The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Argentina piles on India's misery

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Sunday, Sep 17, 2006
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Sport - Hockey

Argentina piles on India's misery

Hockey Correspondent

Monchengladbach: Humiliation for India got further accentuated when Argentina, recovering from 0-1 at half-time, inflicted a 3-2 defeat in the hockey World Cup here on Saturday afternoon. The outcome, which brought haunting memories of the 1986 tournament at Willesden, where the team finished last, puts India in a contest with South Africa on Sunday for the 11 and 12 places.

Earlier, Japan won comfortably against South Africa to be in the race for the ninth place.

Coach Baskaran was at a loss to comprehend why the team is unable to adjust itself to the situations even after six matches. The sequence of defeats now has fallen into a disgusting pattern of leading and suffering a reverse.

India dominated the exchanges in the first half, scored a lovely goal from a well-fashioned move with Arjun Halappa providing the finishing touches to a cross from Shivendra.

The defence held on gamely as three penalty corners were nullified by goal-keeper Bharat Chetri.A bit of bad luck too was there when a shot by Rajpal Singh hit the post and spun away.

Errors

It was during the second half that the defence tumbled into errors. Baskaran's effort to shuffle the squad, especially in the defence where Viren Resesquinha, played a major role, appeared to be paying off.

The equaliser within minutes after the break by Matias Vila following a penalty corner galvanized the Argentine attack. Midway through the lead surfaced, Matias Pardes scoring from another penalty corner skirmish. India, however, hit back, Rajpal netting a fine goal from a pass by Shivendra. Exerting a little caution and circumspection, India could have pushed the game into extra-time earning a chance to fight back.

But Matias Vila produced a grounder to beat Chetri to sway the scales of victory eight minutes before the hooter.

Tuen bags award

For the third record time, Teun di Nooijer of the Netherlands was declared the Player of the Year on Saturday. Di Nooijer, who won the Young Player of the Year Award in 2001, had won the trophy for men in 2003, 2005, and 2006. Germany's Christopher Zeller was namedYoung Player of the year.

The awards were presented by Jacques Rogge, President, International Olympic Committee, in the presence of the FIH President, Els van Breda Vriesmann.

The results: 9-12: Argentina 3 (Matias Vila 2, Matias Pardes) bt India 2 (Arjun Halappa, Rajpal Singh); Japan 5 (Kazuo Yoshida, Akira Ito, Toshiaki Fukuda 2, Mitsuru Ito) bt South Africa 2 (Ian Symons 2); (7-8) The Netherlands 3 (Roderick Weusthof 2, Taeke Takema) bt New Zealand 0.

Sunday's matches: (11-12) India vs. South Africa (11.30 a.m.); 9-10: Japan vs. Argentina (2 p.m); (3-4) Spain vs. Korea (4-30 p.m.); final: Australia vs. Germany (7 p.m. IST).