Paris: India’s wait for return to the Olympic hockey final will have to wait at least for four more years. Despite playing a gallant game against reigning world champions Germany, India fell one goal short in the Olympic Games semi-final at the century-old Yves-du-Manoir Stadium. The Germans rode on a late goal to prevail 3-2 and advance to the title clash against The Netherlands, who outlayed Spain 4-0 in the other semi-final on Tuesday.

Germany clinched victory through an open field deflection by Marbo Miltkau just six minutes from the hooter. Waiting for a cross from the left from Argentine import Gonzallo Peillat, which managed to split the defence that India had put up valiantly.

Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh had opened the scoring with a penalty corner in the seventh minute, only to see Germany fire in two goals through Peillat’s penalty corner conversion in the 27th minute and a penalty stroke conversion by Christopher Ruehr in the 27th. India rallied to equalise with Sukhjeet Singh’s penalty corner deflection in the 36th minute, but the late field goal shattered their dream of playing the final.

India continue to be in the hunt for their second successive bronze medal when they take of Spain in the play-off on Wednesday.

India played without first rusher and defender Amit Rohidas after their efforts to get him reinstated for the semi-finals failed. India, however, took it in their stride and put up a brave fight.

Starting on an attacking note, India forced two penalty corners within the initial two minutes. On the first penalty corner, Harmanpreet’s firm grounder was looking for the left corner of the goal, but custodian Jean-Paul Hanneburg dived to clear with his outstretched stick. The next penalty corner flick posed no danger as the first rusher took away the sting from the shot.

India then forced four penalty corners in a row in the seventh minute and finally breaching the German defence when Harmanpreet’s rasping drag-flick went off a defender’s stick into the net – to the delight of a stadium packed predominantly by Indian fans, who burst into celebrations.

Harmanpreet directed the next shot wide of the post before Germany launched two brisk raids into the Indian circle, but did not get much leeway. India also came out to cause some concern to the German defence in the 11th minute when three strikers were trying to find a clear view of the goal, but were denied space.

Trailing in the first quarter, Germany charged out to earn their first penalty corner in the 18th minute. Up stepped Germany’s Peillat, who had immigrated from Argentina after winning them the 2016 Olympic gold medal with his deadly penalty corners. Peillat’s first shot sounded the boards for the 1-1 equaliser.

At the other end, Abhishek muffed a good chance by shooting just wide to the right with the goalkeeper at his mercy. Soon after, Lalit Upadhyay could have put India ahead but scooped high over the cross-piece from the goalmouth. India were wasting chances that German defence rarely concedes, and they paid a penalty for it when a second German goal came through a penalty stroke conversion by Ruehr in the 27th minute.

The penalty stroke came off another dangerous drag-flick from Peillat, which struck defender Jarmanpreet’s foot on the goalline.

Within six minutes of half-time, India had forced three penalty corners, pushing Germany to fall back. India could have equalised in the first minute after the interval when Harmanpreet’s penalty corner flick rebounded off the goalkeeper. The ball went to Hardik Singh, who was under no time pressure, but his stinging shot went wide of the right post.

India managed to draw 2-2 level in the 36th minute when Sukhjeet deflected Harmanpreet’s penalty corner shot into the net, leaving the German defenders guessing.

India were feeling the absence of the first-choice first rusher against Peillat, but they still managed to ward off three shots at the citadel on Germany’s third penalty corner in the 46th minute, which India had challenged and lost their referral.

The Indian defence held their ground on Germany’s next penalty corner, but was breached by Peillat’s cross from the left in the 54th minute, which was deflected in by Miltkau.

Desperate for an equaliser, India went all out, even took off the goalkeeper with two minutes left and also managed to defend a penalty corner without P.R. Sreejesh in the goal, But Germany held on to the lead, even when India had a last-gasp shy at their citadel in the dying seconds – only for the ball to go just wide.

Netherlands win

The Netherlands stayed in the hunt for the top honours after a gap of five Olympic Games when they hammered Spain 4-0 under a scorching afternoon sun. Winners of back-to-back gold medals at Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000), The Netherlands have mounted their strongest challenge since losing the final at London (2012). The dominant Netherlands show in the semi-finals steamrolled the Spaniards, who had promised a keen contest after knocking out defending champions Belgium in the previous outing. The Dutch, however, repeated their dominance of the league encounter when they prevailed 5-3 against Spain.

After two early raids by Spain, which saw Marc Reyne and Borja Lacalle take shots at the Dutch goal in the initial five minutes, the fast overlapping Netherlands laid seize on the Spanish citadel in the 12th minute. After the custodian blocked one shy at the goal, the scrimmage led to a penalty stroke due to a stick-check in the goalmouth. The penalty stroke was duly converted by Lars Balk with a firm shot to the boards.

Dutch captain Thierry Brinkman scored a peach of a goal when pounced on a ball in the circle and sent a rasping shot that went into the net to the left of goalkeeper Luis Calzado in the 20th minute. Spain forced the first of their five penalty corners in the last minute before half-time, but Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak dived to his right to deny the flick from Jose Maria Basterra.

The Spaniards were finding it tough to keep pace with the Netherlands. Even as they tried hard to build up attacks, Spain’s own defence frequently kept crumbling. Two minutes into the second half, Spain’s attempts to bounce back were dashed by Thijs van Dam when he picked a short pass in the circle and placed the ball in the left corner of the goal. This bolstered the Netherlands lead to three goals, which Spain never looked to neutralise today.

The Spanish performance was sub-par compared to the way they had played when knocking out title holders Belgium in the quarterfinals. Spain were awarded a penalty corner in the 48th minute when Ignacio Rodriguez was pushed down after collecting a diagonal back-pass in the goalmouth. The Dutch defensive wall, however, was not to be breached by two successive penalty corner shots.

Duco Telgenkamp rounded off the Dutch scoring in the 51st minute by shooting home after receiving a square pass in the circle from Thijs van Dam.

With a humiliating defeat staring them in the face, Spain mounted a series of all-out raids, but failed to produce a goal-bearing shot as Netherlands tightened their defence. Despite participating in the most number of Olympics, Spain hunt for their first title remains unfulfilled.

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