Expecting the Netherlands to be their quarter-final opponents in the Hockey World Cup, India captain Manpreet Singh on Tuesday said they will continue to play aggressive as it would be a do-or-die match and there would be no margin for error.
India’s quarterfinal opponents will be decided later in the evening after the conclusion of the fourth cross-over match between world no. 4 Netherlands and Canada.
“We are expecting Holland to come through because they are a much better team. But whoever goes through our aim would be to give our best. It is a knockout, do-or-die match and there is no second chance. We can’t afford to miss chances. At the same time, we need to be cautious and give less chances,” the midfielder said.
“We need to play attacking hockey, our strength. We need to put pressure on the opponent from the start,” he said.
The skipper said utilising chances would be crucial to success in the quarter-final.
“If you progress to the semi-finals you always have an option of finishing in the podium. You are just one match away from a medal. But if you lose in the quarter-finals, you don’t get a second chance. In the end it all boils down to how we play. If we get good chances and miss them and the opposition will take advantage,” he added.
Stating that the focus of the team would be to strengthen the defence, he said: “Holland has very good and experienced midfield. They also have good strikers. So, our aim would be to break their moves early. We can’t give them easy chances and also need to convert our chances.”
