BHUBANESWAR: Before the match, Belgium coach, Jeroen Baart, said his team would have to overcome ‘India’s attack wave’ for them to progress. In the end, it was India that had to withstand a sustained Belgium wave to advance to the semifinals of the junior World Cup.
Matches between India and Belgium — at least when the seniors face each other — are often tense, tight affairs. This one between the two junior setups was no different. Chances were at a premium, shots on goal may have as well been declared an endangered species and penalty corners (only four across 60 minutes) were hard to come by. The only one India got, in the 21st minute, they were confident enough to try a variation through which the impressive Sharda Nand Tiwari found the roof of the net.
It lifted the roof of the stadium, volunteers and ‘special invitees’ have filled a few seats and Wednesday was no different. However, the hosts’ best work came after they went ahead. Belgium, who rely on controlling and asphyxiating opposition, had lost the midfield battle for a period of time in the second quarter. It was a different story in the next two quarters when the young Red Lions got hold of the ball. But they were faced with a Blue Wall who were determined to not concede.
A couple of samples that illustrated their determination: a Belgian flanker got hold of the loose ball and drove down the right channel before unleashing a fierce drive. That was stopped by a combination of three Indian sticks. All of Abhishek Lakra, Yashdeep Siwach and Vivek Sagar Prasad ran and forced the visiting attacker to settle for a long corner.
When the visitors finally started the full court press in the fourth quarter, India retreated into a shell, opting to soak pressure and defend. A direct byproduct of this was the increasing circle penetrations for the opposition. The pressure finally told with Belgium unleashing their attacking prowess. On both occasions, though, they found the wide-chested custodian, Pawan, who diverted the ball to safety. In that sense, it was a defensive masterclass that enabled the Colts to finish on the right side of a tight game.
They finished on the right side because it was a match where they all trusted each other to do the right thing. All communication channels were open, they were patient and calm — two words you wouldn’t normally use to describe an Indian hockey side — and took the one chance that came their way. Across 60 minutes, they had one penalty corner. Beside the goal, the hosts had zero shots on target. To sum up, this was a very un-Indian performance.
After the match, Reid said it was good to know the team had this in their locker, the ability to win while knowing they can play better. But the Australian said they had worked on the defensive aspect of their game and was happy that it paid dividends here. “Our defence was much better in this game than against France (India lost that 4-5). The marking was a lot tighter. Both keepers played well, it’s nice to see them shine.
“Still got some work to do and it gives us something to do the next two days.”
One area which could cause some consternation to the side is they again began the match slowly. Belgium kept the ball for the opening two minutes and the hosts were pretty much asleep for the first 7-8 minutes. It was their good fortune that most of their possession broke down just before the striking circle. “We didn’t start that well, we were a bit slow... we haven’t won anything yet, long way to go,” Reid said.
The big difference from tonight and many previous matches was the focus India had. There were no lapses in concentration. “I don’t know,” Reid said when asked how he brings about a sense of calmness to the side. “(Laughs), I talk a lot about focus. Every ball counts, every detail counts. Those were two of my points tonight.”
His wards copy-pasted those instructions and executed the functions demanded of them to a T. Now, Germany stands between them and a second successive World Cup final.
semifinals (December 3)
France vs Argentina
India vs Germany