HWL 2017 Final: India face ‘unwell’ Germany for bronze to end 2017

After outplaying India in the pool stage, Germany will return to test the hosts when the two teams meet in the bronze-medal match of the Hockey World League (HWL) 2017 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. The title match will be played between Rio Olympics gold medallists Argentina and world champions Australia.

The penultimate day of the tournament saw the world No. 2 Aussies outplaying the Germans 3-0 in the second semifinal. No. 1 Argentina had defeated India 1-0 in the first match of the last-four stage.

It was tough for Germany with four of their players down with fever and one already out injured. Understandably, they were short on resources and confidence for the semis.

Mats Grambusch too wasn’t 100 percent but went on to play the match.

(Also read: HWL 2017 Final: Australia crush depleted Germany to reach final)

The weather conditions on Saturday were considerably better compared to 24 hours ago when the Indians and the Argentines had to contend with a slushy and heavy pitch.

It drizzled for 15 minutes on Saturday evening but the overcast skies didn’t open up any further.

Earlier in the tournament, the Germans had blunted India’s counter-attacking tactics in the league phase winning that match 2-0.

India coach Sjoerd Marijne, who was in the stands on Saturday to study the German tactics, will thus have his task cut out to turn things around.

India had won a bronze medal in the last edition of the tournament as well in 2015, when they beat Netherlands in the shootout to finish on the podium. 

Manpreet Singh & Co. would want to end 2017 the same way.