India beat Wales 4-2. India vs Wales Hockey Match Today Live Scorecard: India beat Wales 4-2 in Pool D match to finish in second place in the pool. India will now play a cross-over match against New Zealand to qualify for the quarterfinal.
Needing to win by a margin of eight goals to qualify directly for the quarter-finals on Thursday, India failed to live up to the expectations as they finished second in Pool D behind England.
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Akashdeep Singh (32nd and 45th minutes) struck twice, while Shamsher Singh (21st) and Harmanpreet Singh (59th) got the other goals for India. Gareth Furlong (42nd) and Jacob Draper (44th) were the goal-getters for Wales.
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Indian Hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Hardik Singh share a light moment during their training session on the eve of the match against England at FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023, in Rourkela, Odisha. (PTI)
Harmanpreet scores atlast as he hits it straight down the middle. Just 40 seconds remaining in the game. PEEP PEEP! All over. India win. IND 4-2 WAL
Rupert Shipperley gets a green card and Wales are down to 10. Manpreet Singh was felled by a poor tackle. Can India make use of this chance? IND 3-2 WAL
Now its Wales on the attack but Krishan Pathak stops the move. But Wales are not backing down and go for another as they enter the striking circle but Akashdeep Singh sasves the day. IND 3-2 WAL
And we have a goal right at the start! A brilliant goal from Akashdeep who once again does a one-two with Sukhjeet and then slots it home. Just what India wanted. IND 3-2 WAL
Wales scored back-to-back goals in penalty corners and the scores are level at the end of Q3. IND 2-2 WAL
Another PC for Wales and another Goal ! WOW! Furlong's flick is saved by Sreejesh but the rebound falls to Jacob Draper finds the net. IND 2-2 WAL
Wales on the counter and Carson wins a PC ! And Wales have scored. GOAL! A disruptive drag which beats Sreejesh. Gareth Furlong has pulled one back for Wales and the pressure is back on India. IND 2-1 WAL
Wales are down to 10 men as Rhodri Furlong is shown a Green card! Meanwhile, another PC for India, fifth of the game. IND 2-0 WAL
Lalit Upadhyay shows some brilliant skills to keep possession, evades a few defenders. India win a PC after Jarmanpreet enters the circle, plays a pass and Sukhjeet's shot is blocked. IND 2-0 WAL
Wales get a penalty corner early in the third quarter but the shot goes wide. India go on the counter and then a brilliant one-two by Mandeep and Akashdeep and its Akashdeep who scores for the men in blue. IND 2-0 WAL
"We are fumbling the ball a bit. We need to be a bit more patient in the second half to get more goals," says Graham Reid at HT.
Peep! Peep! Referee blows the whistle and with that the second quarter comes to an end. At halftime, it is India who hold the edge over Wales. IND 1-0 WAL
After conceding a goal, Wales make a move forward but Harmanpreet comes up with a fine tackle to stop the move. IND 1-0 WAL
GOAAALLL! Harmanpreet Singh's shot is blocked but Shamsher Singh scores on the rebound. India are in the lead. IND 1-0 WAL
Vivek Sagar Prasad finds the back of the net from outside the striking circle as Reynolds-Cotterrill allows it pass by. It can't be a goal because it was hit from outside the circle. IND 0-0 WAL
Once again India press high and this time India win a PC. Can India find a goal ? No... a brilliant tackle from Kelly stops Manpreet from taking the shot. IND 0-0 WAL
James Carson makes an incisive run but no harm for India. The men in blue counter but and Akashdeep and Mandeep hit a good shot but the ball doesn't find the net. We are coming to the end of the first quarter. No change in scoreline. IND 0-0 WAL
Chance for a penalty corner as Mandeep Singh reaches on the edge of the circle and hits it on to Will Ioan's legs. But the ref is unmoved. IND 0-0 WAL
A chance for Nilakanta but his shot is not a good one. India are pressing Wales high, and often. IND 0-0 WAL
Wales string a few passes and they build the pressure but Griffiths is unable to control the ball as it goes out. IND 0-0 WAL
Akashdeep falls over in the opposition circle but no foul for India. The atmosphere is once electric tonight.
And we are underway with the first quarter and it is India on the front foot as they get a shot on goal within the first 60 seconds. But no damage done for Wales. IND 0-0 WAL
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik greets the two teams and then come the national anthems and a huge roar after its culmination. Time for action
PR Sreejesh (GK), Surender Kumar, Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (C), Shamsher Singh, Varun Kumar, Akashdeep Singh, Amit Rohidas, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Sukhjeet Singh
If India and England finish level on points, goal difference, and goals scored, then there will be a shoot out between the two teams to determine who finishes on top
If India and England finish level on wins, points, goal difference and goals scored, then group winner will be decided on the basis of field goals scored. As things stand, India need at least six field goals to overtake England's tally.
