Hockey FIH Pro League, India vs Germany as it happened: Match drawn, visitors take bonus point

Summary via FIH: 

While the match ended 1-1, the visiting German side are more likely to be pleased with the result than their India counterparts. Not only did they take the bonus point when they won the shoot-out but, for many of the players, they performed with confidence on one of the iconic hockey stages, the Kalinga Stadium in India.

Akim Bouchouchi will have been pleased with the way his young and inexperienced side competed against India in, what was for most of his players, their first taste of FIH Hockey Pro League action.

The German team had a total of 65 senior caps to their name, with one of the youngest players, 18-year-old Jette Fleschütz, with one of the highest cap counts at 18.

By contrast, Shushila Pukhrambam, was celebrating 200 caps for India and would have hoped for a more conclusive performance by her team. Certainly Head Coach Janneke Schopman will be looking for a more intensive performance by her players in the second match against Germany. 

FIH Pro League action continues in Bhubaneswar on Sunday 13 March, when India women again play host to Germany women. 

FIH Pro League – 12 March 2022

Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar (IND)

Result: Women’s Match 17
India 1, Germany 1 (Germany win shoot-out 2-1)
Player of the Match, Carlotta Sippel (GER)

Standings at the end of today’s match: Germany women’s team get their first points on the board. Back tomorrow, same place, same teams and same time (5pm IST).

Player of the match: Carlotta Sippel, who had a great first half.

Full time, India 1-1 Germany, Shootout, India 1-2 Germany: Monika misses! Not the highest quality of shootout from either side. The ball hit Monika’s foot and that’s that.

Shootout, India 1-2 Germany: German captain with a chance to win, but Nolte hits it wide!

Shootout, India 1-2 Germany: SAVITA BRINGS INDIA BACK! Felicia slipped and didn’t score. Oh dear and India can’t make the most, Lalremsiami hits the post. Still trailing as both teams miss.

Shootout, India 1-2 Germany: Oh no, it is indeed a drag. Stroke doesn’t count! India trail.

Correction: It was Sushila. But Germany have referred. Hang on.

Shootout, India 2-2 Germany: Strauss too holds her nerve. She had a good match. Savita went down early. Neha for India, and she is fouled! That will a stroke. Neha got a bit lucky there. The ball was running out of bounds. *Sushila comes up for the stroke, scores.

Shootout, India 1-1 Germany: Savita saves but Heinz recovers in time and then puts the ball over her in time. Remember, hockey shootouts are time based. Navneet for India next, Coolly done.

Shootout, India 0-0 Germany: Germany miss their first attempt, took far too wide on the angle, Sharmila Devi also misses the chance for India.

FULL TIME STATS: Forget the possession stat, but otherwise this match couldn’t have been closer! Goals, shots, circle penetrations.... very little to separate the sides. Shootout to decide bonus point.

India 1-1 Germany It ends as a draw! We’re now going to a shoot-out to decide which team gets the bonus point.

End of Q4, India 1-1 Germany: India with a chance to win it, Sharmila Devi through on goal but a great tackle at the end (or so the official says!) Hooter goes. SHOOTOUT TIME!

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: OH, SAVE-ITA AT IT! A great chance for India down the left but the defence sends Germany on the counter. A powerful shot at goal comes in and Savita is alert.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Once again, German defence puts themselves under trouble! But Navneet and Co couldn’t fashion a chance. Story of most of this match, it must be said. 2 mins to go now.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Five mins left, India pushing for a winner.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Good referral from Germany, PC overturned.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: HUGE CHANCE! Navneet found in space in front of goal as the German goalkeeper comes rushing out. A PC is given from the scramble but Germany refer this.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: India are the side actively looking for a winner here. Lalremsiami and Salima are involved heavily in build-ups. But once again, the final touch... missing.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: The visitors are into match management mode with 10 mins to go. Too soon? India should take motivation from that.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Gurjit was on the pitch but India went for a hit through Monika instead of a flick. Great rushing from the German defence.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Rookie Sangita Kumari wins a PC for India. Lovely turn there!

Aditya Chaturvedi: No goal in that quarter either, but India with a lot more possession in Germany’s half. It could come down to endurance in the final quarter as both teams search for a winner.

End of Q3, India 1-1 Germany: Another goalless quarter. A huge chance for Germany that was cleared away by Udita and then a couple of PCs that came India’s way.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: The quality has gone down a bit in the quarter, neither team sustaining good possession.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: The ball has turned over a fair bit recently but India put together a series of good passes and the ball finally comes from the right to force the German GK into a save.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: Looks like both teams have decided to focus on keeping possession more in this Quarter... and India lose the ball as I say that. The possession stats will still be in favour of Germany here.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: Those were India’s first PCs of the match.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: Great referral from India for a 5m-violation and they have a PC. Gurjit, on the pitch now, with a nice drag flick but saved. India have another PC, this time hit wide. Germany hang on. Think Gurjit was looking for a deflection there that didn’t come.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: SAVED, SOMEHOW! Savita got a touch and then Udita cleared it away on the line! That looked destined to be a goal.

Half time stats:

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: PC for Germany.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: The Germany team coach Akim Bouchouchi said the team got a bit tired at the end of the half. You wonder how that will pan out as this match progresses. They have come trying to get going with some 3D skills, perhaps hoping to win a PC or two. Half chances for the visitors there.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: HUGE CHANCE! India win the ball back again in dangerous area but the forwards, with Monika and Deepika there, couldn’t find the finishing touch.

