Champions trophy Hockey 2014, Bhubaneswar- Dec. 6-14

[jayakris]

Do we need any more proof that our team needed that coach that they trust fully, when the going gets tough? For 4 decades we have had coaches that the team really never trusted (even if they consciously felt they did, subconsciously they didn't, because the coach hadn't DONE IT). Where it shows up is when you have situations where you have always failed. You know what to do to counter past failings, you even may have been coached to do it, but you need that right coach, even a look at whose face gives you confidence to do what you need to do - because you trust him for having overseen teams that did this and more. You suddenly feel that you have no reasons to feel that what you know, which has worked for all those other teams, cannot work for you. That is when you execute it right. You need the coach who taught it to you. Another coach who agrees with the same stuff doesn't count, sometimes even if that coach has a resume (as in Oltman's case). Certainly not if it's another coach without a resume who may even have taught/told you roughly the same thing. A large part of this is all mental, and especially so for the Indian hockey team.

Bring Terry back.

Jay

[jaydeep]

Yes, we need structure which is developed by Terry Walsh.

[Omkara]

Is there a way I can block this thread from appearing on my timeline. too depressing.

[ssp]

Pathetic stuff. I was disappointed with the Germany result because they have come here with an experimental team, but today's defeat is very depressing. I didn't watch the match but the highlights showed the diabolical lack of structure that we are famous for. What were the defenders doing on the last 2 goals?
So we are back to conceding straight after scoring, conceding last minute goals and watching the ball rather than marking attackers. Couldn't make this kind of crap up....all I can say is well done to Batra. Keep up your brilliant agenda.

[sameerph]

India beats Netherlands 3-2. Wow, that is a surprise. I am trying to see a replay now to see how it happened.

[sameerph]

Watched the recording of the last quarter and India seems to have dominated the match. Goals by Sunil, Rupinderpal and Manpreet. Some great play from Sardara , Gurbaz , Gurvinder ( he is proving to be surprisingly good) and Rupinderpal too. Manpreet was man of the match.

We finish third in the pool and will play Belgium in QF.

[PKBasu]

Amazing!! Beating Holland at hockey is always special, and somehow we do seem to do a bit better against them than against Germany and Australia. (That we have a Dutch coach helps, I suppose, and today Holland had less at stake since they had already virtually topped the pool).

Now to repeat the performance against Belgium in the QF!!

[Qualia11]

Against Holland we have had some close game but we have never beaten them.

I dont remember the last time we defeated Holland in a competitive game.

Maybe things would have been so different had we not lost 4-3 from being 3-0 leading in CT 2003

We have often got thrashed by Aus but we get to beat them in a few odd games but never seen India winning against Holland

As for playing q/f against Belgium,wish we finished last itself.

India have done well against England than Belgium.

But then again being the Champions Trophy, its about playing the best.

[Qualia11]

Just came to learn that India last defeated Holland in 1996 during Olympic qualifying tournament in Barcelona.

The same year CT was held in Chennai where India drew 1-1 with them and beat Australia 3-1

[srini]

Really??..Did..we...for real...in...a...competitive match...with Holland...won it...?Pinch..pinch...yes its true...tears...tears with happiness. So our guys chose to defeat Holland when i couldn't watch the match at my work.I am still happy and would relish the entire recording of match not just the highlights!

[Qualia11]

The reason why I don't want Belgium is because they got back after being 3-0 down against Aus.

For a team like India which is very vulnerable in defense would find it difficult

[PKBasu]

I always think back to that Champions Trophy match against the Dutch that we lost 3-4 in 2003. Another case of so near, yet so far.

And of course thirty years before that was the 1973 World Cup final in Amstelveen, which ended 2-2 (but had to be settled in a penalty shoot-out that we lost). I remember almost that entire team: Charles Cornelius in goal (Cedric Perreira as substitute); Harmeek Singh, Surjit Singh and Michael Kindo as the full backs; Ajitpal Singh at centre-half, with Baldev Singh and V Bhaskaran as the other half-backs; Ashok Kumar (son of Dhyan Chand), MP Ganesh, Harcharan Singh and BP Govinda as forwards (and Chand Singh, Ajit Singh and VJ Phillips in reserve). What a team it was!!

[Qualia11]

Pakistan knocks out Holland

Wow!!!!.....So the number 2 side eliminated at Quarters.

So just goes to show that League stage performances counts for nothing.

Pakistan on the other hand lost all their matches in group stage are in semis.

On an additional note, if India wins today it will be India-Pak semis

[PKBasu]

So, our's is the last QF at 7:30pm IST. Go Team India!!

I just watched the replay of the Netherlands-India match. Exhilarating -- although an element of luck, serendipity and sheer chutzpah was involved in India's first goal. Let's hope we have more of them all this evening.

[PKBasu]

Australia beat Argentina 4-2 in the second QF. The same score as in the Pak-Holland match.
Germany vs England will start soon.