2018 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy (Australia Gold, India Silver)

[Gollum]

Beat Pakistan 4-0 today but not happy with the performance. Until the end of Q3 we were being dominated by them, only their pathetic conversion saved us. Repeat that performance against any gora team and we will be 0-5 down in no time. Why did we sack Oltmans when we were making progress under him ? 

 

We were silver medalists last time but overall have an absolutely pathetic record in this tournament. 

 

The teams are:

 

Argentina

Australia

Belgium

India

Netherlands (Hosts)

Pakistan

 

If we make it to the bronze medal match it will be an achievement. Tomorrow we play Argentina (Rio Gold Medallists), a team we have done well against (relatively) of late.

Edited July 1, 2018 by Gollum

[Gollum]

Argentina stunned the hosts while Australia-Belgium played out a 3-3 draw. We need to raise our game ASAP, all remaining matches will be super tough henceforth. 

[Gollum]

We beat Olympic Champs Argentina 2-1

 

For some reason they have been a favourable match up for us, we were also the only team to beat them in Rio.

 

Next match on 27th June against our nemesis Australia, they are the anti-Argentina for us...we have a severe mental block against them .

[G_B_]

so wait we are in the final?

[Gollum]

23 hours ago, G_B_ said:

so wait we are in the final?

We still have to play Australia, Belgium and Netherlands. Top 2 in the league play for gold, still quite a distance to go because we generally struggle against the European/Australian teams. Right now we're the only team to win both matches. 

[Stuge]

You need 4 wins out of 5 for confirmed spot in the finals .

[sandeep]

any live streams?  Convicts already 1-0 up on us.  

[Stuge]

losing to Australia by 2-3 today

[Gollum]

India Australia final .

[Gollum]

This is easily the worst I have seen Australia play in many years now but still we find a way to be 0-1 behind at half time. So many opportunities missed and a soft goal let...infuriating  !!!!

[Gollum]

Drat 2nd consecutive time we have lost to Australia in penalty shootouts. Aus played their worst match in many many years and still won their 15th Champions Trophy  !!!!! So many sitters missed, replace Aus jersey with Argentina and we would have won this match 7-1, such is our mental block. We may have won the silver medal but we weren't up to the mark against the goras...2 losses against Aussies and draws against Belgium (subpar)/Netherlands. Pakistan and Argentina have been favorable matchups for us for quite some time, unless we learn how to beat Europeans and Australia we are never winning WCs or Olympic medals. 

Edited July 1, 2018 by Gollum

[Gollum]

Australia have won 7 out of the last 8 editions of Champions Trophy , what a sporting nation !!!!!

[Gollum]

STATS lay bare the extent of domination Aussies have enjoyed over us. 

India-Australia H2H since 1960:

Played 124, W 22, L 83, D 19

This millennium we have won 10 out of 63 matches and in 2010s 7 out of 37 matches...this is our best decade against them since the 70s. 

 

Same period our record against 2 other giants Netherlands and Germany is far better, losing 33-48 and 19-52 respectively but with many draws (24 and 28) interspersed. When we go against these 2 times I feel our boys play much more freely.

 

We seem to have problems beating 3rd string Aussie teams and worryingly even when we dominate proceedings . Same story (but not this brutal) repeats itself with England, Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, even *ing Canada FFS.  Contrast that to Argentina a team consistently ranked above us this decade yet with a negative H2H against us. We have also pigeonized Pakistan, Malaysia and South Korea to consolidate our position as Asia's best in the meantime. Playing style can't be an excuse anymore (Argentina plays even more physically/rougher than Europeans) because we have adapted ourselves to modern requirements, problem lies in between the ears. 

  

Edited July 1, 2018 by Gollum

[asterix]

Hatsoff... Well played India...

[Franz]

Congratulation to Australia for winning gold!