Last minute heartbreak for India

Belgium stunned India with a last minute goal to deny them the ultimate honours in the Champions Challenge I.

Despite taking what seemed a fairly maintainable 3-1 lead, Indian defence caved into the precise, geometric goal-scoring prowess of Belgium.

Belgium put in three field goals subsequently to take away the gold, and with that a majestic entry into the next year’s Champions Trophy.

Interestingly, the winner team was trained by Colin Batch, colleague of Indian coach Micheal Nobbs in the 1984 Gold winning Australian team

VR Raghunath (22nd minute), Sandeep Singh (40th minute), Shivendra Singh (54th minute) scored for India to give 3-1 lead but the European team came back with resolute resilence to walk with the Gold, with a score of 4-3.

Its 70th minute goal from Tom Boon, his eighth in the tournament, stunned the Indians, who one point of time looked like winners.

Jerome Dekeyser (44th and 57th minute) and Boccard (55th min) are others who joined Tom Boon on the scoreboard

The game commenced at the frantic pace with Belgium adopting their usual defensive and counter-attack strategy. Early in the game, India missed a close chance in 3rd minute when Manpreet hit the ball directly to the Belgian goalkeeper Julien Schoo Ians, and as Yuvraj picked the rebound, his hit got deflected from the cross bars.

Belgian poor trapping cost them a penalty corner in the 23rd minute when Sarwanjit with his skillful stick-work, passed the ball to Yuvraj in the left flank. A quick reverse hit from Yuvraj reached the Belgian defender who couldn’t trap cleanly and carried the ball resulting in a penalty corner for India.

Raghunath, with his low-flick, converted the penalty corner, taking India 1-0 in the game in the 23rd minute.

Immediately after, Belgium got a penalty corner but a block by Manpreet on the goal line and flying save by Chetri twice on the rebound, denied them the goal.
SV Sunil, with his fast-paced entry (keeping his stick glued to the ball) into the Belgian circle in the 31st minute, gave India their second penalty corner. Arjun failed to trap the push from Sardara and Sandeep never got his chance to flick. Halappa did have a chance to hit-in directly but the Belgian goalkeeper saved it comfortably lying down.

In the 35th minute, India got their best chance to score a field goal. Arjun Halappa, with his run in the midfield, gave a long pass to a perfectly placed Shivendra, at the top of the Belgian circle. A seconds delay by him (to turn around and hit the ball) as he mistimed his hit which was easily cleared by Belgians.

Post half-time, in the 39th min, SV Sunil received a pass from the left flank, and entering the Belgian circle from the right side, he earned a penalty corner for India. Sandeep’s flick found a Belgian foot forcing another penalty corner, India’s fourth. Sandeep’s flick, this time, went high into the goalpost, barely missing the cross-bars making it 2-0 for India.

Belgium was quick to bounce back in the 44th minute scoring their first goal making the score 2-1. However, in the 54th minute, Shivendra Singh entered the Belgian circle from the right and kept running along the base-line to beat the Belgian goalkeeper, to score a stunner taking India 3-1.

Although Belgium remained unlucky in their finishes in the first half, they bounced back in the second half, scoring three goals in 13 minutes – a field goal by Dekeyser in the 44th minute when he hit one from the left through the legs of Chetri, another one from Boccard in the 55th minute and immediately followed by a goal by Dekeyser (57th minute) whose hit from the top of the circle sent the ball flying past Chetri’s right.

Post 55th minute, the scores remained tied 3-3 and there were massive jostling for the ball. Belgium did have an upper hand as they forced a penalty corner in the 67th minute. They couldn’t score though. India got a perfect chance to score the winner in the 68th minute when Shivendra, Yuvraj and Sunil each took a hit in succession on the Belgian post. However, each of them was blocked

Belgium scored their fourth goal in the 70th minute- Aubel hit-in from the right inside the Indian circle went right of Chetri and Tom Boon deflected it inside the Indian goal, thereby sealing India’s fate in the final.

Belgium got as many as four penalty corners in the game but none of them were threatening enough. India also got as many and scored 2 of the goal from it.
With this win, Belgium gets a ticket to the next Champions Trophy in 2012.