Counter attacks & comebacks – the mantra of Bridgestone WSH
· Mumbai Marines take on Sher-E-Punjab; Wizards meet Chandigarh Comets
· Tournament has witnessed stunning comebacks in seven matches
· Bhopal Badshahs have conceded the least number of goals – 11 goals
· Pune Strykers have scored the highest number of goals – 21 goals
· Chennai Cheetahs have conceded the highest number of goals – 25 goals
New Delhi, March 13, 2012: When Mumbai Marines take on Sher-E-Punjab at the spanking MHA Mahindra Stadium on Wednesday night, it will be the 27th match of the inaugural Bridgestone World Series Hockey. Over the past fortnight, the first-ever World Series for hockey has witnessed some brilliant solo performances, exhilarating action and stunning fightbacks. Overall till now, there have been seven instances of a team coming back from behind to win, and surprisingly, Pune Strykers features in two of them and also managed to draw one match from 0-3 situation against title contenders, Sher-E-Punjab.
The Strykers’ terrific comeback against Mumbai Marines in the initial stage of the Bridgestone WSH is being seen as hockey’s equivalent to the ‘six minutes madness’ of the iconic Liverpool-AC Milan UEFA Champions League final in 2005. The Strykers slugged it out for 70 minutes against the Marines until only one team remained standing. Trailing 3-4 at half-time, the Strykers went on to score thrice in a span of six minutes towards the end, shocking their opponent 7-5. It wasn’t a fluke as the Strykers staged another brilliant fightback, this time against Delhi Wizards, whom they beat 3-1 after trailing 0-1 at halftime.
The Strykers’ knack for winning matches from behind has inspired the other teams. Chandigarh Comets had a slow start in the tournament but they packed extra ounces of energy in their recent showings – beat Adrian D’Souza’s Mumbai Marines 5-2 after being down 0-2 initially. It doesn’t imply that the Marines are the tournament’s favourite punching bag. The Mumbai-based team stunned pre-tournament favourites Karnataka Lions 2-1 after trailing 0-1 till halftime. In a previous match, Brent Livermore’s Chennai Cheetahs turned the tables on Delhi Wizards, stunning them with four goals in the second half after trailing 2-1 initially.
Bhopal Badshahs, who are leading the points tally after playing seven matches, boasts of the most formidable defence while Chennai Cheetahs have conceded the maximum number of goals. Badshahs’ goalkeeper Baljeet Singh, who was turned down for the Indian national camp due to an eye injury, has impressed the most amongst the goalkeepers in the fray. The goal average per match in the tournament may be 5+, but the Badshahs have conceded just 11 goals in seven games. On the other hand, the Cheetahs have been generous in conceding 25 goals till now. The action resumes on Wednesday with high-voltage clashes between the Wizards and Comets in Delhi’s Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium while Marines take on Shers in their own backyard. Tune in to Neo Sport and Neo Cricket for the live coverage at 7pm and 9pm respectively.
Schedule for March 14: Mumbai Marines vs Sher-E-Punjab at 7pm; Delhi Wizards vs Chandigarh Comets at 9pm.