In his post-match analysis after the 5-1 win against India at the FIH Junior World Cup in Chennai on Sunday, German coach Mirko Stenzel was full of praise for his side’s defence throughout the night and the intensity in the first quarter, more than the attacking unit that pumped in the five goals. But one line of his post-match analysis stood out: “To beat the individual-skilled players from India the way we did is incredibly hard.” It was evidently meant as a compliment to India’s style of hockey, but it also gave a glimpse into why Germany were able to thwart the hosts’ attacking forays on the night effectively. Just by blocking of passing lines and staying within their structures, Germany barely allowed India to have any attacking joy.

When the scoreline reads 1-5 in favour of the oppo

See Full Page