The hosts India continued their unbeaten streak in the Junior Hockey WC after beating Belgium 4-3 in the penalty shoot-out in the quarterfinals in Chennai to set their semifinal date with defending champions Germany.India were trailing 0-1 after the end of the first half but they fought back hard in the second half to end the game 2-2 on level terms in the regulation time before stealing the win from Belgium in the shoot-out.
Belgium struck the first goal of the match in the 13th minute thanks to Cornez-Massant, who made India concede for the first time, to end the first quarter 1-0 in the lead. India won the fourth penalty corner of the match in the 45th minute, but this time skipper Rohit delivered to end the third quarter at 1-1.
India won their fifth penalty corner of the match and Tiwari converted with ease to finally put India in a 2-1 lead. Belgium then pulled off a stunner in the 59th minute to level the score 2-2 and send the match to a penalty shoot-out.
In the shoot-out, India’s Sharda Nand Tiwari and goalkeeper Princedeep led from the front to hand India a 4-3 win and take the hosts into the semis.
Seven-time champions Germany advanced to the semifinals of the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup with a 3-1 win in the shoot-out over a gutsy France after both the teams were locked 2-2 at the end of regulation time here on Friday.Germany had eked out a narrow 2-1 win over France in the final of the 2023 edition.
In the shoot-out, Jonas von Gersum, Justus Warweg and Lukas Kossel, who scored from a penalty stroke, were the goal getters for Germany,. France’s lone strike in the shoot-out came from Aristide Michaelis.All credit goes to German goalie Jasper Ditzer, who produced a superlative show, not just in the shoot-out but throughout the enthralling contest.
On Friday, it turned out to be a hard-fought contest between the two sides but France had better share of circle penetrations and chances.
France had the first real scoring chance in the form a penalty corner in the 13th minute but the effort was saved by German keeper Ditzer.Both the teams matched each other stick-for-stick as the deadlock continued after the first 15 minutes.
The second quarter produced enthralling contest with the tempo and intensity of the game increasing to a different level. If not for German goalkeeper Ditzer, France would have had a sound lead by the half time.