KUALA LUMPUR – Germany’s impenetrable defence dominated as they triumphed over India 4-1, securing a coveted spot in the final of the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup.
The defensive trio of Ben Hasbach, Antheus Barry, and Michel Struthoff left no room for error, thwarting India’s penalty corners a remarkable 13 times during the match today.
Praising his team’s resilience, head coach Rein van Eijk expressed determination to clinch their seventh World Cup title.
Despite a shaky start in the first two quarters, van Eijk’s strategic halftime adjustments, focusing on meticulous man-marking and defensive gameplay, turned the tide in Germany’s favour.
“We were fortunate to win this match as we were not good in the first two quarters which made India seize their chances and score the equaliser.
“I am pleased to see my boys, especially my back three, following my instructions, nullifying the Indians with our defensive gameplay and ball possession.
“On top of that, I’m also satisfied with my players’ discipline compared to our previous match against Argentina. Today, we were calmer and displayed more hunger and desire to win.
“There is no room for us to slip up now. We need to go all out to clinch our title in this country, where we have a history of winning the most titles,” said van Eijk in the post-match conference.
Germany, having secured three of their six titles in Kuala Lumpur (1982), Ipoh (1989), and Johor Bahru (2009), is poised for another shot at glory.
In contrast, India’s head coach C.R. Kumar expressed disappointment with his team’s performance and their inability to cope with the junior Honomas’ gameplay.
Despite numerous opportunities, India failed to capitalise, leaving Kumar frustrated.
“We had the most chances in the game, especially with our penalty corners –13 in total, and not even one managed to find the net.
“Despite having experience playing against this team in the past, my players struggled to put up a good fight.
“I won’t forgive my players – none of them showed up after conceding the second goal, and they were unable to hear my instructions on the sideline,” said the frustrated coach.
Acknowledging his players’ struggle to respond after conceding goals, he stressed the need for improvement, especially in penalty corner execution, ahead of their next match.
A total of 900 fans, armed with vuvuzelas, attended the semifinal at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium.
Germany’s goals, courtesy of Ben (8th, 30th), Paul Glander (41st), and Florian Sperling (58th), overshadowed India’s lone goal by Sudeep Chirmako in the 11th minute.
Spain and France are set to face each other in another semifinal match, determining the contender to challenge Germany in the final on Saturday.
Meanwhile, India will compete against the loser of the match in the third and fourth-place clash on the same day. – December 14, 2023