PARIS: Having got off to a winning start, India will be hoping for a more consistent performance when they take on unpredictable Argentina in the second match of the Olympic men's hockey competition on Monday.
India beat New Zealand 3-2 in a tense opening match on Saturday, with captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring the winning goal with a penalty stroke in the dying seconds of the match.
The match against New Zealand was by no means an easy one as Harmanpreet's team clawed back from an initial 1-0 lead.
The match against Argentina on Monday is also expected to be a tough one as the South Americans are known for their man-to-man marking and hard-hitting play, which the Indian midfield will have to withstand.
India have been placed in a tough Pool B along with reigning champions Belgium, powerhouses Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland.
The first three matches against New Zealand, Argentina and Ireland will be crucial for India to pick up maximum points before taking on Belgium and Australia.
A win on Monday will all but guarantee India a place in the quarter-finals of the Paris tournament.
India's iconic goalkeeper PR Surejeesh, playing in his last international tournament, lived up to expectations once again on Saturday, standing like his usual wall of goal and denying multiple shots from the Black Sticks.
India are currently second in Pool B, behind Belgium but above Australia, who are in third place. But it is early days and ultimately it all comes down to the next two matches against Argentina and Ireland.
Twelve teams will compete in two pools, with four teams from each pool advancing to the quarter-finals.
Argentina are known for their hard tackling and power plays and the Indian defence will have to be on their toes to deny the easy chances that Argentina created, as they did against New Zealand on Saturday.
Captain Harmanpreet, Amit Rohidas and Sumit will have to give their best to make Sreejesh's life easier.
The middle order, led by Manpreet and vice-captain Hardik Singh, is in safe hands and the team will be keen to continue this trend.
Mandeep's forward line has also looked solid but the likes of Abhishek, Gurjant Singh and Sukhjeet Singh will need to be more proactive in creating goal-scoring chances.
In terms of the rankings, Argentina is in 6th place and India is one place below in 7th place, so there is very little difference between the two teams.
Published July 28, 2024 11:54 IST
