India’s lone goal came from captain Harmanpreet Singh in the 11th minute despite receiving five penalty corners and a penalty shot.
India’s lone goal came from captain Harmanpreet Singh in the 11th minute despite receiving five penalty corners and a penalty shot.
On Wednesday night, Pepijn Reyenga (17′), Boris Burkhardt (40′), and Duco Telgenkamp (41′, 58′) all scored goals for the home squad.
India started off strong in Eindhoven, taking an early 1-0 lead in the first quarter, riding the wave of back-to-back victories in London the previous weekend.
India had a solid structure that enabled them to create opportunities within the Netherlands’ D, despite the fact that it took them some time to get over their first fears and adjust to the game.
The Netherlands defender intentionally fouled India’s PC defenders in the 11th minute, resulting in a penalty corner for India and a penalty stroke for the Netherlands.
The in-form Harmanpreet had no trouble making the shot, giving India a quick lead and raising his own total to an astonishing 17 goals this year.
The youthful Netherlands squad rebounded in the second quarter with a superb equalise through Pepijn Reyenga, helped by a noisy home crowd. In the 17th minute, he successfully caught an aerial ball and handled it well enough to get it past the Indian defenders.
India was pushed on the back foot after the equaliser, with the hosts controlling the most of the ball. India required a few minutes to find their flow again and break into the circle with a skillfully planned attack along the right wing, but the home team played solid defence to keep the score tied.
The Netherlands earned a chance to grab the lead just before the hooter when they gained a PC after a powerful counterattack. However, India’s valiant first rusher Amit Rohidas prevented a goal.
The game promised to keep the fans captivated to their seats as it entered the third quarter with a 1-1 tie. This quarter saw the hosts dominate thanks to better ball control and a brisk assault.
Tjep Hoedemakers tried India’s defence early in the period with a close-range effort on goal, but India goalie Krishan Pathak was quick on his feet and made a fantastic stop.
India launched a potent effort from the right wing in the 35th minute, pushing the ball over the goal’s face. Gurjant Singh’s diving attempt was ineffective since all it would have taken was a little touch to put the ball in.
The Netherlands eventually managed a PC in the 40th minute to break the scoreless tie. To go through Pathak, Boris Burkhardt picked up a strong injection. With a well executed field goal, Duco Telgenkamp increased the advantage to 3-1 shortly after.
The fact that India was reduced to 10 men after Mandeep Singh received a green card just before the Netherlands scored two goals in a row didn’t help.
India had a few PCs come their way at the start of the fourth quarter under pressure to score but failed to capitalise on them.
About three minutes later, they gained another PC but were unable to get past the Dutch defence. India’s closing few minutes were anxious as they tried to get that elusive goal.
The Netherlands defence was tenacious at this point, making it unlikely that India would mount a late comeback. However, India gave up a goal when Telgenkamp clinched the outcome by scoring twice.
Even though India received a PC shortly after this goal, Rohidas’s shot missed the mark. India was awarded a penalty shot with less than 30 seconds remaining before the final buzzer when the Netherlands’ Pirmin Blaak stopped Harmanpreet’s flick to conclude the game with a score of 4-1.
On Thursday, India will face Argentina.
