India have been outplayed by Germany in a semifinal match of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2021 at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium on Friday evening. The final scoreline read 4-2 in favour of Germany. Starting as favourites, defending champions India never looked at their attacking best. Six-time champions Germany pressed hard from the start and got a lead in the first quarter through Eric Kleinlein. The second quarter was the most entertaining one. Germany got three more from Philip Holzmueller, Hannes Muller and Christopher Kutter to go 4-1 at half-time. Uttam Singh had reduced the margin for India in the second quarter. India fought hard in the final two quarters to get back on the scoresheet but failed to break the German defence. Bobby Singh Dhami scored the second goal for India in the dying seconds of the game. Catch the highlights of IND vs GER here.
21:12 PM IST: Player speak
Vivek Sagar Prasad (IND): It was a really tough match. Germany were clearly the better team today. We still have the bronze medal to play for and will focus on that match on Sunday against France. We have played them in our opener but Sunday's match will be totally a different one.
21:03 PM IST: India 2-4 Germany - Full-Time
That's it. The final lineup has been finalised as Germany beat Indian 4-1 in the second semifinal at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Germany face Argentina in the final on Sunday. India play France for a third-place finish.
21:00 PM IST: Fourth quarter - India 2-4 Germany
Consolation goal for India. Bobby Singh Dhami strikes from the angle to reduce the deficit.
20:57 PM IST: Fourth quarter - India 1-4 Germany
A ferocious backhand strike by Germany captain Hannes Muller crashes just wide of the left post. Germany are just minutes away from booking their final spot
20:51 PM IST: Fourth quarter - India 1-4 Germany
India goalie Pawan denies Phandt a penalty corner and Germany a fifth goal. Phandt's drag-flick was carefully parried away by Pawan.
20:43 PM IST: Fourth quarter - India 1-4 Germany
India juniors should recall how their seniors came back twice against Germany a few months earlier to win the Olympic bronze in Tokyo. The Men in Blue just need goals now.
20:43 PM IST: Third quarter - India 1-4 Germany
How costly that miss would be for India. Manjeet just needed to connect well but he misses the ball completely to India's despair. Onto the final quarter now. India need goals, simple as that.
20:40 PM IST: Third quarter - India 1-4 Germany
India are slowly upping the ante with Sudeep Chirmako using the wings to good effect. Germany are clearly playing the defence game now. India could have got their second through Rajbhar Kumar but a brilliant intervention by the German goalie Brinckman averted any danger.
20:29 PM IST: Third quarter - India 1-4 Germany
India need a goal to get back their confidence, something that head coach Graham Reid said during the break. Unlike the previous matches, India haven't been at their attacking best with just 2 shots at goal compared to Germany's 10 in the first two quarters.
20:16 PM IST: Second quarter - India 1-4 Germany
It has been a busy quarter with three goals so far. Germany have been brilliant in man-marking and handled the Indian forwards pretty well. With two more quarters to go, India really need to do some magic to come back into the game. HT
20:13 PM IST: Second quarter - India 1-4 Germany
It's all happening here in Bhubaneswar. Soon after India get their first, Christopher Kutter restores Germany's three-goal lead scoring from the spot.
20:11 PM IST: Second quarter - India 1-3 Germany
India pull one back through Uttam Singh. Uttam's superb reverse close-range deflection give India first goal.
20:08 PM IST: Second quarter - India 0-3 Germany
Germany are dominating here at the Kalinga Stadium now. A reverse field goal by Hannes Muller gives Germany 3-0 lead.
20:05 PM IST: Second quarter - India 0-2 Germany
Goal! Germany go 2-0 up. Philip Holzmueller doubles the lead for Germany through a field goal. He hits a forehand, takes a huge deflection and goes over the goalie into the back of the net.
19:56 PM IST: First quarter - India 0-1 Germany
At the end of the first quarter, Germany lead 1-0 against India. Eric Kleinlein puts Germany ahead from a PC on the backhand. India earned PC shortly seconds later but wasted the oppotunity.
19:49 PM IST: First quarter - India 0-0 Germany
India are putting pressure on the Germany goal but the timely intervention by the opposition defenders keep the scores at 0-0.
19:40 PM IST: First quarter - India 0-0 Germany
Opportunity missed by Germany early on. The Germans have pressed hard from the onset and but India goalie Prashant Chauhan has been a wall so far. He first saved a field shot before denying another from a penalty corner.
19:30 PM IST: Line-up
Here's a look at India's line-up for the match.
19:09 PM IST: Head-to-Head
India enjoy a 2-1 head-to-head record against Germany.
18:49 PM IST: Stats
India have so far played in three Junior Hockey World Cup finals. They lost to Australia in 1997 before winning in 2001 (vs Argentina) and 2016 (vs Belgium).
18:11 PM IST: Heartbreak for France
Argentina have defeated France 3-1 in the shoot-out to qualify for the Junior World Cup final. The match ended at 0-0 at the end of regulation time.
18:04 PM IST: France hold Argentina
France and Argentina are locked 0-0 at the end of the fourth quarter and there will be a shootout. If France manage to eke out a win, it will be their second final ever. The last time France played a final was in 2013. They lost to Germany.
17:52 PM IST: 1st Semifinal
France are currently playing Argentina in the first semifinal at the Kalinga Stadium with the scoreline still 0-0 in the final quarter. Looks like the match is going towards the tie-breaker.
17:45 PM IST: Hello
Hello and welcome to the second semifinal coverage of the ongoing FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2021 between India and Germany. India started the tournament on a disastrous note losing to France in the opener but a brilliant comeback thereafter has led them just two wins shy of the title today.
India and Germany had contrasting paths to the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2021 semifinal.
Six times Junior World Cup champions Germany clinched victory from the jaws of defeat against Spain in the quarterfinals. Germany scored a dramatic late equaliser to force a shootout and then they edged out Spain 3-1.
Germany goalkeeper Jean Danneburg came off the bench to produce a match-winning performance in the shoot-out. He was the Player of the Match. By contrast, India were very tactical in their 1-0 victory against Belgium. India produced a magnificent defensive display in a replay of 2016 final in Lucknow.
Belgium had more shots, circle penetrations, possession, and penalty corners, but it was India who emerged winners thanks to a 21st-minute penalty corner conversion from Sharda Nand Tiwari, who flicked high into the goal from the left of the circle.
Belgium piled on the pressure in the final stages and boosted by a yellow card five-minute suspension for India’s Yashdeep Siwach, certainly looked capable of tying the match and forcing a shoot-out.
A late penalty corner arrived moments after Belgium replaced their goalkeeper with an outfield player, but India goalkeeper Pawan produced two vital saves to send his team into the competition semi-finals at the expense of their opponents.
Germany cannot convert the penalty corner, with Phandt's drag-flick saved by IND GK Pawan.
