India fell to a 4-7 defeat against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the FIH Hockey5s Men's World Cup in Muscat on January 30. With this, Mohammed Raheel's hat-trick went in vain as India failed to eke out a win.
Alongside Raheel (1', 7', 25'), Mandeep Mor (11') contributed to India's scoreline.
The Netherlands saw goals from Sander de Wijn (4', 15') and Alexander Schop (10', 26'), each scoring twice, while Lucas Middendorp (12'), Jamie van Aart (13'), and Pepijn Reyenga (20') also registered goals.
India began the match promisingly as Raheel secured an early field goal in the first minute, setting the stage for a competitive encounter.
However, the Netherlands promptly responded to India's early lead when de Wijn (4') levelled the score. Unfazed by the swift equaliser, India intensified their offensive strategies, resulting in another goal by Raheel.
Despite regaining the lead, the Netherlands, displaying resilience, managed to equalise once more, courtesy of a goal by Schop.
The match continued with a back-and-forth exchange, as Mandeep reclaimed the lead for India.
However, the Netherlands countered with a rapid succession of goals, with Middendorp and van Aart skillfully finding the back of the net, shifting the momentum in favor of the Netherlands.
Heading into halftime, de Wijn delivered a crucial challenge goal, putting India at a disadvantage. In the second half, the Netherlands asserted their dominance, with Reyenga and Schop extending their lead.
Despite Raheel's valiant effort, who scored again to complete his hat-trick, India fell short.
In their third and final pool match, Maninder Singh scored four goals as India dominated Jamaica with a 13-0 victory, securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the FIH Hockey5s Men's World Cup in Muscat on January 29.
Maninder scored twice in the second minute and once each in the 28th and 29th minutes, all of which were field goals.
Before the match against Jamaica, the Indian team secured a 9-1 victory over Switzerland but encountered a setback against Egypt in their first two Pool B matches. After three games, India ended up in the second position in Pool B.
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