If you didn’t witness it, you perhaps would dismiss the humdinger between India and Germany in the semi-final of the FIH Women’s Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi as some sort of a fairy tale. But in reality, it actually happened. The two sides kept flirting with the word ‘impossible’ to leave everyone at the ground amazed.
How could a match oscillate back and forth on some many occasions? Germany bounced back from 0-1 down to take a 2-1 lead. India then equalised at the back-end of the fourth quarter. In the subsequent penalty shootout, India had found themselves ahead at 2-1.
In the sudden death, too, the grand theatre threw up a few more hair-raising moments. Sonja Zimmerman seemed to have netted the goal, with the visiting side celebrating for a few seconds. Just that the goal got reversed on the back of a review. Eventually, Lisa Nolte closed out the match by outmaneuvering Savita Punia, the Indian goalkeeper, with her back facing the net. It was an audacious strike and a fitting end to the mind-bending thriller.
Suddenly, the cacophony of sound was replaced by a pin-drop silence as Nolte ran across the stadium in celebration. As is always the case, the players from the other side were in tears. The home side had come so near to sealing a berth for the Paris Olympics, but it wasn’t to be. Nevertheless, the hosts have another chance to punch their ticket to Paris when they take on Japan in the third place game on Friday. But this heartbreak would certainly hurt the girls for a while.
For a moment, transport yourself back to the first quarter. Everything seemed so rosy for the Indian team. Deepika Thakur’s laser drag-flick had given India the lead. But Germany slowly crawled their way back into the game. It was Charlotte Stapenhorst, Germany’s player of the match, who provided the touring side with a lifeline. On the back of a fine pass from Nike Lorenz, the striker did a nice semi-circle in front of the goal to outfox Udita Duhan and beat Savita Punia with a scoop.
For the Latest Sports News: Click Here
Teaing-Off With RevSportz || IND v UZB Asian Cup, IND v GER Hockey Q, India Open || LIVE https://t.co/ezkInzPywY
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) January 19, 2024
After that goal, Germany, mostly, had the upper hand as they made quite a few forays into the inner circle. Germany’s midfield and defence also marked Salima Tete with efficiency. That Germany were able to close down the threat of India’s best player was a big blow to the home side’s fortunes. During that time, a few other players shone brightly. Udita put in a good tackle or two while the ever-reliable Savita made crucial saves.
When the visitors went ahead on the back of another goal from Stapenhorst, India’s gallant attempts to take the match into the penalty shootout seemed like a futile exercise. But just before the umpire blew the hooter, Ishika Chaudhary found the empty net. What happened in the penalties would keep echoing in the minds of those present inside the stadium for a lifetime.Losing to Germany was sad, but the Indian women won hearts in Ranchi
The match was a lot more than just analysing goals and tackles. In the dying moments of the game, most of the fans were not in their seats. Some were jumping up and down to watch the action, a few were chewing the nails and patriotic slogans filled the air. Such was the excitement at the ground that even when India won the ball, there was loud cheer.
With almost everyone standing up to cheer the girls, those in the media box had to constantly request the fans to sit down, in order to catch a glimpse of the action. It was a bedlam out there. In that context, a lot of credit has to go to the Lorenz and Sonja Zimmerman-led side as they navigated through a couple of quagmires and silenced the crowd by winning the game. The only consolation from India’s point of view was they had pushed the formidable German side all the way.
If the home team plays anywhere close to that level against Japan, they stand a very good chance of progressing to the Paris Olympics. Just that, after such a gut-wrenching loss, the girls might be mentally drained out. The onus is on coach Janneke Schopman and the Indian think-tank to recharge the batteries for one more important battle.
Also Read: Indian Women’s Hockey Needs Redemption Against Japan