Hockey World Cup 2018 highlights: India's 5-1 win over Canada

Welcome to Sportstar's minute-by-minute commentary of the Hockey World Cup 2018 Pool C match of India vs Canada.

 

This is how the final Pool C table looks like. Belgium and Canada will face third and second placed teams in Pool D in the cross-overs.

 

FULL-TIME: India 5-1 Canada

INDIA REACHES THE QUARTERFINALS!

Fourth Quarter

60' Harmanpreet Singh stands over a penalty corner and India is unable to get a shot out of it. Manpreet asks for a referral and it was a stick check by India.

57' SECOND GOAL FOR LALIT! What a superb run that was from 22-year old Sumit! The midfielder is holds his marker along the right flank and watches the goalkeeper leaving his post and threads a perfect pass to Lalit who is left with just a tap-in to score from.

55' James Kirkpatrick is shown a yellow card for a dangerous sliding tackle on Manpreet Singh. Canada is once again down to ten men.

51' GOAL INDIA! Amit Rohidas scores a brilliant dragflick as local boy Amit Rohidas takes a step further from the usual release point and smashes it into the right top corner. India is looking its formidable best again!

 

47' LALIT ADDS ANOTHER ONE! After Mandeep Singh goes close, Lalit Kumar finishes from close range to make it 3-1 for India. The host should be on its way to the quarterfinals with this scoreline.

 

46' GOAL INDIA! Chinglensana Singh scores after Antoni Kindler saves a shot from close range.

 

Head-to-Head record at World Cups: Total: 4 | India: 2 | Canada: 2

Third Quarter

 

45' Antoni Kindler saves again to keep Mandeep, after Manpreet and Lalit Kumar exchange passes on the right side.

44' MISS! Mandeep goes on his signature run on the right side and passes it to Lalit Kumar Upadhyay at the near post, but the latter makes things complicated as he lets the ball run under his stick.

43' India's defense is suddenly looking shaky after the Candian equaliser as Von Son again threatens to score but Sreejesh makes a save to keep it out.

39' GOAL CANADA! A mistake from Simranjeet in the attacking half allows Canada to break through the midfield and sees Floris Von Son unmarked inside the circle and he finishes past Sreejesh.

 

36' The tempo of the game dipped a bit in the Q3. India cannot be content with a slender 1-0 lead as Canada can hit it on the counter.

33' Brilliant thinking from Amit Rohidas! The defender holds his position on the baseline and pounces on a pass from Mandeep. His deflection flies away from the goal.

31' Sumit plays Akashdeep inside the circle and the forward's attempts to control the ball on the bounce, but clashes with a Canadian stick and umpire awards a free hit to Canada.

HALF-TIME: India 1-0 Canada

 

Second Quarter

30' James Wallace tries to tackle Hardik Singh, who was running back to get back the ball and clatters into the Indian midfielder. The umpire has no option but to dish out a yellow card. Canada down to 10 men for the next ten minutes.

28' Simranjeet gets a clearance on the edge of the Indian circle, but a poor pass allows Canada to come back into the circle. Sreejesh is furious in the goalpost.

25' Canada has the first shot on the goal as Oliver Scholfield draws a block from Surender Kumar. This is where India needs to careful with leaving spaces on the left flank.

24' Manpreet makes a surging run into the penalty circle and almost reaches the baseline to control Mandeep's cross.

23' Iain Smythe receives a green card. Sumit makes room and unleashes a reverse hit from the closest of spaces inside the Canadian circle. But it is straight at Antoni Kindler who is stationed at the near post.

22' Keegan Pereira sends a cross from the right wing, but Matthew Sarmento comes under pressure from the Indian defence at the near post and manages to tame touch on the ball.

The South Africa, which was eliminated from the tournament after a 5-1 loss to Belgium was applauded by the Indian crowd

 

19' India is winning most of the battles across the pitch, but Canada is capable of pulling one back at any point of the game.

17' Manpreet Singh hits a similar cross, this time from the left flank, but there is no one to collect it in the space in the 6 yards area.

16' Birendra Lakra hits a cross diagonally from the right flank which runs out of the play at the end.

 

First Quarter

14' India wins another penalty corner, but it is wasted as the variation tried by Harmanpreet goes awry. The trap is perfect, but the defender is unable to move it quickly to Amit Rohidas who is at second battery. Canada scrambles to clear the danger.

12' GOAL INDIA! Harmanpreet Singh makes no mistake this time! He places his dragflick into the bottom left corner to beat Kindler's outstretched foot.

 

12' Akashdeep asks for a referral and wins another penalty corner for India!

10' End-to-end stuff from both teams! Canada defends well and tries to counter but Dilpreet comes up with an interception and Mandeep goes a superb solo run on the right side. Unfortunately, the striker is unable to find space to shoot and Canada survives a scare.

10' Penalty Corner for India!

9' India switches flank as Manpreet Singh sends a cross from the left flank which skids along the baseline, but Antoni Kindler is alert to block the attempt.

7' A long ball from the deep from India is read well by Canada skipper Scott Tupper as he is seen closely marking Mandeep Singh.

6' Surendra Kumar puts India's first ball into the penalty area from the right flank, but Dilpreet is unable to get on the end of it.

4' Canada applies a counter press which leads to few stray passes in the midfield for India. Harendra Singh and technical coach Chris Ciriello are on the sidelines taking notes and shouting instructions.

 

2' Canada makes the first circle entry but Indian defence manages to deal the danger with ease.

1' We are off for the final Pool C match of the #HWC2018!

The players are on the pitch for the national anthems.

India's starting Line-ups for the game

 

Stakes on the game: India has to beat Canada with a two-goal difference in order to avoid cross-overs and reach the quarterfinals directly. A draw or a defeat will see Belgium through to the last eight.

 

 

Match Trivia

• The previous meeting India and Canada was for the 5-6th place playoff at the 2017 World Hockey League Semi-final, London where the Red Caribou has beaten a higher-ranked India 3-2.
• Two third-quarter goals from Keegan Pereira and Gordon Johnston won that game for Canada after Harmanpreet Singh scored from two penalty corners in the second quarter.
• This is Canada’s sixth World Cup appearance, while India has qualified for all the previous 13 editions of the tournament.