Join WhatsApp Channel
India’s chances of reaching the semifinals of the FIH Women’s World Cup suffered a major setback after a 2-0 loss to host and Olympic champion the Netherlands in its opening Phase 2 match Friday at a nearly packed Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.
The Netherlands scored both goals from penalty corners.
Earlier, Olympic silver medalist China shared the points with Australia in the other Phase 2 match.
Despite the defeat, India remains in contention for a semifinal berth. It must beat Australia in its final Phase 2 match and hope the Netherlands defeats China or holds it to a draw.
India produced its best performance of the tournament so far, but it was not enough to overcome the Netherlands. Including points carried over from the group stage, the Netherlands moved to the top of the standings with six points, followed by China with two.
India and Australia each have one point, but Australia is placed above India because it has scored three goals compared with India’s two. Both teams have the same goal difference, with Australia having conceded five goals and India four.
Sunday’s matches between India and Australia, and the Netherlands and China, will determine which two teams advance to the semifinals from the group.
India’s best World Cup finish came in the inaugural tournament, when it placed fourth.
The Netherlands went on the offensive from the opening whistle and earned its first penalty corner just 85 seconds into the match. Yibbi Jansen, one of the Netherlands’ most versatile players, converted the opportunity with a powerful shot to the left of Indian goalkeeper Bichu Devi, who otherwise delivered a strong performance.
Seeking to extend its lead, the Netherlands earned another penalty corner in the fifth minute following a video umpire review. This time, Bichu Devi made an effective save, using her pads to turn away the goal-bound shot.
She produced another save shortly afterward when a Dutch forward attempted a shot from the top of the circle.
The Netherlands earned its third penalty corner in the 13th minute. India, meanwhile, began creating promising attacking moves. Captain Salima Tete had an opportunity to equalize but sent her shot high.
The Netherlands led 1-0 at the end of the first quarter.
India displayed improved coordination, passing and marking, matching the Netherlands in several areas of the game. The Indian players launched several organized attacks but were unable to find the net.
Savita replaced Bichu Devi in goal for India at the beginning of the second quarter.
India had to wait until the 19th minute to earn its first penalty corner. It received two penalty corners during the period but failed to capitalize on either opportunity.
Navneet Kaur had a promising chance from the top of the circle in the 22nd minute but sent her shot wide and high. India later squandered another scoring opportunity.
At the other end, Savita made a strong save to deny Albers in the 25th minute, helping India keep the deficit at 1-0 at halftime.
The Netherlands earned its first penalty corner of the second half in the 33rd minute. Five minutes later, Frédérique Matla converted another penalty corner to double the Dutch lead.
The hosts earned another penalty corner in the 40th minute, but the resulting attempt was deflected wide. The score remained 2-0 at the end of the third quarter.
Navneet made a promising attempt in the 58th minute, but the Dutch goalkeeper produced a fine save.
The Netherlands earned a penalty corner in the final minute, followed by a repeat award, but neither opportunity resulted in a goal. The Dutch side completed a 2-0 victory, leaving India needing a win and a favorable result in the group’s other final match to reach the semifinals.
