Just like coach Erik Wonink would have wanted, an energetic Indian team came out firing immediately after the pushback.
Olympian Sharmila Devi dissected the Dutch defence, passing the ball to Sangita Kumari, who attempted a goal in the very first minute. Skipper Salima Tete provided India another chance in the next minute, pushing the ball to Mumtaz Khan, whose attempt was blocked by a very busy Netherlands goalkeeper Sophia ter Kuile.
Barely tested earlier in the competition, the Dutch were on the backfoot at the start with India pressing hard and high.
India earned three penalty corners in the next few minutes, completely stunning the three-time champions. “We were very surprised by the Indian attack at the start,” said Dutch Noor Omrani, the eventual Player of the Match.
All it took was a moment of sheer brilliance in the 12th minute to turn the tables as the Netherlands scored an 18-pass goal—possibly the goal of the tournament—to completely swing the momentum.
On a counterattack, the ball got 17 Dutch stick touches before Tessa Beetsma sounded the board to put Netherlands 1-0 ahead in the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup semi-final in Potchefstroom on Sunday.
India may have dominated the first 11 minutes—with 62% ball possession—but the class of the Dutch, who are the gold standard in women’s hockey, shone through as the Rosa Fernig-led team entered their fourth consecutive final.
Between the 12th minute and the final hooter, Netherlands reversed ball possession (58%) to eventually beat India 3-0 with Luna Fokke (53rd) and Jip Dicke (54th) scoring two more field goals. Netherlands will enter Tuesday’s final against Germany, who hammered England 8-0 in the other semi-final.
Following the initial burst, India were given a Dutch master class in simple push and pass hockey. The Tete-led outfit could not sustain the verve they displayed in the first quarter, never looking in control and completely outplayed in all areas by a much superior opponent.
India’s press also declined as the match progressed with only 11 circle penetrations in comparison to Netherlands’ 25 and only five shots on goal to 12 of Netherlands. India, who reached the semi-finals for only the second time after 2013, failed to earn even a single penalty corner in the last three quarters with the Dutch taking six.
India’s structure collapsed, especially in the second half with the defenders needing to be sharper to keep the Dutch forwards out of the striking circle. The Ishika Chaudhary-led defence could not sustain the pressure, eventually conceding two goals in as many minutes in the final quarter as the Dutch took the match beyond India’s reach.
“I am still proud of the girls the way they played. Chin up as it is not over yet,” said Wonink.
India will face England in the bronze medal playoff on Tuesday.