Rio Games: Hockey team beats Ireland 3-2 to raise hopes

RIO DE JANEIRO: Roelant Oltmans had both his arms up in the air as he muttered to himself outside the dugout of Pitch Two. Striker Ramandeep Ramandeep Singh had got a yellow card with just two minutes to go in the match against Ireland. India were leading 3-2. It was touch and go and the Irishmen were pressing full court. He glared at Ramandeep and rushed to the sidelines to scream out instructions.They were very tense final seconds but the Indians stayed calm and ran to their coach as the hooter went off. India had sealed their first hockey win in Olympics in 12 years. The last one came in 2004 in Athens against South Korea, a match remembered for the two minutes Dhanraj Pillay got to play in his farewell game. That was cruel. But Saturday's win here has given hope that the Indians came make the quarterfinals in the new format.
What was encouraging for India was the fact that all the three goals came through penalty corners. Raghunath struck in the first quarter and Rupinderpal Singh got a brace, scoring in the second and fourth quarters. The Indians looked sluggish in the beginning but settled down after Raghunath's strike. They attacked from the flanks, cutting in to create opportunities. The victory margin could have been bigger but for two missed chances in the final quarter.
Almost every player had a decent outing but the team would want more from Sardar Singh. He looked good in patches but it is clear that he has slowed down and his passes often fail to find the player he is looking for.
Goalkeeper P Sreejesh had a good game. He made several saves when the Irishmen attacked viciously in the last two quarters, winning several penalty corners.
Later, he walked out, pads in hands, and exchanged a high five, saying, "Kya bola tha aapko... Jo bola, who kiya (what did I tell you earlier...I did out there what I promised)."
Oltmans was beaming after the game as he walked out into the mixed zone. He knows that one more win will get him to his first target. "Yes, a win is all that matters. I will not talk about mistakes... I am proud of these days. There was immense pressure but the players did not give in."
Oltmans said he had tweaked the team's structure slightly to counter the Irishmen who can always be a handful. "It is a tactical victory, I always tell the boys to play to a plan but not compromise on skills. An Indian team should showcase some masala too."
So how would be rate the win on a scale of 1 to 100? He thought for a while and said: "75 per cent."
The star of India's win, Rupinder, rated it at "70%". "We made some mistakes and will have to study the videos to rectify them. But a win is a win... three points. We should not be complaining. It's time to go back to the drawing board and plan for Germany."
On a personal note, Rupinder said it felt good to be part of a team which had secured an Olympic Games win after 12 years. "But there is a lot of work ahead."
Well, there is. India will next play Germany and Oltmans said the boys will have to play 100% and more for a win. "I studied them in Champions Trophy. They are a very strong team. But I can see opportunities for us in their game."