India made a stunning comeback from the disappointment of the last minute defeat to Germany as they defeated the gritty Argentinian side 2-1 in the third game of their Group B game in the men’s hockey tournament at Rio 2016.
The Indians looked dominant for most of the game as they 2-0 at the end of the third quarter only to be pegged back by Argentina in the final quarter of the game and then withstood immense pressure and a barrage of offensive waves from Argentina to see out the match. This is the first time since 2009 that India have beaten Argentina in an international competition.
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Points To Improve On:
However, India’s inability to close down a match or even a quarter remains a constant source of worry for the team. Despite dominating play for most of the first three-quarters, the team looked nervy in the last couple of minutes of play and somehow saw out each of the three-quarters. Argentina meanwhile, despite being fairly harmless for most of each quarter, looked to be more on the offence at the end of each quarter. It seemed an obvious tactic for them to have a go at the nervy Indian defence in the last two minutes of the first three-quarters of the game.
But the fourth quarter remains the biggest source of worry for the team as in all three games at the Olympics so far, the Indian have looked to push back into their own half and let their opponents have a go at them for almost the entirety of the last 15 minutes. And hence it comes as no surprise that 3 out of the 5 goals that India have conceded in the tournament so far have come in the final 15 minutes of the game.
In fact, 1 out of the remaining 2 goals was conceded in the dying moments of the third quarter with only a single goal (the first against Germany) being conceded in the first half of the game.
Coach Roelant Oltmans will be wary of his team’s weakness and must look on a way to improve the mental state of the players towards the end of each quarter if India are to progress further in the tournament and become realistic medal contenders.
It would come as no surprise that teams have so far and will continue to exploit India’s inability to close games down and look to take advantage as we progress further into the tournament. The elder statesmen of India’s team like Sardar Singh and SV Sunil will need to make sure they keep the team calm and composed for the entire match.
Field goals will also be something India will have to improve on despite scoring their first goal of the tournament against Argentina. Despite having created a lot of chances, India must improve on their field goals percentage.
Coach Oltmans was furious with the players at the end of the third quarter following the midfielders’ lack of effort in creating chances for the players up front and this will surely be something that we need to keep an eye on as we head deeper into the tournament.
So far India has played well in Rio and look legitimate medal contenders but they will need to keep their nerves in check and look to build from the back and progress through to the quarter-finals.
Group Standings:
Group A:
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | 
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 9 | |
| 2 | 
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 15 | 6 | |
| 3 | 
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | 
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 1 | |
| 5 | 
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 1 | |
| 6 | 
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | −19 | 0 |
Group B:
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
| 1 |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 9 | |
| 2 |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | |
| 3 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 | |
| 4 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 4 | |
| 5 |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 0 | |
| 6 |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 0 |
The Likely permutations and combinations:
India’s remaining two matches in the group are against Netherlands and Canada. While a point in either of these two matches will guarantee progression into the knockout stages of the tournament, India will look to finish high in the group table to avoid facing the likes of world champions Australia and Great Britain in the next round. That will be important considering a win for India in the next round will put them in the semi-finals and with a realistic shot at a medal.
Four points from the remaining two games ( A draw against Netherlands and a big win against Canada) will do great if India are to finish higher up the table. Considering Canada as the whipping horses of the group, our next match against Netherlands will more than likely provide to be the crucial encounter in the group and may decide now if India finishes 2nd or 3rd in Group B.
India will also have to make sure they keep a good Goal difference if it comes down to it and hence make sure they get as many goals as possible past Canada whilst making sure they do not concede any.
To summarise, India look likely contenders for a quarter-final place following their win against Argentina but will need to make sure they keep their head in the remaining two matches of the group stage to avoid facing a top-tier opponent from the other group. The match against Netherlands will be vital as we see if they go through as runners up or the third place team in the group. Anything but a win will more than likely see India finishing third in the group behind Netherlands and Germany with Argentina / Ireland expected to battle it out for the last spot .