Indian men’s coach Graham Reid having a moment with the camera on him in the stands watching the women’s team in action.

Janneke Schopman: End of the half, she thinks, they started do a bit more with the ball in dangerous possession.

Update from Hockey India: 

Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam completed 200 International Caps for India. She achieved this milestone during India’s first match against Germany in the FIH Hockey Pro League match being held at the iconic Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. 

The 30-year-old half-back has been one of the most influential players for the national team over the past decade. She hails from the state of Manipur and was the Captain of the Indian Junior Women’s team which won the Bronze Medal at the Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup in Germany in 2013. She has also represented India at the 2014 Asian Games where India won the Bronze Medal. She has participated at several major international tournaments, and even Captained the Indian Women’s Hockey Team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games which was India’s first appearance in women’s hockey since the 1980 Olympics. 

Sushila is one of the most experienced midfielders and she has been part of India’s important Gold Medal win at the 2017 Asia Cup and she has previously represented India at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She also played a key role in India’s qualification for the Olympic Games 2020.  In 2019, Sushila was part of India’s victory at the FIH Series Finals as well as the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in Bhubaneswar, India. At the Tokyo Olympics too, she played a significant role in the team’s historic fourth place finish. 

An elated Sushila thanked her teammates on this occasion of completing 200 matches for India. She said, “It is truly special for me to complete 200 International Caps at home. It has been a long and very satisfying journey so far. As a team, we have gone through every challenge together as a family. I thank all my teammates, support staff and Hockey India for all their support. I also thank my family who have stood by my side throughout. Every match I have played for India, I have played with pride of wearing the India colours. I look forward to continue working hard and contribute to the team’s success as we have set new targets in this new Olympic cycle.” 

End of Q2, India 1-1 Germany: Better in an attacking sense overall from India in that quarter, and they continued to win the ball back high in Germany’s area of the pitch. You get the sense that India will get better with possession in the 2nd half.

Q2, India 1-1 Germany: Brilliant from Monika to make space for herself inside the circle and her reverse hit on goal is on target! Saved. Brilliant from the Indian No 4.

Q2, India 1-1 Germany: Lalremsiami and Navneet with brilliant combination down the left flank. Looking for a PC, not given. But great stickwork there. Sippel, at the other side, is causing Indian defence constant problems.

Q2, India 1-1 Germany: Germany dominating possession for now, India not able to put together enough passes together, certainly going in the notes of coach Janneke.

Q2, India 1-1 Germany: We saw in the match against Spain that India had strong second half performances physically, the heat not favourable for the European sides of course. Savita and Co will do well to absorb pressure.

Q1, India 1-1 Germany: End of the first quarter, Germany finish the much stronger side. Savita Punia rushes to one of her defenders to have a word. They are under pressure.

Q1, India 1-1 Germany: Savita (or one of the last defenders, wasn’t clear) save this one. India hang on.

Q1, India 1-1 Germany: Pressure on Indian defence, another PC for Germany.

Q1, India 1-1 Germany: Rash tackle in the middle of the field, Nisha gets a green card and India are down to 10 for 2 mins.

Q1, India 1-1 Germany: Brilliant from Lalremsiami to win the ball back high up the pitch and she puts a pass into Sharmila. Her shot is a bit weak as she was still on the move. Saved. Germany then on the counter, India with some brave defending.

Q1, India 1-1 Germany: Lovely rhythm to this game, and even if not full house, having even a few fans in for a hockey match at the Kalinga makes for a great atmosphere.

Q1, India 1-1 Germany, GOAL GERMANY! Savita and the defence do well from the back-to-back PCs but the second PC wasn’t cleared away quickly enough and Sippel scores.

Q1, India 1-0 Germany, GOAL INDIA!!!! WHAT A COUNTER! It’s been all Germany so far but Salima Tete goes on a mazy run down the left flank and Sharmila is found inside the circle, she then puts the ball in a dangerous zone for Navneet to get the final touch.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: The visitors in all white have started on the front foot. A young German side. But fearless, for sure in the early stages. A shot at goal on the turn, goes past Savita. India with some possession now.

Interestingly, Gurjit Kaur is on the bench to start.

via FIH: Akshata Dhekale from India makes her first start and Sara Strauss, Linnea Weidmann, Julia Hemmerle and Mali Wichmann make their debut starts for Germany

MILESTONE: 200th international appearance for Sushila!

ICYMI:

The FIH Hockey Pro League matches between India and Germany (Men), initially scheduled on 12 and 13 March in Bhubaneswar, India, were earlier postponed due to a high number of COVID cases affecting the German team.

Squads

India: Savita Punia (C) (GK), Bichu Devi Kharibam (GK), Deep Grace Ekka, Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Akshata, Abaso Dhekale, Nisha, Salima Tete, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Jyoti, Monika, Neha, Navjot Kaur, Sonika, Rajwinder Kaur, Sharmila Devi, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Mariana Kujur, Deepika.

Germany: Lisa Nolte (C), Pauline Heinz, Lilly Stoffelsma, Sara Strauss, Jette Fleschütz, Linnea Weidemann, Jule Blueuel, Julia Hemmerle, Nike Beckhaus, Mali Wichmann (GK), Stine Kurzz, Ida-Marie Köllinger, Lena Frerichs, Felicia Wiedermann, Emily Günther, Inma Hofmeister, Maja Sielaff (GK), Carlotta Sippel.

4.55 pm: Hello and welcome to live updates of India’s clash with Germany in the FIH Pro League at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar.

Screenshots courtesy: Disney+Hotstar / FIH