation. 

They were rewarded in the 12th minute as Akashdeep Singh stood in the right spot to take advantage of a rebound off Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak after Harmanpreet Singh earned and struck the game’s first penalty corner (PC).

With seconds to go for the first quarter break, the Dutchmen equalised after a ferocious hit from outside the D deflected off Thierry Brinkman’s stick and went to the right of India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh.

The see-saw was in the balance at 1-1 at half-time, and that’s when Netherlands swung it completely their way.

Realising that trying to play a frenetic game like India’s wasn’t working, Netherlands decided to instead focus on playing a passing game, never mind a level of drop in pace.

It made the Indians crave for the ball and thus panic, while also keeping their so-called 12th man, the vociferous crowd, out of the game for a major part of the final 30 minutes.

The Dutch bossed the third quarter with calculated moves from the left flank, the Indians being guilty of multiple poorly-placed passes, mistraps and turnovers. That Netherlands didn’t put their noses ahead in that period was credit to the Indian defensive unit that thwarted attacks from the left flank as well as a couple of PCs.

However, Netherlands they earned their reward five minutes into the final quarter, Mink van der Weerden converting a PC by striking the ball to the inside of Sreejesh’s left leg.

Then came the moment in the match that left Harendra with a sour taste after the defeat, Amit Rohidas receiving a yellow card with seven minutes to go the final hooter.

It confined him to the bench for the dying stages, hugely denting the 10-man India’s quest to find an equaliser.

Chinglensana Singh earned the hosts a PC in the 55th minute but unlike India’s first goal, the rebound off Harmanpreet’s flick was saved this time by Blaak.

Harendra took out Sreejesh with three-and-a-half minutes to go, and the Indians literally put their bodies on the line without a goalkeeper when the Dutch earned another PC soon after. 

India won hearts with that show of fight, yet lost the fight that really matters. For Indian hockey lately, that’s been an all too familiar tale.