India suffered a loss at their home ground as the Spanish team dominated the Men in Blue to win 3-2 in the third match of the brand new FIH Hockey Pro League season at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Spain looked strong from the start of the game with more ball possession and two goals in the first half. Although India Back in the last minute, Marc René scored in the 57th minute to give Spain the win. Spain was particularly dangerous as they launched more attacks from the sides.
After a level draw in the first quarter, a Harmanpreet mistake proved costly as Spain converted a penalty corner in the 17th minute of the game. Sreejesh tries to save it but Sreejesh’s deflection from the pads goes straight into the net by Eduard D’Ignacio. India created chances but could not convert anyone. Young Raj Kumar Pal missed an open shot just short of the goalpost in the 20th minute. It was then captain Mark Miralles who scored another goal to give Spain a two-goal cushion.
Mandeep and Hardik’s combination got India two penalty corners with skipper Harmanpreet Singh converting the second. India was particularly dangerous on the left as Spain gave them enough room to create opportunities. Spain went into the half-time break with a goal ahead but it was the Men in Blue who showed their class.
The third quarter turned into a one-on-one contest as teams tried to split the half of their opponents without much success. Spanish goalkeeper Adrian Rafi was the star in the last quarter, making some heroic saves and denying the Indian forward another score. However, Abhishek managed to equalize the score.
Max Caldas’ men are known for never giving up, and they showed it today. Spain continued to attack and in the end, Mark Rainey managed to turn the match in his favor by defeating Indian goalkeeper Krishna B Pathak.
Player of the match, Jordi Bonastre was extremely pleased with his team’s performance: “It was a tough game today but our team played together and we did well. Now we have got a break of 3-4 days and we would like to continue the winning streak.
India’s Manpreet Singh, one of the most senior members of the team, said his performance dropped from the performance he played against New Zealand today: “We got enough chances but couldn’t convert any of them. We will sit together, figure out our mistakes through video analysis and come back stronger.
India plays New Zealand on 4 November 2022 at 07:00 IST at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
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