Daijiworld Media Network - Amstelveen

Amstelveen, Aug 23: Harmanpreet Singh-led India suffered a 3-1 defeat against hosts Netherlands in their opening Pool E match of the second round at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup at the Wagener Stadium here on Saturday.

The defeat has put India in a difficult position in their bid to reach the semi-finals, while the Netherlands sealed their place in the last four with the victory.

The hosts made a strong start and opened the scoring through Duco Telgenkamp, putting early pressure on the Indian defence. India responded with attacking moves but struggled to convert their opportunities.

Harmanpreet Singh brought India back into the contest with a goal, raising hopes of a comeback. However, the Netherlands maintained their attacking intensity and regained control of the match.

Tjep Hoedemakers restored the Dutch advantage before Thijs van Dam added another goal to put the hosts firmly in command.

India continued to create opportunities and attempted to reduce the deficit in the closing stages, but the Netherlands defence stood firm and prevented the Indian forwards from finding the net again.

The victory strengthened the Netherlands’ position in Pool E and confirmed their place in the semi-finals. India, meanwhile, remain in contention but now face a tougher path to qualification, with their chances dependent on the remaining results in the pool.

The Indian team will look to bounce back in its next fixture and keep its World Cup campaign alive.