NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

India go down to Aussies

Bruce Hamilton

India suffered its first loss in the Olympics test event in Sydney, losing 5-3 to Australia on Thursday night.

Australia rested Troy Elder from the team which defeated Korea 1-0 yesterday.

A wealth of goal-scoring opportunities produced a steady trickle of goals for both teams. Mathew Smith opened the scoring for Australia with a penalty-corner drag-flick in the eighth minute. Jay Stacy faked his hit and passed to Mathew Smith, who drag-flicked towards goal. The ball deflected off the pads of goalkeeper Jude Menezes into goal.

For the first time in this series, players were seen pushing and shoving a minute after the goal was scored. Gagan Agit Singh and Stephen Davies stood toe-to-toe, pushing with open hands. Cooler heads prevailed as Canadian umpire Chris Wilson and Korean umpire Lee Won-seok raced to the scene. No cards were handed out for the incident, but cards were handed out later in the game.

Australia increased the tally from a penalty-corner conversion by Paul Gaudoin in the 25th minute. Gaudoin put his drag-flick high and wide of the outstretched left glove of Jude Menezes.

Tempers flared again a minute after the goal. This time Sukhbir Singh Gill was shown a yellow card, when Gill was found standing astride Jeremy Hiskins on the ground. While the bump was not serious to those in the stands, Canadian umpire Chris Wilson had no doubt in his mind that Gill should walk off.

While India were reduced to 10 players, Michael Brennan added a brilliant field goal in the 28th minute. Mathew Smith sent Brennan a pass from the left, outside the 25 metre line. Brennan wove his way past three Indian sticks to beat Menezes from near the penalty spot with a hip-high shot to the right of Menezes.

The 3-0 scoreline flattered Australia as the teams went to the break. India had opportunities in the half through a penalty-corner attempt by Baljit Singh Dhillon. His drag-flick along the ground failed to find Mohd Riaz for the deflection. On another occasion, Sameer Dad passed Michael York in the circle, using his speed and change of direction. Although Dad was past York, with only Damon Diletti to beat in goal, York reached around the stick of Dad to dispossess him of the ball and clear, without the slightest infringement.

In midfield, India looked sharp, with the majority of 50-50 contests for the ball falling the way of India. Anwar Khan bothered Australian midfield pivot Brent Livermore with his speed often.

Overall, India played the half defensively, packing nine players behind their 25 metre line when Australia played set-piece attacks.

India outscored Australia in the second half, scoring 3 to Australia's 2.

It was noticeable in the second half that Australian coach Terry Walsh introduced a tactic to negate the negative defensive play of India. "It took us a while to get it right but when we did it worked well," Walsh said later.

It appeared that Walsh instructed his players to allow India to come out of defence with the ball and play a zonal defence inside it's own 25 metre area. With India drawn forward, Australia dispossessed and counterattacked, creating chances with more space and fewer defenders inside India's 25 metre defensive zone.

The first 10 minutes of the second half saw an increased wayward lifting of sticks in tackles. In the seventh minute, Stephen Holt and Anwar Khan clashed, with Holt requiring a number of stitches in his forehead from contact with a stick. Both Khan and Holt received yellow cards from Canadian umpire Chris Wilson. Holt is more than 2 metres tall, which raises the question of why a stick could be so high as to contact his forehead.

Perhaps, it was during the period when Australia were still trying to get its tactics right that Deepak Thakur scored the first of his two goals. In the 49th minute, Baljit Singh Dhillon passed from the right of the circle to find Thakur unattended metres out and to the left side of the goal. Thakur shot past Damon Diletti.

The next seven minutes kept the crowd on its feet and the scribblers in the stands writing furiously to keep up with the action on the field.

Australia scored field goals in the 55th and 56th minutes, India scored from a penalty-corner in the 57th minute and another field goal in the 62nd minute.

James Elmer was found unattended in the circle by a long pass from the back from Brent Livermore. Elmer beat Jude Menezes with a one-handed backstick. A minute later it was Ben Taylor's turn and he put Australian ahead 5 - 1 with a straight shot on goal past Menezes.

It looked to be the start of a flood of goals for Australia to end the half as India's defence had no answers to the speed of the Australian fast break and long ball forward.

It was not to be. India came back with a penalty-corner when Mathew Wells obstructed Anwar Khan in the circle. Baljit Singh Dhillon passed forward from the battery to Mohd Riaz who deflected neatly into goal.

Deepak Thakur added his second field goal in the 62nd minute when he received a free hit from Baljit Singh Dhillon from outside the circle. Thakur was unguarded two metres out from the right post and made no mistake with the easy tap into goal.

With the last two goals, India put some respectability into the result, making the final score 5 - 3 in favour of Australia.

India's coach V. Bhaskaran singled out his deep defenders for criticism after the game. "They let go too many balls and they did not re-tackle," he said. "We gave the ball to them in the first half. We made our mind up not to lose the ball in the second half. We had the ball for 10 minutes in the second half, but we messed up a couple of good chances," he said.

"I was impressed with Thakur's goals, but there were better goals we should have got that we missed. That is what international hockey is about," Bhaskaran said.

Terry Walsh was critical of playing the Olympic test event under lights, and critical that Olympic hockey events will be played under lights. He believes optimal playing conditions are in daylight, and optimal conditions should be used at the Olympic Games.

Walsh bases his opinion on the additional time it takes for eyes to adjust to the movement of fast objects under artificial light.

Richard Charlesworth has yet to make any comment on this aspect of the Olympic schedule.

Walsh also believes the officials of hockey will have to address the issue of frustration of more slightly built players being unable to match the European style of hockey where the body is used to gain possession of the ball.

India had beaten Canada 3-2 in their opening match.

In the earlier game, Canada lost 2-3 to Korea.

In women's games today, Spain defeated China 2 - 1 in the first ever game between these two nations.

The United States, coached by former Australia player Tracy Belbin, drew 1-1 with Australia.