India top group despite defeat

 India finished on top of their pool despite losing 2-3 to Olympic champions Germany in their last preliminary league match of the Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Tuesday.

India squandered the lead twice to handover the match to the Germans, but still managed to top Pool A on a superior goal difference.

Both India and Germany finished with six points each, but India’s two previous victories with two-goal margins ensured them the top spot. India finished with a goal difference of plus-three, while Germany’s goal difference was minus-one.

The top-spot finish has set up India’s quarterfinal date against Belgium, who finished at the bottom of Pool B with three successive losses, including a narrow 4-5 defeat at the hands of Olympic silver medallists Netherlands earlier in the day.

Germany will take on Asian Games champions Pakistan, who were beaten 0-1 by defending champions Australia in the last preliminary league fixture.

Australia needed to post a two-goal win over Pakistan to finish on top in their group ahead of the Netherlands but just managed to score only one through Kieren Govers.
Both Netherlands and Australia finished with seven points from three games, but the Dutch side took the top position in Pool B having scored more goals.

The Dutch will now face Pool A’s bottom place finisher New Zealand in the quarters, while Australia meet England.

England finished third with four points after being held to a 1-1 draw by New Zealand for whom this was their only point in three outings.

Against Germany, India drew first blood in the fifth minute when Gurwinder Singh Chandi picked up a through ball from Rupinder Pal Singh on top of the ‘D’ and sent a rasping shot into the net past German custodian Nicolas Jacobi.

Germany equalised in the 13th minute through Oliver Korn, who capitalised on the shaky Indian defence on his second attempt after the first shy had rebounded off the right post.

India went ahead again in the 40th minute as Nitin Thimmiah deflected in Birendra Lakra’s shot into the net following their first penalty corner. Lakra had picked up a rebound after V R Raghunath’s drag-flick was blocked by the German goalkeeper.
India dominated the second half for long periods, but their strikers failed to breach the German defence.

India’s advantage was negated by two goals in quick succession by Tobias Matania.
Matania first capitalised on a long through-pass in the 56th minute and then converted Germany’s second penalty corner with a firm shot a minute two minutes later to put them in the lead for the first time in the contest.


Results: Pool A: Germany: 3  (Oliver Korn 13th; Tobias Matania 56th, 58th) bt India: 2 (Gurwinder Singh Chandi 5th; Nitin Thimmiah 40th); England: 1 (Mark Gleghorne 11th) drew with New Zealand: 1 (Phillip Burrows 63rd).

Pool B: The Netherlands: 5 (Jeroen Hertzberger 25th; Quirijn Caspers 29th; Tim Jenniskens 35th; Robbert Kemperman 41st; Valentin Verga 69th) bt Belgium: 4 (Tom Boon 36th, 39th; Alexander Hendri­ckx 42nd; Xavier Reckinger 70th); Austra­lia: 1 (Kieren Govers 51st) bt Pakistan: 0.