India’s World Cup semifinal hopes end after loss to Argentina
India’s World Cup Campaign Concludes
India‘s aspirations to reach the semifinals of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 concluded on Monday following a 5-3 defeat against Argentina. The match, held at the Wagener Hockey Stadium, was India‘s final Pool E fixture. Head coach Craig Fulton attributed the outcome to the team’s slow start and their struggle to manage the pressure associated with a crucial match. Argentina established an early lead and maintained control, despite a late resurgence from India.
Fulton expressed his disappointment after the loss, stating, “It was a difficult day today. We didn’t want to end like that. We started poorly, but the second quarter was much better. The third quarter wasn’t good, but then we scored three goals in the last quarter and could have scored the fourth one too from a corner.” He described the game as “really strange” and emphasised the need for the team to perform better in significant matches, despite playing at a high level throughout the tournament.
The coach also acknowledged that the various qualification scenarios surrounding India‘s semifinal chances had an impact on the team’s performance. “There were a lot of permutations going into this game that got the better of us. In the last 10 minutes, we played better hockey. That was a little too late,” Fulton noted.
Defensive Lapses and Early Setbacks
Argentina quickly capitalised on India‘s slow start, scoring just 41 seconds into the contest. Joaquin Toscani found the net from a tight angle, giving Argentina an early advantage. The world No. 7 team extended their lead in the 16th minute when Nicolas della Torre converted a penalty corner. India managed to respond through Sukhjeet Singh, who scored a field goal in the 10th minute after a well-executed play involving Abhishek. Despite periods of possession in the second quarter, India struggled to convert their opportunities in the final third. The second quarter concluded without further goals, leaving Argentina with a 2-1 lead at half-time.
Forward Sukhjeet Singh, who scored two goals in the match, pointed to defensive errors as a primary reason for India‘s setback. He stated, “This was our last opportunity to reach the semifinals, but we committed silly mistakes in defence and they converted them into goals. We gave them easy chances which could have been avoided.” Sukhjeet also highlighted the impact of conceding an early goal, remarking, “We conceded a goal in the first minute, which created pressure. We tried to bounce back, but that early blow was not easy to overcome. We were lazy at the start and we have to work on that.”
Sukhjeet further mentioned that while India‘s penalty corners had been effective throughout the tournament, the team’s defence was not as sharp against Argentina. He noted, “Overall, our penalty corner was good throughout the tournament. Our strikers managed to score a few field goals, but we committed mistakes in defence.”
Argentina Extends Lead in Third Quarter
India needed a strong performance in the second half but instead fell further behind. Three minutes into the third quarter, Tomas Domene scored after a midfield dispossession, increasing Argentina‘s lead to 3-1. India earned several penalty corners in an attempt to close the gap, but captain Harmanpreet Singh was unable to convert them. Just before the end of the quarter, Argentina was awarded a penalty stroke following an Indian defensive error. Domene successfully converted the penalty, scoring his second goal of the match and putting Argentina ahead 4-1. The deficit grew larger in the fourth quarter when Lucas Toscani scored in the 53rd minute, making the score 5-1.
India eventually found their attacking rhythm late in the match. Sukhjeet Singh scored his second goal in the 58th minute with a deflection, and two minutes later, Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke, reducing the deficit to 5-3. In the final moments of the game, India earned another penalty corner, but Argentina goalkeeper Tomas Santiago made a crucial save as the final hooter sounded. With their semifinal campaign over, India will now participate in the classification playoff, where they are scheduled to face co-hosts Belgium in the seventh-place match on Friday, August 28.
India concluded Pool E without earning any points, having also experienced a 3-1 defeat against the Netherlands. Coach Fulton‘s immediate focus will be on addressing the team’s performance in high-pressure situations, as he concluded, “We played at a high level in tournament, but in the big games we have to do better.”
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
