India lose to Spain in bronze medal tie; Germany champs

An India player and his Spanish counterpart fight it out during the bronze medal playoff tie. Pic/HI

Misfiring India posed little threat to Spain, who capitalised on counter-attacks to rattle the defence and scored thrice in open play to prevail 3-1 in the bronze medal playoff in the Junior Hockey World Cup at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on Saturday.

Nicolas Alvarez twice beat the goalkeeper with deft flicks from close range in the 25th and 51st minutes and Pau Petchame sounded the board with a firm drive in the 40th minute, while India pulled back one goal through Sunil Jojo's defection during a 28th minute penalty corner.

India were wasteful with the penalty corners once again, managing just one goal from nine penalty corners and failing to have a good shy from several forays into the circle.

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Spain fell back to defend in big numbers, but repeatedly broke through with long passes as India recovered from an attacking situation.

Alvarez trapped the ball at the top of circle, beat his marker by moving to the left and scored the opening goal from a narrow angle with a firm reverse shot that went in off the goalkeeper's glove. India equalised off their fifth penalty corner as Jojo deflected Aditya Arjun Lalage's flick into the right corner. Petchame capitalised on a long through ball into the circle before Alvarez flicked to the goalkeeper's right hand for his second goal that killed India's fight-back aspirations.

Meanwhile, Germany rallied from a first-half deficit to down France 2-1 to clinch the title for the seventh time. French striker Tassilo Sura opened the scoring with a flash strike in the 17th minute, but a defensive lapse allowed Germany to equalise in the 32nd through Jan Cordes.

Liam Holdermann's fine deflection breached the French defence in the 40th minute for the match-winner, enabling Germany to avenge their 0-2 loss to France in the
preliminary group.