Malaysia, Nov 30: In an entertaining final, Belgium beat India 1-0 in a closely-fought encounter to lift the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup here on Sunday.
India were forced to settle for a silver, thanks to Thibeau Stockbroekx’s lone goal of the match in the 34th minute.
This is Belgium’s maiden Sultan Azlan Shah title and only their second appearance in the event.
Unfortunately for India, who were coming into this match after a high-scoring 14-3 win against Canada on Saturday, they couldn’t convert the three penalty corners.
While Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas and Sanjay have been successful in the PC attack during this tournament, they could not beat the Belgian defence.
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This was India’s second defeat in this tournament after losing 2-3 to the European powerhouse in the league stage.
There were intense midfield battles and with experienced stars like Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh rested for the tournament, the onus was on the younger lot who did well to keep narrow margins.
Both teams displayed tactical game, with Belgium starting on a better note through better ball possession. Their attack troubled the
Indian defence from both flanks, and even forced a couple of sharp saves from the Indian goalkeeper.
Though there were two early PCs for Belgium, India did well to keep them at bay.
India took a while to settle into the match while Belgium made them work in the midfield to control the play.
With 0-0 at half time, Belgium shifted momentum and put India under pressure.
The Indians resorted to high press and increased their circle entries but could not out-smart Belgian defence in the third quarter too.
Meanwhile, Stockbroekx’s goal in the 34th minute put India under the pump.
The final quarter saw India make desperate attempts to level scores but Belgium’s structure held strong and ran down the clock to seal the win. (PTI)
