Olympics24 : Heartbreak for Indian hockey , loses 2-3 to Germany in semis

 Heartbreak again !! 

PR Sreejesh had already announced his decision to retire from international hockey after the Paris Olympics. His teammates, including Harmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, and Manpreet Singh, wanted to make his retirement momentous by clinching a gold medal. However, the Indian hockey team could not achieve this goal. Nevertheless, they still have a chance to win a medal. In the semifinals, Harmanpreet and his team lost 2-3 to Germany. On Thursday, India will face Spain in the bronze medal match.

The Indian team started the semifinal aggressively, constantly pressuring the German defense. They secured several penalty corners, and Hardik Singh put India ahead in the 7th minute from one such corner. Despite a fiercely contested remainder of the first quarter, no more goals were scored.

From the beginning of the second quarter, the Germans took control of the match. The Indian team appeared somewhat disoriented in the face of Germany's relentless attacks. The Germans dominated the midfield, and in the 18th minute, Gonzalo Peillat equalized through a penalty corner. The Indian team struggled to cope with Germany's aggressive play in the second quarter. Under pressure, Harmanpreet and his teammates couldn't execute their Plan B. Germany earned several penalty corners, and in the 27th minute, Christopher Rühr scored their second goal. A penalty stroke was awarded to Germany when the ball struck Jarmanpreet Singh's foot during a drag flick, and Christopher didn't miss, putting India behind 1-2 before halftime.

In the third quarter, the Indian team fought back. Monpreet, Hardik, and others intensified their attacks, putting Germany under pressure. This resulted in several penalty corners for India. In the 36th minute, Sukhjeet Singh equalized with a deflected flick from Harmanpreet's penalty corner. Despite this, it wasn't enough. In the fourth quarter, Marco's goal in the 54th minute, somewhat against the run of play, put Germany ahead again. India had a chance to equalize in the last minute, but Germany's goalkeeper made a fantastic save, and Indian players, including Harmanpreet, missed several easy opportunities.

The Indian team struggled with creating space, passing the ball timely, and holding onto the ball for extended periods. Defensive lapses and a lack of strategic planning were evident. Amit Rohidas's absence was also felt. The Indian camp was unhappy with several umpiring decisions, as almost all video referrals went in favor of Germany. However, these factors do not excuse the Indian team's shortcomings. To return from Paris with a medal, Craig Fulton's team needs to improve in several areas. After the match, Sreejesh also acknowledged the defensive errors.

Earlier in the day  Netherlands  played brilliant attacking hockey to outplay Spain 4-0 in the other semis , scoring once in each quarter.  3 of the goals of the Dutch were field goals and one came from a  penalty stroke . Netherlands will now play Germany in final while India and Spain will play for the bronze .