rajitghosh wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 5:14 am
Anyway I believe this has set Indian hockey back by 10 years if not 20. The Asian Games later this year is critical. If India doesn't win qualifying for the next Olympics is nearly impossible. Asian competition is quite decent now with Malaysia, Korea and Japan having decent teams and Pakistan having the ability to surprise India even though they'll lose to everyone else. We need to re-build fast.
I don't think we need to be so negative about this loss. Just 1 bad tournament or bad few months are not going to set us back 10-20 years or anything. Basically, core of the team is same which was at 4-6 world level ( even if you say third place in olympics was lucky) just about a year and half back. So, with some corrections, it can be back to that level within months.
Even if we do not win Asian games gold ( which we did not win even last time), there will be 6-7 spots available thru 2 qualifying tournaments. With some the stronger teams already qualified, it will not be too difficult to qualify thru this route. Why should it be impossible ?
What frustrated me was the way they played. I have written about it in my previous thread. There was no strategy no cohesion as a team. That makes me worried about the future. Indvidually some of these players are good but they can't gel as a team.
To add insult to injury we will be playing couple more matches for 9-16 classifications. We play with Japan who have been able to defeat us once in the last year or so if i remember right. I wish this match were not scheduled for Republic day.
Not surprised at the results given the decline since Tokyo. That was a very pleasant anomaly to our usual inconsistent displays. Since that bronze we've been pathetic at Asian level, average at CWG and pretty c**p at this WC.
All QF results went along expected lines with Aus, Belgium, Germany and Netherlands winning but if we drill down into score lines, Spain actually led Australia 2-0 until end of 1st half and 4 goals by Aussies in quick succession within next 7 minutes resulted in turn around.
Similarly England led Germany 2-0 until 58h minute but then did an India like Choke-job and allowed 2 goals in 58th and 59th minutes. Germany grabbed the opportunity and packed off the piddly islanders from cup.
Would also like to add, it was good to see India pumping in lot of field goals and ending the Japan match with 8-0 scoreline. The same score line with Wales would have fetched top spot in group and a QF spot.
The irony is India has not lost a match in full time and yet we are not in the top 8. If only Harman had found his form earlier. We won't be the top Asian team either. That is Korea and they were lucky to get past Argentina.
Final is between Belgium and Germany. Germany sprang a surprise by beating Australia 3-2 while Belgium-Netherlands ends in a draw in normal time and Belgium won thru a penalty shootout.
Belgium, Australia and Germany were also part of top 4 at Tokyo olympics too along with us. Netherlands were slightly underwhelming there but have come strongly. These 4 teams are the top 4 in the world at the moment I think.
There is no further match. India finish joint 9th along with Argentina. The irony is that they didn't lose a match in full time yet finished a lowly 9th. Of course even if India had beaten New Zealand I doubt they would have got past Belgium.
It's whole staff - Analysis coach, Scientific advisor etc have also left along with him it seems. Why did it happen that way? Were they all asked to resign...if so that would be making them scapegoat, after all Reid has powered an under fancied 6-7 level team to get an Olympic medal!
As i always say, the best coach is needed for Junior age teams, as for senior team it would be difficult to un-learn what they already learned and coach role is limited as a strategist for Senior team.I would agree with Saffron's observation that reviving HI League is need of the hour.PHL can never substitute Club hockey and the professionalsim that comes with it. Domestic players get to learn and get inspired a lot by interacting with players from other elite hockey nations and by observing how they train and what training routines they follow before a match. One can't get into the competetive mode just like that without being competetive most of the time. Need to build an eco sysem for the junior players to be groomed using the club hockey that serves as a check for any complacency of Senior team members.
