New Delhi, 17 Jan 2014: “I am very happy with today’s performance and I am very proud of the players. In different phases of the game, they did well and they did what needed to be done,’’ said Terry Walsh, the Indian Chief Coach after India handed out a 5-4 defeat to the World No.1 Germany, the shock of the tournament.
Germans are coming out an indoor season and are without only two of their regulars, but losing to India is definitely something that will make them analyse. If one discards the in 2009 Punjab Gold Cup, the last time India defeated Germany was in 2004 Lahore Champions Trophy when Sandeep Michael, Arjun Halappa and Vivek Gupta scored for a 3-1 victory.
“A performance like this against a world-class team gives the players a lot of confidence. It makes us believe in what we are doing. Against Australia were able to play good hockey for 25 minutes, today we played the same quality hockey for 70 minutes. Our goal is to implement what coach Terry Walsh is trying to train us for the last one month,’’ said Indian skipper Sardara Singh.
“I am happy with the way the team is implementing the plans but we are still trying to play to our strengths. Our players are defending one minute and at the top assisting attack and they did that for 70 minutes, which is a very considerable improvement,’’ added Walsh, a hockey Olympian from Australia.
Match report:
Playing scintillating hockey, the Indian team shocked Olympic Champions and World No.1 Germany 5-4 in a thrilling match that provided seat-edged excitement to over 5000 crowd at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here on Friday.
Indian rallied brilliantly after being down 0-2 and overcame their initial hiccups to match the might Germans and served them in their own style by forcing a last-minute penalty corner and Rupinder Singh converted it for the match winner.
Indian forward Mandeep Singh struck three goals and Rupinder earlier made good, a dummy played by Raghunath, to strike the first goal through an indirect variation for India in this tournament.
To top it India’s penalty corner conversion today was 100 per cent. India would take on Belgium for the 5th place on Saturday afternoon.
The Olympic champions, who had lost their quarter final 3-2 to the Netherlands, forged ahed in the very fourth minute when skipper Oliver Korn slammed home a rebound. Two minutes later, the match looked over for India when Thilo Stralkowski converted a penalty corner. But a rejuvenated India had other things in mind and made a brilliant recovery after the stunning dummy played by Raghunath and Birendra Lakra, the stopper set it up perfectly for Rupinder and his flick had no response for the German goalkeeper Tim Jessault.
The crowd cheered whenever, the Indians held possession and Mandeep Singh was the star of the day with three goals. But it was Indian captain Sardara Singh who played a superb game as the centre half distributing the ball to the forwards. He was up in the front one minute and back the other, defending dourly.
Benjamin Wess made it 3-1 for Germany in the 27th minute but within four minutes after the break India came back with a bang with Rupinder pulling one back converting a short corner.
India struck the equalizer within two minutes, with Mandeep Singh scoring a brilliant field goal within two minutes and put India ahead with another brilliant goal off a pass from Raghunath in the 53rd minute. The goal appeared to be scored by Yuvraj Walmiki but stands in the name of Mandeep as the official scorer credited it to him. (4-3)
Nevertheless it was a goal but the Germans bounced back immediately with another in the 55th minute through a Martin Haner short corner. After trying desperately, India got a penalty corner in the last minute and Rupinder sealed the issue with a perfectly time, powerful flick, “All week, and all morning we were talking about getting a PC in the last minute,’’ quipped Terry Walsh, a happy man today.
ends