With England winning by 4-0 against Spain, the GD for England is 9, in all probability will top Pool D and play QFs directly. India has to score minimum 8 goals vs Wales. In case they don't win by that margin, India will face New Zealand in a crossover playoff on Sunday. Will it be possible ? Let's see.
Three-time champions Netherlands registered a record-breaking 14-0 win over debutants Chile to secure a direct qualification into the quarter-finals, while Malaysia stunned New Zealand 3-2 to finish second in Pool C at the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup on Thursday. With three wins from as many games, Netherlands finished at the top of Pool C with maximum nine points, while Malaysia were second with six points from two victories.
Wales, on the other hand, will be playing for pride as they have virtually no chance of progressing to the next stage following two heavy losses against England (0-5) and Spain (1-5). Even if they beat India, which is highly unlikely, and Spain defeat England, Wales might not make it to the crossovers as they have a goal difference of minus nine.
Ahead of India’s third match against Wales at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar in the ongoing FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, the police Wednesday arrested five people in Bhubaneswar on charges of black marketing match tickets. A special squad of the commissionerate of police, Bhubaneswar, arrested the group of five and seized 35 match tickets and cash worth more than Rs 10,300. Police sources said the accused were using messaging apps to sell the tickets at a soaring price. While tickets of Rs 100 were allegedly sold for Rs 1,000, those which cost Rs 200 were sold at Rs 2,000. Similarly, tickets for east and west stands, which generally cost Rs 400 and Rs 500 respectively, were sold at Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 each. (READ MORE)
Abhishek, Surender Kumar, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (captain), Lalit Upadhyay, Krishan Pathak, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, PR Sreejesh, Nilakanta Sharma, Shamsher Singh, Varun Kumar, Akashdeep Singh, Amit Rohidas (vice-captain), Vivek Sagar Prasad and Sukhjeet Singh.
Toby Reynolds-Cotterill(gk), Rhys Payne(gk), Gareth Furlong, Daniel Kyriakides, Hywel Jones, Ioan Wall, Steve Kelly, Lewis Prosser (captain), Dale Hutchinson, Jacob Draper, Gareth Griffiths, Rhys Bradshaw, Rupert Shipperley (captain), Fred Newbold, Ben Francis, Luke Hawker (captain), James Carson, Jack Pritchard
India were found wanting in penalty corner conversions in their first two matches in the FIH Men’s World Cup, but midfielder Manpreet Singh is hoping that the home side will hit the target against Wales on Thursday. India have got nine penalty corners so far but have not scored once from them directly though Amit Rohidas found the target against Spain in the opening match in Rourkela after captain Harmanpreet Singh’s drag-flick was rebounded from an opponent’s stick. Against England, with whom they played out a goal-less draw, India got four penalty corners. “There were few misses but if you see, England also defended well and their goalkeeper did well. We cannot say that it was not our mistake, but somewhere, England also defended well. We will analyse where we went wrong,” Manpreet said after the team training.
It’s not a question of progressing out of the group. India are already through to the knockout rounds but what route they’ll take will be determined on Thursday. The hosts are level on points with England (4 each) but are second due to an inferior goal difference (two to five). This could eventually come into play to decide which team wins the group. Only the pool toppers are assured of a direct spot in the quarterfinals while the second and third-placed teams will have to go via the playoff route. While winning the group won’t relieve any pressure in terms of the opponent India will face in the quarterfinals. Regardless of how they reach quarters, India is likely to battle either Germany or Belgium for a spot in the semifinals. Finishing ahead of the three other teams in the group, however, will make sure they won’t have to face potential banana-skin opponents like New Zealand and Malaysia to simply make it to the quarterfinals.
To top the Pool, India will have to:
* Beat Wales and hope England lose or drop points against Spain; or,
* Beat Wales by a higher goal margin in case England win to head the group on goal difference.
As if to show he is no longer in pain, Hardik Singh bounces a football on the turf a couple of times and – aware that the cameras are following him – launches a flat cross-field pass that would’ve made any footballer worth his salt proud. And to really drive home his point, he looks across, smiles and leaves without saying a lot. Like most of the last week, he let his skills do the talking. Against England on Friday, India’s best outfield player so far in the World Cup had left the field wincing in pain and clutching at his right hamstring. At that moment, it felt like his tournament was done. India coach Graham Reid, too, thought for a moment he’d lost a player who, with his prancing runs combined with wristy stick-work that’s a throwback to the yesteryears, has sparked the attacks. (READ MORE)
India and England are on four points each after two matches with the latter ahead on goal difference -- plus five as against the hosts' plus three. India, though, will have the advantage of knowing what to do before their match as they play after England's game against Spain on Thursday.
India will be firm favourites to win against bottom-placed debutants Wales in their final pool match and qualify directly for the quarter-finals of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup on Thursday. The venue for the big game tonight is the Kalinga International Stadium, Bhubaneshwar. Stay tuned for live updates.