The Indian junior women’s hockey team suffered a 1-3 defeat against Germany in their second match of the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup at the Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped, Estadio Nacional, in Santiago on Wednesday. Hina Bano (58’) scored India’s only goal, while Lena Frerichs (5’), Annika Schönhoff (52’) and Martina Reisenegger (59’) were on target for Germany.
It was a high-intensity start, with both teams looking to assert themselves early. Germany pressed high and pushed India onto the back foot, earning a penalty stroke in the fifth minute. Frerichs converted confidently to give her side a 1-0 lead.
India gradually settled after the early setback and began creating chances of their own, but they struggled to find the finishing touch needed to level the score in the first quarter.
The intensity remained high in the second quarter, with India pushing forward in search of an equaliser. Their counterattacks created openings, the best of which came through Manisha, who made a brilliant run but could not capitalise. Germany earned another penalty stroke late in the first half, but Frerichs failed to convert, leaving the score 1-0 at the break.
India started the second half positively, adding more sharpness to their attack and making deeper inroads into the German circle. They came close through a penalty corner, but the elusive equaliser continued to evade them. The tempo dipped slightly in the third quarter, with India still trailing by a single goal heading into the final phase.
India showed urgency in the fourth quarter and created another penalty-corner opportunity, but again failed to find the net.
Germany eventually doubled their lead in the 52nd minute through Schönhoff, who tapped in from close range. India responded in the 58th minute when Hina Bano converted from a penalty corner, raising hopes of a late comeback. However, Germany restored their two-goal cushion within a minute, with Reisenegger scoring their third.
India will next face Ireland on December 5 at 1730 hours IST.
–IANS
