India bank on inputs from coach to overcome Dutch
Before taking up India job, Reid had assisted Holland coach Caldas
BHUBANESWAR: India hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh kept barking instructions even as defender Rupinder Pal Singh initiated another move into “rival territory”. There was a sense of urgency as the veteran of more than 200 campaigns kept urging his team-mates to fall back and defend after every attacking foray.
Even though it was only a practice match among team-mates, there was absolute seriousness in the way players went about the drill at the Kalinga Stadium on Friday. After playing weaker teams like Russia, Poland and Uzbekistan for more than a year, India will be facing some of the best in the business after almost a year when they make their debut in the 2020 Pro League with two matches against world No 3 Netherlands over the weekend.
The Dutchmen are no pushovers like Russia, who India beat to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The India team would also know that they were knocked out by the Dutch in the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup the last time the teams clashed.
Coached by Max Caldas, the former Argentina international who also guided the Dutch women’s team to the 2014 World Cup title, Netherlands are goldmedal contenders at the Tokyo Olympics. And, having finished second best at the 2012 London Games and 2014 and 2018 World Cups, they would be eager to beat every team leading up to the Olympics.
“The matches against India are a very important. Playing them on their home ground is challenging and also very exciting. I expect India to be competitive as always,” said Caldas. “We are fielding our best team in this edition of the Pro League as this is the stepping stone for (doing well in) Tokyo.”
In the last 10 matches between the two sides, the Netherlands have won five and India four, although the hosts have mostly faced second-string Dutch teams.
Before arriving in Bhubaneswar, the Billy Bakker-led side had been acclimatising for a week in Kuala Lumpur.
“India are really technical and highly skilled and can do some incredible things if they are in full flow, and they have the confidence. Hopefully, we can attack them on their weaknesses and make sure that we have a big game against them,” says Bakker, who is familiar with the local conditions having played for the Kalinga Lancers in the now defunct Hockey India League (HIL).
Bakker is the heartbeat of the Dutch team. Nominated for the 2018 FIH Player of the Year, the midfielder is known for singlehandedly changing the course of the game, regularly creating goal-scoring opportunities with his runs and also making crucial defensive interceptions.
“Their midfield is their strength, especially their understanding with the forwards. Dutch midfielders like Bakker can spurt for 50-60 metres and easily create a goal out of nowhere. They are experienced and have brought their full strength squad here,” said India forward Akashdeep Singh, who scored for India the last time the teams met at the 2018 World Cup when the hosts lost 1-2.
India will benefit from chief coach Graham Reid’s experience. The Australian worked with Caldas as assistant coach for two years between 2017 and 2019 before being appointed by Hockey India in April 2019. He also simultaneously coached Amsterdam HC.
“Graham was my coach in the Dutch team as well as in the club. He knows how the game works and what players need to do to at the international level,” said Bakker. “It’s an advantage for India that Graham can tell them how to win those games. That’s why I really look forward to playing against Graham’s team because he can make India a bit tougher than they already are.”
Reid’s Dutch connections also came in handy when India toured Belgium. During their two-week stint in September-october, Reid took the team to train with the Dutch in Arnhem (Netherlands), a two-hour drive from Antwerp (Belgium). Apart from technical skills, the two teams compared GPS data to evaluate the level of training.
Reid too is excited about the upcoming matches. “Yes, you have an idea (of) how the Dutch are going to play and Caldas has an idea about certain things we do. They are a bit like us. But you have to watch their speed; they attack at the top of the circle a lot and come directly at you. So, we have to make sure our defence is spot on,” said Reid.
ANALYTICAL COACH
Janneke Schopman was on Friday appointed analytical coach of the Indian women’s hockey team. The Dutch player has 212 international caps and also led the side for two years before retiring.