“We don’t have any pressure, having already lost to Korea. But today will be different. Because we know how India plays and understand Indian style. Simply because we often play against them”, said an official attached with the Canadian team before the start of the India-Canada match, second for both teams in the Hero Junior World Cup.
But what struck subsequently was his finish line: “You will have pressure. Once your player get the ball near rival 25-yard line or area, the crowd comes into play, they start shouting. It works on the mind of the players, they tend to be panicky.
This discussion which took place before the start of the match on Saturday, proved to be prophetic.
Crowd yelled even before 25-yard area, but once India get the possession. Them team rushed towards circle. They were in a hurry score, and wasted most of the chances they created with fast running and good positioning. There were misdirected passes, bad trapping of long scoops, unforced errors, all because this set of Indians were clearly not composed but loses it at the slightest advance gained or lost.
The team was panicky inside the circle.
Once conceding a goal early in the proceedings, Indians were panic-stricken, did not show the kind of character that a team of this stature stand to inherently espouse.
For most part they played only on one flank. Crosses rolled across the goalmouth as if it is meant to be so.
Players like Talwinder Singh, at least so far, appear pedestrian, often unable to do what he is expected of in crucial moments.
If India has to do well against Korea, which is also as awkwardly placed as that of India insofar as the chance for the quarterfinal is concerned, it has to play a patient but thrustful hockey, certainly not a panic hockey the one that it displayed against Canada in particular.