India sink Canada with late surge, enter quarters

INCONSISTENT Hosts were locked 1-1 before they broke shackles in final quarter with four goals

BHUBANESWAR: There is something Harendra Singh and his coaching staff must be telling the Indian team during breaks that turns them into a different unit altogether. It was seen during the Belgium game when they looked down and out but made a comeback to draw 2-2 last Sunday. And it was seen yet again on Saturday when t he hosts thrashed Canada 5-1 to earn a direct ticket to the World Cup quarter-finals from Pool C.

But unlike what the scoreline suggests, India did not look like a top team for three quarters of the match. It was only in the last quarter with the score 1-1 that the world No 5 outfit really came into their own to punch in four goals in the span of 11 minutes to top Pool C.

BELGIUM WIN TOO

By virtue of the win and, after Belgium crushed South Africa 5-1, India top Pool C with seven points like the Red Lions but a superior goal difference saw the hosts enter the last-8 directly. Second-placed Belgium and third-placed Canada will have to tread the crossovers as South Africa was knocked out.

India got quite a few chances at the start but could not convert until the 12th minute when Harmanpreet Singh finally got the monkey off his back with a grounded flick to his left, scoring his first goal of the tournament.

But then began a dull period where Canada matched India at every step. The North Americans put in all their resources in defending and when the moment arose, they attacked.

Perhaps India also were content with a 1-0 lead, knowing it would be enough for a last-8 entry, which is why they did not press more.

Skipper Manpreet Singh was in top form unlike the rest of his team and despite not being in the best of health, created chances for the forwards.

World No 11 Canada too kept trying and did not let go despite Iain Smythe (green) and James Wallace (yellow) being carded in the third quarter. But Wallace made his presence felt immediately after his five-minute suspension as he fed a superb ball to Floris van Son (39th), who only had India ’keeper PR Sreejesh to evade before putting the ball in.

The impact showed. India appeared deterred and under pressure. Canada started mak-