India through to Quarter Finals after a thrilling 2-2 draw against Canada in Pool B hockey encounter

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 12 August 2016: India and Canada played out an exciting 2-2 draw in their final Pool B hockey game at the Olympics in Rio on Friday.

Having guaranteed qualification for the quarter finals late yesterday after Argentina drew with Germany, India could be forgiven for looking to preserve their legs and their minds today. If this was a dead ruber, and therefore guaranteed to be low and slow, the teams never got the memo. From the start, they were both on the attack, India hoping to get some attacking form and gain momentum, Canada looking for a strong exit.

The first quarter was almost a two-man battle, rather than a team battle; Nikkin Thimmaiah versus David Carter. Canada’s big man in goal was up to every chance Thimmiaiah forced in an otherwise gentle first half. There were hints of this battle from the ninth minute; Thimmiaiah drifting in the circle through the centre, before pushing towards the reverse for the hit. Carter was at hand, diving to his near post to effect the save.

The sequence of events repeated themselves four minutes later, this time Thimmaiah’s deflection closer to Carter, who padded it away. There were other opportunities too, SV Sunil unsighted in front of goal missing an exquisite Surender Kumar cross from 25 yards on the right, and a Carter saving off India’s first PC from Rupinder Pal Singh.

Soon Canada had their first chance of the game via Matthew Guest. Guest’s first two touches took him past Sreejesh with an empty goal in front. Kothajit snuck through with a last minute block from the shot to deny Canada. Crisis had been averted, and the game was level as the two teams went into the first interval.

At the start of the second quarter, Carter pulled a double save from Manpreet’s shots to deny India an opener. In perhaps the biggest moment of the quarter, the half and perhaps even the match, SV Sunil, running with the ball on the flank, went over and crashed into an advertising board. He was taken off the field on a stretcher. Three minutes from the end of the first half, India beat Carter, off a PC from Rupinder Pal Singh, only to find Scott Tupper batting the drag flick away off the line.

The game went into halftime scoreless.

India were blistering off the restart, Danish Mujtaba forcing Carter into a save, before India won another PC. Harmanpreet’s flick was straight at Carter, presenting him with another save for the match. The rebound found Akashdeep Singh unmarked and in space. His reverse hit was perfectly hit into the bottom corner. India finally had the lead. Thirty six seconds later, Canada were back. Their first PC slotted in by Tupper.

Three minutes later, in a shock twist they had the ball at the back of India’s goal again, Devon Teixeira sliding in to deflect a cross from the left. Referee Nathan Stagno though spotted the illegality—confirmed by a video referral—Teixeira’s final contact had been off his body. The teams were still level.

In the 41st minute, India finally had their lead back, in the most pleasing manner possible. VR Raghunath’s long ball split Canada’s defence open and Ramandeep had spotted the gap, gliding in from the right to deflect the ball past Carter. India had the lead again.

The final quarter saw India drop deeper looking to preserve their lead and play off the counter as Canada started exerting their influence on the game. They won a pair of PCs soon enough. The first saved by Sreejesh and cleared quickly. Off the second Tupper scored his second of the match, dropping his drag flick into the bottom corner, inches from Sreejesh at full stretch.

India played the final minutes of the game without a goalkeeper, going for the win and had the best of the chances, Manpreet Singh and Sardar coming closest, the former’s shot wide of the post and Sardar’s deflection saved by Carter. It was the final bit of action, as the two teams ended with a point each, and India into the next round regardless of other results.