Managing the great Indian Mid - Field

There was a time when a striker use to get the ball on stick somewhere around the half, he would then dribble with shear pace and skill, crossing 2-3 defenders at a time and eventually beating the Goal Keeper with a top class finish.

Well, the time has changed and so has the game. The game is won over Mid - feild and how well you make your ball for the stirker and this is where Indian Men Hockey team is mis managed. All I could saw was blunt force hit from round the wings hoping to get either an Indian stick for defelection or some defenders leg to get a Penalty corner.

What I don't understand that when Europeans team can strategize and plan their penalty corners and how they should take it. India is very much dependent on the defenders making mistake.There is a serious lack of play making at the center. Especially the flanks.

Tushar Khandekar has been impressive on the left with he cutting in to the half and creating chances, and Sunil has been impressive with his pace all through the last year. The bigger concern is the position Sardara plays. Each and every attack made from the center is either lost on the flanks or gets killed after striking the first level of defense.

India is in a dire need of a Central Defender Midfeilder who can come in place of Sardara Singh when he moves up the pitch and attack so that he plays up and make more chances. Also defenders like Gurbaaj and Danish need to come up and support the likes of Sunil and Tushar.

The biggest problem that India will be facing in the near future will be finding somebody filling up the shoes of Sardara Singh. The most talented mid feilder in the Indian line up is taking up toll on his body in each and every match and on a longer run, this is dangerous for both the team and the game in particular.

Coach Nobbs and the selectors should now seriously look into getting in fresh legs in the mid - feild or provide somebody like Chaandi or Utthapa ample time to get into the attacking mid - feild position.

Rest, the things would unfold as the tournament progress, but after match1 odds could have been with India if they could have somehow produced new moves and strategies to score.

Flight of the Dutchman. Match report: India v/s Netherlands

Much before the game started, I had predicted a goal difference of 3-0 in favor of the Netherlands. Well, I was right to one extent, but much of my awe and surprise. India scored two field goals and statistically speaking created more chances against a team who are known for their attacks in every sport, which includes a ball and a team of men.

The first game for India at the London Olympics 2012 starts with a defeated from the hands of the men in orange. One of the most professional teams I have seen playing in the last 5 years and it was displayed on the blue turf yesterday. The Dutch had 5 penalty corner specialists in the team and the only thing they needed were penalty corners, which they did. Two in fact and both got converted gracefully.

But, the story of the day is not the Flying Dutchman; the story of the day is the Indian fight back. Two field goals, that too from counter attacks. One scored by Dharamveer when he was at a perfect position of a ball, which ricocheted from the far post and fell straight on to his stick, once again I am mentioning it here, team India has developed this habit of hitting the ball on to the far post rather than near post causing a second chance always. The another goal came from our golden boy Shivendra Singh who pushed the ball in after a brilliant stick work from Chandi and Sardara Singh who made the ball from him.

Talking about the lows now, I had big disappointment from Indian defense, especially Sandeep Singh. The lad was all over the place, tired and panicked. He was not willing at all to bend his back, which caused a big gap in the defense. Netherlands was given acres of space to run down the wings and plan their moves. The lone warrior in Indian defense was Ignase Turkey, who played like John Terry for Chelsa, he was literally everyplace and had blocked atleast 10 odd shots from the Dutch.

I would also add names of Sardara Singh and Sunil here, they both covered not only the flanks but made sure that they come back and defend when needed. The only thing team India now needs to improve is getting penalty corners to use Sandeep, taking half chances inside the area, and finding substitution for Saradara as it would be harsh for him to play all the matches for full 70 minutes.

As India takes on Germany next, in the quest for gold, I would only say that more than a billion people are behind them and they must play like champions.

Azlan Shah Report: India vs Korea

What looked like same old Indian story, turned in to something else with a late strike by Mr. Utthapa, a 15 yard deflection on to the near post from a powerful ball sent in by Tushar Khandekar from the left flank

India won. 2-1. Narrow but yes, better than having 1 point on their table. Coach was furious after last match, and boys were up to his expectations.

What difference I could see was the rotation of players, coach rotated both our drag flickers smartly and so.as the mid feilders, it was.the first time in a while that I saw both sandeep and raghunath on the feild at.the same time. The strikers were going back to defend and center forwards were playing wingers.

Total hockey, if that is a term. The only minus I would say that the team went into a defensive shell in the second half, allowing the koreans to move freely. The defense was good and goal keeping excellent, but mind u, the defense was not organized at all.

India looked like bunch of headless goons who were told to clear the ball in old fashioned way rather than going for a counter attack.

Well to sum up, the strike from super sandeep was as clean as they come, and India takes home its first win on the nlue turf

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Hockey, is here..

The last time I saw Indian Hockey team playing one to one pass in goal area was... Never. The sam time I saw Indian strikers hitting the ball along the goal keeper and not against the post was never. And the last time India won a tournament with that much of goal deficts.. Never in last five years.

It all has changed for Indian Hockey team and the players. Suddenly I could see young legs, running all the 70 mins without getting tired.

The attack has been clever and the defense organised. Indian men hockey team playing the european game, and our coach lived up to his reputation.

But the real test comes 80 days from now as we go ahead for the biggie. The london olympics 2012. The cold weather and blue turf would be our new enemies and more challanges ahead.

I am looking forward for it and getting my website ready for the big one.

Till then, keep playing and keep us encouraging.

Regards,
www.indianhockey.co.in

Old legs to rest now.

Young is the new mantra for Indian Hockey. Old is out and new is in. This means no more Rajpal Singh or Arjun hallapa. The newly appointed coach Micheal Nobbs has made clear that if you want in then you should be young.

The Indian Men's hockey team was selected last week for the Olympic Qualifiers and coach decided to go for youth and not experience. Most of the team selected is full with young players in there early 20s.

Someone like Chandi, last I saw him playing in the World Cup last year and all I saw of him was he standing behind the defense line inside 30 yards waiting for a magical ball come to him from likes of Rajpal singh or a Hallapa.

Well that's history now, the current Indian team do not have a proper set of attacking midfeilders. All I saw was 3 midfeilders in all including Sardar singh who is known to be more of a defensive midfield.

This means that team India needs to play a formation of 4- 3-3 as compared to there usual 4-4-2 formation with Tushar khandekar on left flank and Chandi on the right, and Shivender up top.

Even if they play there usual 4-4-2 formation, they have to make one of there strikers play in a different role.

As the tournament closes by, l still need to figure out how the newly look Indian team would play. The answers are with Mr Nobbs and the boys.

If India qualifies, He becomes a hero. If not, then we have another Jose Brasa in making.

Humilation, no please

Year 2010, the finals of commonwealth games at delhi, Indian Men hockey team was humilated badly by the hands of Aussies, a formidable name in the arena.

Since then, Indian Hockey has moved places, they got in a new coach who was Australian, they asked there ACE players like Sandeep and Sardar singh to go and play in the european conditions, and they brought in young players in the major tournaments such as Asian Games and recently concluded Asian Champions Trophy.

Indian Cricket on other hand has not been doing anything extraodinary. Seems like success and money has gone so deep in there veins, that its impossible for them now to get out of it.

First England and now Australia, a recent survey siad that more number of peoole watched the Indian Hockeys warm up games than test match in Australia, just because of a simple reason. We all want our team to win or loose fighting, not surrendering in that manner.

As Indian hockey team gets ready for the qualifiers, its high time now for all the audiances to break the jinx created by cricket in the country.

Its time that we should look beyond cricket and promote the national game