FIH Men's Junior Hockey World Cup 2023: India stun the Netherlands in a thriller; set up a semi-final clash against Germany
India and the Netherlands were engaged in a compelling FIH Men's Junior Hockey World Cup 2023 quarterfinal match in Malaysia on Tuesday. The boys in blue secured a hard-fought 4-3 victory to keep their hopes alive to lift the trophy. As the closely contested match ended, India affirmed their place in the semifinal set to take place on December 14 against Germany.
The match kept the lookouts on the edge of their seats as it only got exciting with every passing minute. Though the Netherlands had a brilliant start with the first two goals, India bounced back stronger in the second half. Notably, Dutch's Timo Boers and Pepijn van der Heijden successfully converted penalty corner goals in the 5th and 16th minutes, respectively, entering into halftime.
Poised to win, the determined Indian team proved its mettle as Aditya Arjun scored the team's first goal in the 34th minute. In the very next minute, India was luckily awarded a penalty stroke, expertly converted by Araijeet. As a result, the scores were leveled at 2-2.
The tension escalated as Hortensius Olivier left India trailing 3-2, scoring through a penalty corner in the 44th minute. However, India responded strongly in the 52nd minute as the third goal restored the equilibrium, thanks to Kushwaha Sourabh for finding the net and tackling the defense.
Soon in the 57th minute, skipper Uttam Singh gave India an upper hand scoring through a penalty corner. As the time ended, the final goal gave India an edge by 4-3, helping them book their slot in the semifinal.
The main credit for India's victory goes to Rohit, who proved himself instrumental in blocking six successive penalty corners in the final quarter.
France, Germany, and Spain emerge victorious in other matches of FIH Men's Junior Hockey World Cup 2023
As far as other matches of the day, of the Junior Hockey World Cup 2023, are concerned, France squared off against Australia. The battle was closely fought as it ended with a scoreline of 3-2. The French side took an early lead with two goals in the 17th and 21st minutes, adding another in the 43rd minute. The Aussie side fought back scoring in 43rd and 48th minutes. However, as the clock ticked, the game ended with the scoreboard reading 3-2 in France's favor.
In another Junior Hockey World Cup clash between Argentina and Germany, the German side earned a well-fought 2-1 win, scoring in the 32nd and 39th minutes, as Argentina somehow managed their maiden goal in the final quarter. In the Spain vs Pakistan clash, the latter trailed by two goals as the Spanish side secured a noteworthy 4-2 win with goals in the 37th, 38th, 41st, and 45th minutes.
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan took an early lead in the 12th minute, however, they could not do much in between apart from adding more as time slipped out of their hands, which ended their quarterfinal hopes in the FIH Men's Junior Hockey World Cup 2023.