Indian hockey team misses out on first Olympic final since Moscow 1980 after 2-3 loss against Germany

India missed out on the opportunity to feature in the men’s hockey final for the second time in a row following a heartbreaking 2-3 loss at the hands of Germany in a thrilling semi-final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

Skipper Harmanpreet Singh (7’) had put the Indians in the lead halfway into the first quarter and later had Sukhjeet Singh (36’) scoring the equaliser six minutes after half-time after Gonzalo Peillat (18’) and Christopher Ruehr (27’) had put the Germans ahead in the second quarter.

However, a superb goal by Marco Miltkau (54’) from open play in the final quarter ensured the Germans sneaked ahead to the final, where they await Netherlands in the gold medal match.

With a gold or silver out of the equation now, India will be fighting for a second consecutive bronze in men’s hockey when they face Spain, who had suffered a 0-4 thrashing at the hands of the Dutchmen.

Germans hold their nerve in tense final moments

India were quick to get off the blocks on an attacking mode and put Germany on the backfoot by winning two consecutive penalty corners early in the first quarter. However, Germany’s solid defense blocked India captain and dragflicker Harmanpreet’s shots. India maintained pressure deep inside Germany’s circle, with Vice Captain Hardik Singh showcasing his exceptional dribbling skills.

India’s relentless attacking approach earned them a series of penalty corners, with Harmanpreet converting the fourth one in the 7th minute to give India a well-deserved lead. This goal marked his eighth in the tournament. Meanwhile, Germany switched to a possession-based game to relieve the pressure, but they couldn’t mount any significant threats, ending the first quarter with India leading 1-0.

Germany began the second quarter strongly, matching India in the early exchanges. Within the first three minutes, they earned a penalty corner, which Peillat converted in the 18th minute to level the score.

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Despite this, India continued to apply relentless pressure. In the 20th minute, Abhishek had a powerful shot on goal from inside the D, but Germany’s defender Mathias Mueller deflected it wide. A few minutes later, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay had a chance to score, but his shot went over the goalpost.

Germany then won a penalty corner against the run of play, and Peillat’s shot struck Jarmanpreet Singh’s foot, resulting in a penalty stroke. Ruehr quickly converted the stroke in the 27th minute, flicking it to the right of India’s goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. At halftime, the score was 2-1 in favour of Germany.

Determined to bounce back, India started the third quarter aggressively, winning consecutive penalty corners. However, Harmanpreet’s shot was saved by Jean-Paul Danneberg. Undeterred, India continued to press for an equalizer, which they found in the 36th minute when a penalty corner flick by Harmanpreet was deflected in by Sukhjeet.

With the score tied, both teams intensified their attacks, testing each other’s defenses frequently. Despite the increased efforts, neither team could break the deadlock, and the third quarter ended with the score level at 2-2.

The fourth quarter began with Germany making swift passes and penetrating India’s defense to win a penalty corner, but Sanjay made a stunning goal-line save to prevent Germany from taking the lead.

However, Germany continued their relentless attacks and finally broke through in the 54th minute when Miltkau scored after receiving an assist from Teo Hinrichs on the left flank. This goal eventually proved decisive, as Germany won the match 3-2 to make it to the final.