Men’s Junior World Cup hockey: India lost 4-1 to calm Spain and had to play catch-up. Even at the age-group levels, hockey requires composure and adherence to a set procedure.
Spain demonstrated these qualities far more successfully than India on Thursday, winning 4-1 in a pool match at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
The score may be a little deceptive because India entered the game shortly before halftime and played to the best of their abilities until the middle of the third quarter, but India was never able to fully recover from Spain’s early lead. Mohith Shashikumar, the Indian goalie, produced a number of outstanding saves to limit the defeat margin to manageable levels.
Ultimately, within the two striking circles, the Spanish colts were more clinical when and where it mattered most. The Indians’ goalkeeper, Jan Capellades, made several outstanding stops whenever there was a clear opportunity to score.
He was only defeated on a penalty corner when he lacked backup; two of his defenders were sent off for fighting with the referee and taking longer than the 40 seconds allowed to put on their protective gear and take their positions.
Two minutes into the second half, Capellades nearly stopped Rohit’s drag-flick even without a teammate to cover the post.
The European team put pressure on the Indian defense with their impressive speed, ball control, and ability to get past defenders. While Andreas Rafi and Verdiell Pol Cabre each scored two goals, Inaky Zaldua was a continual source of trouble for the team, creating multiple opportunities.
Both players scored goals through penalty corners, demonstrating the team’s options for drag-flicks under coach Puig Torras.
Additionally, they played with greater vigor from the first whistle and led within the first minute—possibly even before an Indian player touched the ball. Five Spanish players quickly switched positions during a deft passing play that caused the Indian defense to get out of position and allowed Verdiell Pol to find the target with a rasping reverse hit.
India struggled to remain in the match as Spain dominated the first few exchanges. Rafi’s drag-flick, too fast and accurate for the goalkeeper and the defender on the post, doubled the lead early in the second quarter.
India had defeated South Korea 4–2 to start their Junior World Cup campaign, but Spain was proving to be a far more difficult opponent. The team led by coach CR Kumar needed some time to adjust to the challenge, but by the time the half was almost over, they were doing well.
The Indians got off to a fast start in the third quarter and were awarded a penalty corner that they failed to convert. But with only three men on the line, Rohit pulled one back and changed the tone of the match as the constant pressure told through another.
In their last pool match on Saturday, India takes on Canada, who have dropped their opening two games and should advance to the quarterfinals. However, a victory by South Korea over Spain might tie the three teams at six points apiece. India, the Junior World Cup champions twice, must stay composed and avoid mistakes if they hope to advance far in the tournament.
