On Wednesday, India will tackle Belgium within the newest installment of a one-sided, albeit one-sided rivalry in worldwide hockey that’s turning into a difficult one.
When it involves conferences between the senior sides of the 2 groups, Belgium has had the higher hand. But when the Under-21s meet within the Junior World Cup quarter-finals, India might be hoping to repeat the results of the 2016 Junior World Cup last they’d gained.
Whatever the end result, Wednesday’s match between the 2 sides might be a traditional conflict of kinds, with India anticipated to make use of their momentum to press and counterattack, with Belgium counting on their stable defensive construction to regulate the match. Trusted.
High Balls and Trapping
Belgium tends to resort to excessive balls relying on the match state of affairs; A technique he has used successfully on the senior stage as nicely.
Against India, who’re aggressive and put beneath fixed stress, particularly on the retailers (the primary cross performed from behind to restart the sport), it may be powerful. Belgium coach Jeroen Bart, nevertheless, stated that his gamers will proceed to make use of greater balls, which could have a microscope impact on India’s trapping and intercepting expertise.
Meet the quarter finalists of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021
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On each the fronts, India has not been affected. The crew’s loss in opposition to France within the first match of the event was his incapability to regulate the excessive balls, and as seen by Harmanpreet Singh, vice-captain of the senior crew, he was not scientific along with his interceptions both. Given that each India and Belgium play area defence, studying passes and stopping them might be essential to defeating opposition markers.
counter assault
Few sides in world hockey are nearly as good at counterattacking as India. This under-21 crew has a mixture of quick midfielders like Gurmukh Singh and forwards like Uttam Singh, and robust gamers like Arijit Singh Hundal who can run by means of the defence. India did their counterattack work in all three matches of the group stage.
However, India’s persistence might be examined in opposition to Belgium. If their senior crew’s blueprint is something to go by, Belgium will sit again and keep their defensive construction, leaving the Indians with little room to work.
Led by head coach Graham Reid, the senior crew has proven persistence and quietness to swing the ball and recycle possession till they discover a hole within the opposition’s defence. This is one thing the juniors should observe, curb their pure tendency to assault and patiently anticipate the opening to create a goal-scoring probability.
Belgium’s proper vs India’s left
Much of the Belgian’s threatening strikes have originated from his authority, with winger Louis de Backer recurrently operating previous defenses. In that sense, in reality, they’re a typical European aspect, preferring to catch the ball, then transfer it shortly earlier than attacking from the correct.
However, worryingly from an Indian standpoint, the left flank of their protection has been weak. Almost all of France’s assaults have been the results of a mistake or hole on India’s left. Canada and Poland additionally tried to benefit from this however lacked high quality and numbers.
The Belgian can even attempt to use his physicality – his quantity 10 Jeremy Wilber hits so exhausting that when he by accident caught a Chilean participant’s stick, it flew into promoting boards a couple of meters away. For India, it would come all the way down to how they use their pace and expertise to neutralize this risk.
penalty nook
On paper, India is forward of Belgium on this division, not solely due to the excessive conversion fee, but in addition due to the number of choices at their disposal.
When it involves penalty corners, Reid has 4 males to select from – Sanjay Kumar, the crew’s go-to man, Hundal, Sharda Nand Tiwary and Abhishek Lakra. This signifies that at any given level, India have at the very least two drag-flick choices on the sector, however a rolling substitution, a luxurious of types.
While India’s penalty nook specialists have outlasted lower-order opponents, this might be their greatest take a look at so far.
quarter finals
10.30 am: Germany v Spain
1.30 pm: Netherlands v Argentina
4.30 pm: France v Malaysia
7.30 pm: Belgium v ​​India
Live on Star Sports Network
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
