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FIH Hockey World League Final 2017, 1st Semi-final: India vs Argentina - As it happened...
Unpredictable is the word doing the rounds in the run-up to the match. And rightly, it`s the best one to describe the Indian side which has once again allowed millions of fans to hope for a hockey revival in the country. Then, hopes crashed on a wet, rainy day.
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60th min. Brave fightback from the Indians in the last quarter. But that's not enough. India needed the first goal to dominated the game, but after conceding the first goal, it was never going to be easy. Then, there's rain, which both the sides endured. But India lost their captain for ten minutes at a time, when they were looking to make the difference.
59th min. Argentine captain Matias Paredes, presented with an open goal, fails to hit the target. Meanwhile, Indians keep themselves happy with possession.
58th min. Chinglensana is now the goalkeeper, with the mandatory yellow shirt. Just moments ago, India misses another golden chance. Then, Akashdeep has a solo run but ran into Gonzalo Peillat, who outfoxed the Indian forward.
55th min. Argentina are playing a defensive game, but an effective one. India increase the possession game, and in this quarter, they have kept in at around 83. Good play. Meanwhile, a wave of attacks arrive from the Indian side, only to witness defensive masterclass from the South Americans.
52nd min. What a play from India. Akashdeep's final push just misses the frame. Then Gurjant takes a lifetime to measure his reverse hit. India finally look like playing attacking hockey. Another attack, and Gurjant foots the ball.
47th min. India are rolling out subs. Chinglensana once again produces a brilliant run, then links up with Sunil, one whose release, the Manipuri player fails to play the ball inside the centre, India take a referral, and loss it.
45th min. India manage one good move in the dying minutes of the quarter, but nothing.
43th min. Harmanpreet Singh hits rather viciously, trying to find an Indian player inside the Argentine box, from their half. Umpire calls for dangerous play.
38th min. India sure are in the ascendancy with the majority of exchanges going inside the Argentine half. India's possession percentage increases to 46. One blistering run from Chinglensana from the left flank, getting past five Argentine players, but India fail to make the most of it once the ball reaches the top of circle.
35th min. India win their first PC, thanks to water with an Argentine cross-field pass landing in his footsteps just outside the box. Then he gets blocked. Rupinder Pal Singh's attempt takes a skier after getting deflected from the stick of an Argentine player. But India waste the second PC by taking too long to relay, going indirect.
34th min. Manpreet returns after serving his 10 minutes suspension. Huge roar, but that's all. India continue to allow Argentina to attack at will.
32nd min. It's still a long way to go, but there's no sign of India's recovery. Harmanpreet knocked out by Juan Lopez with a wild drag. Indian player is in pain, bu continues.
62% possession for Argentina and eight circle entries with three attempts on the goal, and that's without the converted PC. And India have nothing. One wet, nightmarish evening for Indian hockey in Bhubaneswar.
30th min. Nahuel Salis running the show. For a change, Sunil manages to spark a late attack from the left flank, but before it comes to any meaningful move, the hooter comes calling for the break.
29th min. Chinglensana wins back the ball from the back, then links up with SV Sunil. But India once again lose the midfield play. Nothing is working for India.
27th min. India are clueless. Losing possession every time they look to build an attack. Then, concede a long corner. Desperate defending.
24th min. Juan Lopez just forces a brilliant save from the Indian goalie. India, down to ten men, are surviving against a rampant Argentine attack. India win back the possession in the centre, thanks to an umpire's call on physical obstruction.
22nd min. Sloppy play from the Indians. But SK Uthappa just releases a cross-field pass only to see the possession loss again. Lalit Upadhyay then win the ball in the centre but the skipper is down to 10 men. Skipper is yellow carded.
20th min. An exchange of scoops between the two defensive lines. Argentina continue to press hard, even though the possession game is fifty-fifty as of now.
18th min. Gonzalo Peillat scores from the PC. No chance for the first line of Indian defence.
17th min. India resume the second quarter from the centre. Then, Varun Kumar fails to keep the ball in control from a scoop. Squirmy. From the following play, India defend well, winning a free hit. Birendra Lakra gives the ball inside the circle, but luckily win back it. Then, first PC of the match with Lakra blocking an Argentine player. India challenge. Argentine captain Peredes Matias claims that the ball climbs onto him after getting deflected from Lakra's stick.
