India face Argentina with semifinal hopes hanging by a thread

Amstelveen: India will have to produce a near perfect performance to beat Argentina by a big margin in their last second round match here on Monday as their Hockey World Cup semifinal chances hinge on several ifs and buts.

The 1-3 defeat against the Netherlands had almost sent India out of the semifinal race, but Argentina's win over England on Saturday kept them mathematically alive. A lot will depend on the result of the Netherlands-England clash, also to be played on Monday but after the India versus Argentina match.

The Netherlands will have to beat England for India to have any chance of reaching the semifinals. If England draw or beat Netherlands, even a win against Argentina will see India bow of the tournament.


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Under the new World Cup format, the top two teams from Pool E will advance to the semifinals. The Netherlands have already secured their place in the last four with six points.

England and Argentina are level on three points after two matches, while India are yet to open their account in the second phase but technically they are still in contention though the chances are slim.

The simplest route for India is to beat Argentina by at least the margin of two goals and hope England lose to the Netherlands by at least a margin of three goals. A victory over Argentina would take India to three points, and the margin of victory could prove crucial if the teams finish level on points.

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India need at least a four-goal swing between themselves and England for them to qualify for the semifinals. If India win 3-1 against Argentina, that would mean they have six goals scored and eight goals conceded. In that case, if England lose 0-2, then they would have five goals scored and seven conceded. India would go through on the basis of more goals scored.

The task, though, is easier said than done. Argentina have already shown their attacking strength in this tournament and will take confidence from their 3-1 win over England on Saturday. They also defeated India 8-0 and 4-2 in the FIH Pro League earlier this year in Rourkela.

Argentina's experienced campaigner Matias Rey, a member of the 2016 Rio Olympic gold-medal winning side, will once again be a key figure for them. The six-time World Cup participant has 329 international appearances to his name.

For India, the biggest concern will be converting possession and chances into goals. They created opportunities against the Netherlands but struggled to find the finishing touches, while the Dutch struck three times after half-time to turn the game around.

Experienced midfielder Hardik Singh summed up India's predicament after the defeat against the Netherlands.

"It's all about capitalising on opportunities. Even if we played 99 percent well, even a one percent mistake can prove costly, and that's what happened to us. We knew their game and had beaten them in the Pro League, but mistakes in the last 20 minutes cost us."

India's defensive resilience will again be tested, but they will also have to exercise caution inside their own circle and avoid conceding penalty corners.

Argentina goalkeeper Tomas Santiago has already identified Harmanpreet Singh as their biggest threat and said his side would be prepared for the Indian captain's drag-flicking prowess.

"India is a very strong team and we will have to give our 120 per cent to defeat them. In today's hockey, every team has a trump card and for India, that is Harmanpreet. We will analyse the video and ensure that we neutralize his PCs," he said.

Harmanpreet has said before India's match against the Netherlands that his team has to maintain the momentum for the full 60 minutes and brilliance shown in quarters won't work for them. Apart from an impeccable defence, they also need better ball possession by the midfield players and better finishing from the forwards.

The Netherlands, meanwhile, face England in the other Pool E match later on Monday. With the Dutch already through, the result of that game could have a major bearing on India's fate.

India's route to the semifinals is complicated and dependent on results elsewhere, but the immediate equation is simple: beat Argentina, preferably by a healthy margin, and then wait.