It’s a state of affairs the boys’s workforce is pretty accustomed to: an enormous event, a seemingly easy activity made vastly difficult and never figuring out which aspect will flip up on the match day – the sensationally skilful or frustratingly terrible.
The ladies have adopted of their footsteps. In two days, India’s hopes of qualifying for the Olympics have gone from touching the nadir, due to the opening-day defeat to the US, to being resurrected in probably the most extraordinary trend with a win over New Zealand on Sunday.
When the Savita Punia-led workforce returns to motion within the Olympic qualifying event on Tuesday, they’ll hope there can be no extra twists. That bit, although, received’t be completely of their fingers.
Earlier than they take the sector in Ranchi at 7.30 pm native time, India may have their eyes fastened on the result of the sooner match between the USA and New Zealand. For, it is going to set the goal for the hosts in opposition to an Italy aspect able to creating hassle.
The eventualities, from India’s perspective, are easy: if New Zealand (3 factors, purpose distinction 1) fail to win in opposition to the USA (6 factors, purpose distinction 3), then India (3 factors, purpose distinction 1) will merely need to defeat Italy (0 factors, purpose distinction -5).
Nevertheless, if New Zealand beat the US, India is not going to solely need to beat Italy however they may need to do it with a good-looking margin because the purpose distinction will come into play on condition that three groups – New Zealand, the USA and India – will all be stage on six factors.
India haven’t had quite a lot of hassle scoring in opposition to lower-ranked groups, because the match in opposition to New Zealand on Sunday and on the Asian Champions Trophy a few months in the past confirmed. However their power can be put to check in a do-or-die state of affairs the place careers can be at stake, particularly in opposition to a difficult Italy aspect that’s bodily and maintains a strong defensive construction.
Or, as India coach Janneke Schopman put it, an opponent that’s ‘Argentinian spirited’. “It’s going to be robust as a result of they’re feisty, they’re Argentinian-spirited, Mediterranean-style. But when we transfer the ball, if we present persistence, then our expertise will come to shine,” Schopman stated after the win on Sunday.
Schopman identified the 2 areas the place the result can be roughly determined: the penalty nook conversion and positioning of the attackers contained in the ‘D’.
India’s PC fee has been abysmal thus far – within the two matches, they’ve earned 12 corners however transformed only one, with Udita Duhan who celebrated her twenty sixth birthday on Sunday scoring with an excellent slap-shot. However Deepika, the designated drag-flicker, has not been capable of finding her vary thus far.
Ditto with creating discipline purpose probabilities, the place – if not for Salima Tete – India would have been made to wrestle in opposition to New Zealand. The native Jharkhand lady was on the coronary heart of each transfer India made on Sunday. She was barely taken off the sector, ran tirelessly and noticed passes that no different participant may.
Tete single-handedly created the primary purpose contained in the opening minute, which set the tone for the remainder of the night, and set the wings on fireplace along with her velocity. India will hope the likes of Lalremsiami, Navneet Kaur and Neha Goyal, the opposite attackers who’ve the flexibility to bother defences with their velocity, will rise to the event in case the Italians attempt to mark Tete out of the sport.
However ultimately, it’ll come all the way down to persistence and choice making. These had been the important thing causes – together with a excessive stage of self-discipline – between India’s two performances over the weekend.
In opposition to the US, India regarded nervous and stressed, the gamers collided into one another due to poor positioning and made unsuitable choices contained in the attacking third. That modified on Sunday, principally as a result of Tete took the sport by the scruff of the neck but additionally as a result of the defence and the midfield performed out a near-flawless recreation.
India will want extra of the latter on Sunday. For, this workforce additionally has the behavior of ditching the sport plan when pissed off by their opponents. One other unhealthy behavior they’ve picked from the boys’s aspect.
SCENARIOS FOR INDIAN WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR PARIS OLYMPICS:
If New Zealand (3 factors, purpose distinction 1) lose or draw in opposition to the USA (6 factors, purpose distinction 3), then India (3 factors, purpose distinction 1) will merely need to defeat Italy (0 factors, purpose distinction -5). In that case, the USA and India will qualify for the semifinals.
If New Zealand beat the US, India is not going to solely need to beat Italy however they may need to do it with a good-looking margin because the purpose distinction will come into play on condition that three groups – New Zealand, the USA and India – will all be stage on six factors.