Belgium were put to a stern test by an Indian team that showed attacking intent but came through with a 2-1 victory in a Pool B men’s hockey match of the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir on Thursday.
The defending champions notched their fourth straight victory and reinforced their bid to top the pool after another torridly hot day in Paris.
India had secured a quarterfinal qualification spot after beating Ireland 2-0 on Tuesday. Their performance until then was scratchy, even shabby at times, but today the Tokyo bronze medallists were quick off the starting blocks to take the match to their vaunted opponents’ camp.
Harmanpreet Singh almost scripted another escape act a penalty corner with a minute to go but the Indian captain’s drag-flick was saved on the line by Belgian stalwart Florent van Aubel to preserve the slender lead.
A draw would have been a reward for India who valiantly coped with a yellow card 6.12 from the end when Rajkumar Pal was sent to the sin bin for a tackle. The numerical disadvantage did not affect Indian resolve and when goalkeeper Sreejesh, with an exemplary performance yet again, was pulled for an outfield player, Belgium were hard-pressed to preserve their lead.
India shot ahead in the 18th minute after a gift by midfielder Arthur de Sloover who let the ball out of his grasp under double-teaming pressure. Vivek Sagar Prasad pounced on the opportunity to put Abhishek in possession and the mercurial forward needed no prompting to dash into the circle and finish with a blistering hit to Vincent Vanasch’s left.
Belgium, unaccustomed to playing catch-up in the campaign so far, began the search for the equalizer in right earnest. A penalty corner drew the iconic Sreejesh to one of numerous saves he was to effect on the day and sustained pressure saw Nelson Onana, De Sloover and Van Aubel string together a move that went close to restoring parity.
Harmanpreet’s absence on the pitch in the rolling substitute gambit reminded one of a handicap that the team faces. The lack of a deputy drag flicker has been costing the team dear. There was no difference this time as Amit Rohidas went in for the archaic hit from a PC that went above the stipulated backboard height and India failed to swell the lead.
Half-time arrived with the contest taut but with Belgium knocking on the door for a goal.
It wasn’t long before the Red Lions struck. Three minutes after the resumption, Van Aubel paved the way for the equalizer with great work on the left baseline. The forward with 296 caps left the double-teaming defenders for dead with great ball-handling skills before finding Thibeau Stockbroekx who matched his senior colleague’s skills with a reverse flick from an acute angle that lodged itself in the Indian net.
However, India refused to be pinned back even as the Red Lions smelled blood, but Belgium finished the third quarter with a flourish.
A series of three penalty corners ensued with third-quarter time approaching. Alexander Henrickx, the fearsome drag-flicker returned from a green-card suspension, to lurk ominously at the top of the circle. His first essay found a suitable response from Sreejesh who did an encore with the re-award. Another re-award followed and although Sreejesh blocked Hendrickx, the ball squirmed loose to John-John Dohmen, a veteran of 476 internationals, who flicked into the net from hand-shaking distance for the go-ahead goal.
Penalty corner No. 2 followed for India with the break beckoning but Rohidas failed to beat Vanasch and Belgium went into the final quarter with their noses ahead.
India, buoyed by late strikes against New Zealand and Argentina, stepped up the ante. Another chance fell, this time to Abhishek but Vanasch blocked and the ball all but crossed the line amid a mad scramble.
Belgium, looking for a two-goal cushion, were kept at bay by Sreejesh again – this time it was Tom Boon who agonized after a PC drag-flick was thwarted by the goal-stopper of 328 internationals who will retire after the Games.
Boon was to rue another opportunity when he missed the ball completely with only Sreejesh to beat after the ebullient Onana outpaced the defence and laid a precise cross for the veteran to execute the coup de grace.
With a little over six minutes to go the contest was placed on a knife’s edge but in a cruel blow to India’s prospects, Rajkumar was given marching orders. It appeared to seal India’s fate, given the pace of the encounter and the torrid heat.
But the eight-time gold medallists galvanized themselves to give their all and showed no signs of relenting.
India forced their third and last penalty corner of the match and four-goal Harmanpreet shaped to haul it out of the fire as he had done against Argentina. However, Van Aubel, Belgium’s mainstay of the last decade and a cog in his country’s maiden World Cup win in 2018, deflected on the line to seal, sign and endorse three points for his team.
India, who play Australia on Friday (4.45 pm IST), exuded better body language in defeat than in the previous matches that yielded two wins and a draw.
Coach Craig Fulton said that playing Belgium and Australia in the last two pool matches is good preparation for the quarterfinals.
He revealed that the team has no injuries or health issues and was happy with his boys’ performance on the day and especially in the last phase when they coped with a yellow card.
Harmanpreet said his team was not yet thinking about the quarterfinals as yet and is focussed on the match against Australia.
Australia who were mauled 2-6 by Belgium, bounced back with a 5-0 win over neighbours New Zealand in a match on simultaneously. The Aussies notched their third win out of four and are second behind Belgium.
The outcome places India third with seven points in the pool at the moment and could stay there in the final standings unless Argentina with four points garner four points or more from their last two matches against Ireland later on the day and Belgium on Friday.
New Zealand with four defeats from four are out of the quarterfinal race. Ireland who have also drawn a blank play New Zealand in the final round of pool matches on Friday.