Apprentices the key in the battle of Dutch masters
India to face the United States with the all-important Tokyo berth to play for
BHUBANESWAR: As the Indian women’s hockey team takes on the United States on Friday and Saturday, it’s as much a contest between two teams making a lastditch effort to secure a Tokyo Olympics berth, as it is for the reputation of two opposing team coaches who come from the Netherlands. And, as fate would have it, from the same club — Den Bosch —in the Dutch league.
As the Sjoerd Marijne-coached India take on the Janneke Schopman-trained US team in a do-ordie clash for both, the hosts would be hoping to forget the disappointment of the failed Olympic bid at the Jakarta Asian Games last year —they lost 1-2 to Japan in the final — and secure a Tokyo berth in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers.
The team scoring more goals over two days will secure the Olympic berth.
Like India, the US too failed to clinch an Olympic berth in their continental games—the Pan American Games—a few months back, and Schopman would hope to win here to not just make it to Tokyo but also to ensure “better funding and sponsorship” for the team for the next few years.
It could well turn out to be an interesting contest, given that both coaches have been at the top of their game during their playing days, Schopman even more so. While Marijne had a successful stint with Den Bosch, Schopman was a star player with the club’s women’s team and was part of the Dutch team that won gold at the Olympics, World Cup and Champions Trophy.
Interestingly, Marijne was the assistant coach with the Dutch national women’s team during the last few years of Schopman’s career as a player.
What will spice up the contest further is the fact that India under Marijne had thwarted Schopman’s team from qualifying for the knockout stage of the 2018 World Cup in London, holding them to a 1-1 draw and securing a quarter-final berth.
Both Marijne and Schopman are also aware that the fate of their respective tenures too depends on the outcome of the qualifiers. A win will get them feted, while a defeat could open the exit door—especially Schopman, as the results have been far from impressive in recent times. The US team, which had finished fifth in the 2016 Rio Olympics, ended 13th among 16 teams in last year’s World Cup. India had finished eighth.
“I know her very well as she comes from the same club. I have seen her as a player and coach. She is young, focused and tactically strong and hard working. As a person too, she is very nice and we enjoy a good relation. As coaches, we don’t have to look at each other; we have to win from each other. She is a good coach and so let’s see how the matches turn out,” said Marijne.
Schopman acknowledged that Marijne is more experienced of the two. “I have a lot of respect for Sjoerd. I think he’s a very good coach. He assisted the Dutch national team when I was still playing. He is a lot more experienced. He has been around the world and has coached the men’s and women’s teams. I know Sjoerd and he knows me, so it will be interesting to see what the final result is,” Schopman said.
Schopman had to organise a fundraiser for the team to come to India. She is aware that future funding for the team will depend on Tokyo qualification. And, she is banking on the superior international record.
The US had won bronze at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1994 World Cup, while India have never won an Olympic medal. They qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after 36 years. USA also have an 8-1 head-to-head advantage, with two games ending in draws.
DIFFERENT APPROACH
Tactically, the two coaches have different approaches to the qualifier format. While Marijne considers them as two different contests and wants the team to take it one match at a time, Schopman sees the qualifiers as two halves of the same game played on different days.
“It’s like we have the first half on Friday and we play the second half on Saturday. We prepared for this; we practised in a similar way. The format is difficult but that is what it is. We have a similar format at club level in the league,” she said.
While the Americans are looking at history for inspiration, the
Indians are hoping to make the most of the home advantage. “The crowd support could be a big advantage. We have the experience to get it to work for us… but in the end what matters is performance on the field,” said India captain Rani Rampal.
Rampal and drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur, who scored 11 goals—10 from penalty corners—during the FIH Women’s Series Finals in Hiroshima a few months back, will be one of the key players.
Gurjit, who had also contributed handsomely in the 2017 Asia Cup and the 2018 World Cup, has the lethal drag-flick to flummox goalkeepers and defenders alike.
“The team has given me this responsibility and I am hoping for a good performance. It is a big responsibility and I am ready. But what matters in the end is the performance of the entire team,” said Gurjit.
The 23-year-old could well be Marijne’s trump card.