Champions Trophy Hockey, Highlights: Late German Blitzkrieg Downs India
Ninth-ranked India showed skill and determination against third-ranked Germans. Only a final-minute goal helped Germans scamper past the hosts.Highlights from the Hockey Champions Trophy match.
The Indian men's team has never won the Champions Trophy since its inaugural edition in 1978. Yet, the team is being seen as a side which has the best chance of staging upsets and emerging on top with triumphs. Germany on the other hand, have won the tournament on nine occasions - and it is this experience that helped the side scurry past India in dying seconds of their match in Bhubaneswar.
Highlights from India vs Germany match.
India goalkeeper Sreejesh is adjudged man of the match. India will play Argentina on Sunday evening and would look to take the many positives from this match. Will also need to fine-tune their finishing skills which could have seen a slightly different scoreline here. (Also read: Argentina lose 3-0 to the Dutch)
It is all over and heartbreak for Indian players and fans as that last-gasp goal gives Germans three points.
59' GOAL! Eerie silence as Germans score a field goal with 40 seconds left.
58' Two minutes left and Germans make a splendid attempt on goal but once again, finishing leaves room for improvement.
55' A win equals three vital points. In group as tough as Pool B, these can be extremely crucial. No goals yet with five minutes left on the clock.
53' Indians load up their forward line - the team is clearly hungry for that elusive goal.
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49' Germany earn another penalty corner but once again - despite a slightly creative movement - they fail to convert.
48' A sluggish start to the final quarter. Both teams now look slightly exhausted from their efforts.
Third quarter ends and it continues to be 0-0.
Reader comment: Sushant Gupte writes: Even a draw here would be good. Good for Germans. India have played well so far and it is a good sign early in the tournament.
43' Indians have played well inside the German D and on the flanks. The key missing point however, is that they are yet to look for German legs - hitting them with the ball would ensure more penalty corners.
40' Arnold makes his move to show Germans can attack too but Indian defence have not let lethargy set in.
37' Indians make an electric run but captain Sardar Singh receives a slightly wayward pass in the end - one which allows German goalkeeper to make a block.
35' Sreejesh can fly! Indian goalkeeper takes aerial route to deny Germans from their PC.
34' Penalty corner to the Germans. The ball was struck from a long corner and it clearly crashed against the legs of an Indian defender.
32' No change in aggressive strategies in the opening minutes of the third quarter.
End of second quarter and it is still goalless here despite the splendid work by Indian forward-line. 'Splendid' does not account for the failed finishes of course.
Reader comment: Hockey fan Aditya Sahai is clearly impressed with India's show so far. He writes: "This Indian team is clearly on the rise. The manner in which they have played Germany in the 1st quarter is exceptional. Sincerely hope they can maintain this as they have struggled in the past to last."
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28' Dharamvir has been racing down the flanks to give India several chances but the crucial final touch has been the only villain for the hosts so far.
26' Custodian Sreejesh makes a superb save - his first of the match. He saw the shot early, casually struck out his left leg to greet the ball and bid it farewell.
23' Offense is the best defense or at least that's what the Indians are showing. They continue to make inroads into the German D but have failed to convert though.
22' Germans make their best effort on goal yet. Arnold slams the ball on the reverse and Rupinder makes a blunder. No harm done though.
20' There is a difference of six in rankings between the two teams but Indian aggression seems to have put Germans on the defensive. What is needed though is a goal - the momentum has to be kept up by the hosts.
18' Superb run from Dharamvir from the flanks and he shoots the ball in. Akashdeep receives the shot on his stick and was positioned dangerously. He, however, fails to trap properly as Germans clear the rebound.
17' The Germans start the second quarter on a slightly more upbeat note.
End of first quarter: India 0 - 0 Germany
14' India charge towards referee, complaining of a push inside German D. Video replays point to a contact, a nudge, shuffle - TV referee says push. Penalty corner for India.
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11' Germany's Moritz Polk gets the green card.
10' Exciting hockey so far but no goals in it yet.
8' 1st penalty corner of the match goes to Germany. The team makes a mess of it. Get a follow-up PC. Rupinder flicks it away and replays show it was a clean sweep to safety - video referee reaffirms it despite on-field referee previously giving a stroke as he felt the ball had hit the defender's legs .
6' Indian forwards have had two more counter attacks on the German defence. Akashdeep even gets a shot in but it was not on target. The team is definitely showing that it will not let Germans dominate despite their skillful hockey.
4' India's first counter attack - from Sunil - is greeted by a loud cheer but nothing comes of it.
3' Germans take control of the ball and look to attack from their left flank. Keep the ball in their possession.
1' India begin proceedings from the left side of the field.
* Electric atmosphere at the stadium as the national anthems are played out.
* Under a full moon, close to 7000 hockey fans have come out to support hosts India.
* The players are all set to come out for what promises to be a hard-fought battle. This is the final match of the day.
* In a thrilling start to Champions Trophy earlier today, England stunned Australia while Belgians overpowered Pakistan.
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India have hosted Champions Trophy thrice - first being in Chennai (then called Madras) in 1996. The team's best finish ever though has been third way back in 1982. In the last edition - hosted in Melbourne in 2012, the side finished sixth. The team may not have a good record in the event but can seek inspiration from two factors - their recent performances and home fans' cheer, despite being in a tough group with Argentina and Netherlands being the other two teams here. (In pics: International stars get set for hockey action in India)
Indian men recently won their hockey Test series Down Under 2-1. It came as a surprise to many as the mighty Aussies are the top-ranked side in the world. Despite this though, the Indians showcased fluent hockey to claim wins and glory. In the recent practice match against a rather new-look Aussies, the Indians once again registered a thumping win. With local fans gathering to cheer them on, the team can surely bring the fight to the German half and keep it there.
The Germans though are seasoned warriors on the hockey pitch. India's high performance coach has already said on record that while his team is ready, the Germans are a tough competitors. "Germany are the Olympic champions and European champions. They are very strong team and there is no doubt about it," said Roland Oltmans. (Read full report here)
Experienced campaigners like Tobias Hauke, Moritz Furste, Nicolas Jacobi and Florian Fuchs will surely put the Indians under pressure from the word go. (Will the heat in Bhubaneswar script the fall of European teams?)
