India defeated Canada by a commanding 3-0 margin in their second match of the Hockey World League(HWL) to go to the top of Pool B rankings. India are two win in two matches, with their last match’s victory against Scotland by a 4-1 margin. They next face arch-rivals Pakistan, who lost to Canada 6-0 on Friday. The victory over a side who demolished Pakistan by such a convincing margin would give India considerable confidence going into tomorrow’s match.
India scored through SV Sunil (5′), Akashdeep Singh (10′) and Sardar Singh (18′), all in the first half, and all of the play in the second half was to maintain the lead. India got five penalty corners but they converted none today, including the last one in the fourth quarter which they snatched after making a video referral. The conversion of penalty corners obviously wasn’t at its best today, but India played an otherwise aggressive game as they attacked the Canadians from the first whistle, and their comfortable three goal advantage did not make them complacent or hold them back in the second half, as it often has in their previous games.
Best moments from India’s comfortable win over Canada in the Hero Men’s #HWL2017 SF in London on 17th June. Album: https://t.co/N8Iy65zOL7 pic.twitter.com/WFu9S5f7a0
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 17, 2017
The win is all the more impressive considering that by the fourth quarter, the Indian team were reduced to nine players after first Chinglensana Singh and then skipper Mandeep Singh himself was yellow carded and sent off the field.
FT! India claims maximum points with a commanding win over Canada.#HWL2017 #INDvCAN pic.twitter.com/VASAzaeyNO
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 17, 2017
Earlier India’s strikers seemed to be on song as they hammered three in 18 minutes. An error by Canadian defenders caused the ball fired from an impossible angle by SV Sunil to take a deflection off a defender and beat goalkeeper David Carter to give India an early lead in the first quarter. India held most of possession, and in the 10th minute, Carter charged forward to save a strike from Ramandeep only for Akashdeep to let the ball sailing right in time for India’s second goal. Ramandeep Singh was at it again when he set up Sardar Singh for the third Indian goal, which proved enough for Canada.
India will head into the game against Pakistan hoping they can hold their forwards, and convert penalty corners better. A win will give them a chokehold of Pool B, taking them closer to the finals of HWL to be held in Bhubhaneshwar.
