s2h Team
Prince Deep Singh was the toast of Indian hockey on Friday after his imposing presence under the bar helped script a victory for the ages against Belgium in a FIH Junior World Cup quarterfinal at the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium on Friday.
Prince Deep turned protagonist not just in regulation time where he thwarted a well-organized Belgium and victory, but also in the shootout after regulation play produced a 2-2 stalemate.
A see-saw match saw Belgium take the lead, then fall behind to India who led 2-1 with a minute remaining. To the chagrin of the crowd and the disbelief of the Indian bench, the equalizer, after Belgium withdrew their goalkeeper, took the encounter into the shootout and retained hopes of avenging their 2021 quarter-final defeat to India in Bhubaneswar.
The shootout provided high-voltage drama that ended with Ankit Pal scoring the decisive goal with a diving back-hander to make it 4-3 and induce delirium in the Indian camp and the stands.
The umpire called for a referral to check for “back stick” even as the Indians celebrated. Thankfully, there was no anti-climax as the TV umpire found nothing wrong with the Pal’s spectacular attempt and India’s passage to the semi-finals was cleared.
The shootout produced oddities. Four attempts led to penalty strokes – three for India. Sharda Nand Tiwari scored all, conjuring a hat-trick of sorts, perhaps unprecedented at this level.
Gaspard Cornez-Massant shot Belgium ahead in the 13th minute. India had to wait till the last minute of the third quarter to equalize through Rohit off a penalty corner in the 45th minute. The hosts then turned the match on its head when Tiwari struck home from a penalty corner in the 48th minute.
With the clock ticking away, India’s customary faltering in the dying moments, Nathan Rogge got the faintest of touches to the ball drilled into the circle to silence the crowd and bring on the tiebreaker.
Call him “The Wall Part II”, in the wake of his mentor PR Sreejesh, the celebrated goalkeeping icon now guiding Princedeep and his teammates after retiring in 2024. After stepping up to receive his player of the match award, the young custodian was profuse in praise for his coach. “I have learned from him,” he said to the cheers of the packed stands.
Prince Deep will need to reproduce his heroics in Sunday’s semi-final against holders and seven-time champions Germany, victors over France, also in a shootout. The other semi-final pits Spain, 4-3 winners over New Zealand in a dramatic encounter, against twice winners Argentina who pipped The Netherlands 1-0.
Circumspection surrounded India’s prospects before the match. The team swept through its pool matches against Chile, Oman and Switzerland with a 29-0 goal record. Starved of keen competition, would India lack sharpness against a Belgian side who needed to pile up 10 goals against Egypt to make the quarterfinals?
Fears didn’t seem out of place in the opening minute itself. Marin van Heel’s blistering drive amid a transfixed Indian defence drew adept response from Prince Deep who padded clear and save India the mortification of an early deficit.
Belgium, however, sustained the early pace. Their moves were fluid and possession that they retained helped them boss the midfield.
But India’s verve and energy wasn’t to be stifled for too long. The effervescent Manmeet Singh forced a penalty corner. Goalkeeper Alexis van Havere, however, was equal to the challenge, sticking out a left glove to stymie the essay and keep his goal intact.
Belgium looked the better organized in the first quarter. Langer on the right continued to pose a threat. Inevitably perhaps, the Indian defence buckled and a loose ball was spanked home with a back-hander by Cornez-Massant in the 13th minute and Belgium were ahead.
The bonus accruing to the visitors was the loss of voice amid the ranks of the partisan home crowd. With their tails high, Belgium controlled proceedings. Their defence was compact as ever even as Manmeet and Dilraj Singh threatened frequently.
Two more penalty corners came India’s way but a goal was not forthcoming. Belgium, on their part, looked for a two-goal cushion but Talem Priyobarta blocked an effort just before half-time to keep the lead to just one.
Things were beginning to look bleak for India as the third quarter wore on. The real danger of going further behind was ever present. Van Heel continued holding sway on the right and his crosses sped across the Indian goal on more than one occasion while at the other end Arshdeep drew an excellent save from the Belgian goalkeeper.
But, the all-pervading feeling was India needed one magical moment to turn the tide. It arrived, and not a moment too soon. A minute to the third-quarter hooter remained when India forced their fourth penalty corner. Captain Rohit stepped up to produce a vicious drag flick that beat right post-man all ends up to bring the stands alive.
Belgium, however, came close to retaining the lead even before the hooter. They forced their first penalty corner that led to four re-awards but Prince Deep came to the fore yet again with an excellent save and stave off Belgian’s efforts to forge ahead from a post-hooter set-piece.
Three minutes into the fourth quarter came India’s fifth penalty corner. The din of expectancy hinted at a big moment in the match. Tiwari shaped purposefully for the award and delivered what he promised with a howitzer that brushed the goalkeeper’s glove and rocketed into the net.
Junior India captain Rohit scoring against Belgium in the Jr World Cup quarterfinal in Chennai. Pic: Hockey India
From chasing the match, India were now in pole position within a space of three minutes. But running down the clock hasn’t quite been an Indian forte. Still, the defence and midfield held their nerve but Belgium, even though prone to anxiety-induced errors, never relinquished focus.
With 2.42 left, the European outfit withdrew the goalkeeper. The extra outfield player, as expected, had the rival defence backpedalling. A minute remained and a free hit outside the circle held ominous foreboding.
A long pass into the circle found a touch by the lurking Rogge who sent the ball past Prince Deep and the match into the dreaded shootout.
Belgium went in first. Lucas Balthazar forced a penalty stroke and Hugo Labouchere scored. Gurjot was first up for India. He forced a penalty stroke. Tiwari stepped up to take the award but much to the despair of the Indian bench his effort was blocked. Tiwari’s keen eye, however, brought a referral after the big screen showed the goalkeeper had moved before the stroke was taken. No mistakes in the re-take, advised by the TV umpire and India leveled at 1-1.
Geurlain Hawaux made it 2-1 for Belgium. India and Tiwari made it 2-2, again through a penalty stroke after Ajeet Yadav was fouled by the goalkeeper.
Charles Langendries made it 3-2 for Belgium. Tiwari, yet again, made it 3-3 via the dreaded spot after Arshdeep was upended by the goalkeeper.
We finally witnessed a wasted attempt when Rogge failed in the wake of a timely tackle by Prince Deep. India could have snatched a crucial lead on their fourth attempt but Manmeet slipped as he tried to beat the goalkeeper.
Nikolas Bogaert, taking Belgium’s fifth attempt, was spectacularly blocked by Prince Deep and the stage was set for Ankit Lal to produce the decisive piece of heroics and seal a famous victory.