Hockey Olympic Qualifiers: India’s Paris 2024 hopes hang in balance after losing 1-0 to USA

“Play to our principles, that’s our foundation. If I’d pinpoint one thing, it would be decision-making. Do we understand what the game needs?” That is what head coach Janneke Schopman said her team was focused on while closing the pre-tournament press conference before the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi.

A lot of those words would be repeated on Saturday, but not in the sense Schopman and India would have hoped for. Savita Punia and Co’s dream of going to the Paris Olympics were dealt a huge blow as they lost 1-0 to a gritty USA side in their Pool B opener. Abigail Tamer’s 16th-minute strike was the solitary goal as India huffed and puffed but couldn’t break the USA house down.

Consequently, India have no room for error when they face New Zealand on Sunday to keep their campaign alive. If the USA defeat Italy earlier in the day, a loss against New Zealand will end India’s chances of qualifying for their third-straight Olympic Games while a draw will keep them in the hunt, mathematically at least.

Away from their strengths

It is a situation that has come about because, to Schopman’s surprise, India did not play to their strengths against the USA.

“We created theoretically enough, but I haven’t seen the composure and confidence on the ball that I am used to seeing in training or matches previously. We were rushed, we were forcing things, that maybe had to do with the fact that we were 0-1 down,” Schopman told reporters in the mixed zone after the match.

To the visitors’ credit, they came out of the blocks much better than India in the opening quarter. While it wasn’t exactly an all-out attack, the USA didn’t sit back from the word go but instead tried to put India under pressure initially.

“This is why you play the game, these are nights we work hard for. It will be a nervous start, but whichever team settles fast will be better,” the USA coach David Passmore had said before the pushback. And his team played like they bought into that at the start.

India, on the other hand, had a few bright moments in the opening quarter but largely lacked a spark. The energy in running up and down the field wasn’t lacking but the cohesion in attacking play definitely was. Neha, one of the midfield architects alongside Navneet Kaur who is at the heart of most of India’s attacking threat when they play well, put it down to not finding combinations.

“At the start of the match, we were hurrying,” the midfielder said in the mixed zone. “We had chances in the D, we could have scored easily if we were a bit calmer on the ball. We were a bit wide at the start, and away from each other. We usually play good connect-hockey, we play better when we pass and move.”

That accurately summed up most of India’s night. Usually in a scrappy game like this, the first goal can be all-important. And when the USA took the lead in the 16th minute, they were deservedly in the front.

India lost the ball just outside their own circle and the USA had enough numbers high up to create a goal-mouth scramble. Savita made one save but the ball was bobbling around before Tamer slotted it in.

USA had thought they scored in the opening quarter before the goal was correctly ruled out for an attacking obstruction but there was no mistake this time. Duly, though, they started to sit back deeper and deeper, asking India to unlock their strong structure.

Team India arrives at the stadium amidst a roaring Ranchi crowd reception! #FIHOlympicQualifiers #HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #EnRouteToParis #INDvsUSA@CMO_Odisha @FIH_Hockey @IndiaSports @sports_odisha @Media_SAI @HemantSorenJMM pic.twitter.com/hhiS21jl6B

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Lack of efficiency

India finished the half strongly, with Navneet forcing the USA keeper Kelsey Bing into a sharp save. She’d be called into action a few more times in the second half, and every time stood up – or got herself nice and low – to deny India, and was judged the player of the match in the end.

The second half largely played out in a similar pattern. India had a lot of the ball but often ended up running into USA traffic or making wrong decisions in the final third, looking to force their way through but not using the angles smartly enough. India had 13 circle penetrations, to USA’s 5, they had 9 shots on goal to USA’s 5, they enjoyed 56% of the possession and had 6 penalty corners. But in the stat that mattered, they came up short.

“We have to play our principles, if you lose every 50-50 duel more or less, then it is going to be a tough game,” Schopman said on where the team came up short. “We have to be a little smarter in understanding what the game needs, and where is the space. Like our strength is not to hit long balls into the circle but we did that too often. I tried telling the girls to play it short, we have the skill to eliminate and get into the circle. To their credit, they kept fighting for it.”

The Dutch coach stopped short of saying it, but on a night like this, India deeply missed the experience of Vandana Katariya, who is missing out due to a training injury. When a squad collectively underperforms below the optimum level, often the quality of one or two main players can help make the difference. In the absence of the talismanic striker, India didn’t have that against USA. Now, they find themselves in a tight corner.

PLAYING TONIGHT: India vs New Zealand, 7.30pm, Live on Sports 18 and Jio Cinema

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