It's on huge call. No clear sight. India keep the referral but it stays with the on-field umpire's call. No advice possible. So first PC of the match to Argentina.
15th min. India are changing the flanks with more ease. Argentina win back the possession, and once again, slow down the pace of the game. India, after winning the ball back, are keeping the ball in the centre. Meanwhile, Peredes Matias hits Akashdeep in the face while going for a turn, and the Indian player is injured. Not serious though. Argentina get the last attack of the quarter. And it's hooter.
13th min. Now, Argentina get their chance to roll the ball around the turf. They are one of the most experienced sides in the world, and they are taking time to settle. But Chinglensana and Sunil link up on the left flank, then waste the chance. Long corner though. India continue to probe the circle periphery but Rupinder Pal Singh's ambitious reverse flick fails, due to water. he himself falls flat. Juan Gilardi is showing his defensive brilliance, playing with the minds of Indian attackers.
9th min. Class of sticks and the ball hits Lucas Vila on the face. Rupinder Pal Singh gets lucky. Free hit to Argentina, in the centre. It's raining heavily. Meanwhile, Manpreet Singh runs into an opposing defender. But no obstruction given. India get couple more penetrations, but no result so far.
6th min. Argentina captain Matias Paredes breaches the tight Indian defence with a wavy run, but his final release fails to find a connection. Lucas Vila then complains to the German referee for a PC after the ball went out of the play on the left. Argentina are claiming for a dangerous play with the ball getting deflecting from Harmanpreet. But what comes next is a shocker. The ball actually went out of play from the stick of an Argentine player, and they lost the referral.
3rd min. Very wet outfield and India get the first crack. And after a brief counter from Argentina, India continue to dominate the proceedings in these early minutes.
Argentina have won the toss, and chosen side. They will attack from left to right. BTW, here's the head-to-head record: They have played 46 games against each other so far, with India winning 26. There were four draws.
Not the best of conditions for players or fans. It's been raining. But, again, it's not cricket.
INDIA: 1-Harmanpreet Singh, 2-Akash Chikte (GK), 3-Rupinder Pal Singh, 5-Kothajit Khadangbam, 7-Manpreet Singh (C), 9-Gurjant Singh, 11-Mandeep Singh, 12-Dipsan Tirkey, 13 - Suraj Karkera (GK), 14-Lalit Upadhyay, 15- SK Uthappa, 17- Sumit, 18-Amit Rohidas, 22-Varun Kumar, 24-SV Sunil, 26-Birendra Lakra, 27-Akashdeep Singh, 29-Chinglensana Kangujam
ARGENTINA: 1-VIVALDI Juan (GK), 2-PEILLAT Gonzalo, 4-GILARDI Juan, 6-TARAZONA Santiago, 7-ANDINO Alan, 8-SALIS Nahuel, 9-CASELLA Maico, 10-PAREDES Matias (C), 12-VILA Lucas, 15-PAZ Diego, 16-ORTIZ Ignacio, 17-LOPEZ Juan, 22-REY Matias
Quick preview:
Unpredictable is the word doing the rounds in the run-up to the match. And rightly, it's the best one to describe the Indian side which has once again allowed millions of fans to hope for a hockey revival in the country.
They have shown class, fighting spirit and the will to win; but again, there were blunders of epic proportions. They started with a draw with Australia, then lost to England and Germany. But thanks to the format, in the eight-team tournament, India made the quarters as the bottom-place team from Group A and meet the Group B's runaway winners, Belgium.
Against the Rio 2016 finalists and world number two, India showed rich and proud history by playing beautiful and effective hockey. After a thrilling sixty minute play, a penalty shoot-out was summoned to decide the winner.
Read full preview HERE.
And India triumphed.
If India manages the South American's, they will be assured of their best ever finish in the tournament – a second or first. Their previous best finish was a third in 2015 at Raipur.
Yes, this is the last edition of the HWL, and it will be replaced by new Hockey Pro League in 2019.
India played an indifferent game, from the one we witnessed two evenings before, and paid the price. Argentina were a different beast, calm and collected, even in the wet playing conditions. They got one chance, and took it. It will be their maiden final. Once, again, India will fight for the third spot, against the losers of tomorrow's Australia-Germany second final match.
FOURTH QUARTER
INDIA 0 - 1 ARGENTINA