 "Paris Olympics Dispatch: Gallant but misfiring India fail to conquer Germany’s ruthless efficiency in semi-final heartbreak")
Indian hockey revived memories of their gallant stick-work on the Olympic platform, but also betrayed the shortcomings that had caused their slump when they faltered in advancing to the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Dishing out a gallant display against reigning world champions Germany, misfiring India faltered to a 2-3 loss in the semi-finals, and would now need to work hard to retain the bronze medal they had clinched in Tokyo.
India were prodigious, even when one short on the bench; they tested the resolve of the fancied World champions; caused them trouble galore; muffed several scoring opportunities; yet in the end were left to rue their lapses. This is the repeat of an old story – which Tuesday denied them a stirring victory in the Olympic semi-finals against Germany.
Also read | Netizens disappointed after India lose to Germany in hockey semi-finals
This isn’t a strange new twist to the tale. This is an exact repetition of what India’s teams have gone out and done earlier, time and again. That India could match Germany until six minutes from the close was credible. That India took the initial lead and then rallied to equalise for 2-2 was also credit-worthy.
The Indian Hockey team has started brightly in the semi-final clash against Germany at #Paris2024 🇮🇳 🏑
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But what hurt India was the misfiring strikers who failed to fire on target and the inability to make full use of the penalty corners earned by them.
At the Tokyo Olympics, India had defeated Germany to clinch the bronze medal, earning them a place on the medal podium after a gap of 41 years. On Tuesday, a slightly improved marksmanship would have put India in the final – and truly marked the return of the prodigals.
Germany are not a team that concedes too many scoring opportunities to their rivals. Their defence is famed the world over. Once Germany take the lead, they grind you into the turf and yet deny even a shot at the goal. The packed Germany defence has for decades frustrated the world’s best teams – and often it was Germany who carried the day.
What may occasionally unnerve Germany is when they are trailing, and the gaps their leave in their defence when going all out in the search of goals.
Against Germany, one has to play like a miser, but the Indian strikers played like millionaires – wasting chances galore. In the second quarter, Abhishek and Lalit Upadhyay went for rushed attempts that sprayed the ball wide in wasting chances that could have given India a sound lead – after captain Harmanpreet Singh had converted a penalty corner to open the scoring in the seventh minute.
Another of Harmanpreet’s shots was deflected into the net for India’s second goal, but India had to pay a heavy price for wasting nine other penalty corners – and that too against a top side like Germany.
Sports indeed seem cruel at times like these!🥹
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Compare it with the clinical show of Germany, who initially were bent on keeping Indian shots out of their goal. When they moved up, they made their few chances count. From four German penalty corners came two goals, one via a penalty stroke.
The German coach also used his Argentina import Gonzalo Peillat as the trump card – reviving memories of the World Cup final last year, when he had dashed the hopes of Belgium in the final.
Migrating to Germany after winning the 2016 Olympic gold medal for Argentina, Peillat played a crucial role in his new team winning the World Cup in Bhubaneshwar. Now, he has engineered Germany’s entry into the Olympic final. Piellat not only converted the first penalty corner and earned a penalty stroke with his next show, but he was the striker who sent in the defence splitting pass from which the match-winner emerged.
On Tuesday, India paid a heavy price for missing the first-choice first runner Amit Rohidas, under suspension for the Red Card he had received in the quarter-finals against Great Britain. India tried their best to get him reinstated for the semifinal, filing an appeal against the decision to debar him from the semi-final as well. But the Jury of Appeal decided to support the umpire and the ban stayed.
India seemed to have committed a tactical error in deciding to fall back and defend in the last quarter. Hoping to repeat the act of the quarter-final against Britain was not an ideal plan. India may have managed to hold Britain from scoring by packing their defence, but the Germany had analysed the Indian tactics minutely. When falling back to defend, India yielded ground that benefitted Germany’s cause.
It was still credible that India did not go down without a fight even till the final hooter. The last two minutes could have showcased India’s fightback, but the misfiring strikers could not carry the day.
💔 for the Indian Hockey team as they lose the S/Fs to Germany 3-2 at #Paris2024! 🏑
— JioHotstar Reality (@HotstarReality) August 6, 2024
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Trailing by a goal, India took off their goalkeeper PR Sreejesh with just two minutes of play left. But they had to then face a penalty corner without the padded Sreejesh in the goal. India performed well by managing to defend that penalty corner shot for Germany – even without a goalkeeper with pads on.
Germany are not a team that will yield an inch when they have 11 players defending in their territory, yet India managed to create two chances in the very last minute of play – only Shamsher Singh taking a wild swings and sending the ball ballooning over the cross-bar when the goalkeeper was stranded at the far post.
This defeat has the potential of leaving India rattled, but they need to regroup quickly to take on Spain in the bronze medal match.
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