India's Worst Hockey Nightmare: The 8-0 Defeat That Shocked Everyone

As a fan, have you ever had a moment when you watch a favorite team play, and everything just goes horribly wrong? That pretty much sums up the debacle India faced at Birsa Munda when they lost 8-0 to Argentina.

I've been a fan long enough to see India play bad games, but nothing like this. The score line was one thing. The loss was one thing. But being beaten at every single aspect of the game, from the first to the last minute, down to the final whistle, was something completely different. For the entire game, Argentina's offensive line was treating India as if they were depressable cones.

And the first goals were scored before even a quarter of the incredibly understaffed Indian supporter group made it to their seats. It was that bad. Argentina were simply dancing around the Indian defenders. No kidding. For real. The defenders were turning in a circle to, "locate and track the ball," and while they were celebrating. The defenders sat down, and literally watched the ball be at the back of the other.

By the end of the first half, the score was already 5-0. 5 goals in 2 quarters. My friend said, "Should we just leave?" We decided to stay and hope for some kind of miracle. Spoiler alert, it didn't happen. 

Why did we lose so badly?

This is the question everyone is asking. The same thing happens when your phone breaks, it is not one thing, usually, it is multiple things happening at once. 

Our Players Were Gassed Out 

Nobody wants to talk about it, but it is super obvious. If you watch the replays, you can see. I think, surprisingly, in the 1st quarter, we were able to keep up to the Argentinian's pace (If not, I am sure they were winning in the 1st quarter), but in the 2nd quarter, we were not even close. 

I especially noticed the Argentinian midfielder who went the entire length of the pitch to score his team's sixth goal. Our defender tried to keep up, but he just couldn’t match the Argentinian's pace. This is not to suggest he was being lazy, it’s more about the fact that his legs just couldn’t get moving. That is, without a doubt, a fitness issue. 

Hockey has evolved a lot, and it will only continue to do so. Modern hockey is a full on war for 60 minutes and if you can’t keep up, you will be run down. That is exactly what happened to us. We walked away with no win, (and) no game plan.

We've got no game plan, which is a little more accurate to describe the situation. It’s as if we had a mental game plan, one that had already been thoroughly implemented because 5 minutes in, the plan seemed to disappear. Every single time one of our defenders got the ball, Argentina put their entire team in a full court press. Every. Single. Time. It’s not a surprise. It’s hockey.

We, however, went a different direction. The ball would arrive at one of our players and everyone collectively seemed to enter a state of panic. Instead of passing the ball to create space around the press, people seemed to think that trying to run through the press would be the answer. It was not. Argentina would happily take the ball and start another attack as we went backward.

Want to take a guess as to how many successful build up passes from the back we managed amidst the press? 3. 3 build up passes from a national team in an entire game. Pathetic.

Lack of Fundamental Skills

It hurts me to recognize that our player's fundamental skills were inadequate. Things like their first touch, passing accuracy and general ball control. These are skills that are required for even being considered for a national team.

The ease at which the Argentinian players performed the task of making a one touch pass, trap and shoot on target was astonishing. Our players were struggling to pass to the right player, control the ball and shoot on target. We looked like total amateurs.

In the third quarter, our midfielder was the only clear player at the time and the target was free and clear. He could have made a target like movement and scored. The pass just died on him and rolled straight to an Argentinian player and of course, he scored within the next 30 seconds.

The Game in the Mind

After joining the team, the first thing I was told was not to keep any opposition to modifying the strategy. I was the only player to keep the ball moving. With time I ended up being the only player that came on every second at the base. I would always head the ball into the unbeaten zone and then I would take that out of the zone. I recall a moment similar to that one. After the Argentinian team managed to score their 4th or even 5th goal, I can definitely recall that sensation to me. I looked at the ball and the entire team fully checked out. They lost it mentally.

A true champion displays heart and character, even when they are on the losing end. They always adjust and fight to the bitter end. We showed nothing. It appeared to be a scaling defeat. Mentally, many were done, waiting for the time to expire and for the official to end the contest. That loss mentality is not the mark of champions. It is the mark of a defeated team.

What Needs to Change

Enough of the talk, what are the solutions. And believe me, if we don't do something about it, this won't be the last time we get humiliated like we did with the 8-0 loss.

Get Serious About Fitness

Starting tomorrow, the team needs to be on an actual structured fitness regime. Not the silly stuff where you run around the field like you are training for an 800m race. We need proper people that will scientifically and professionally develop fitness programs that will get us to where we need to be

Look at Argentina’s players. They were running like it was the first minute of the game again, not the 60th. That doesn't come naturally, that is months and years of proper conditioning. We need the full mixture, strength, sprint and endurance.

Coach Modern Hockey

It hurts to say it, but our training needs a full overhaul. The game has changed. What was effective a decade ago is now useless. We need to get people that know how the top teams play now.

These coaches ought to be watching videos, breaking down what the top coaches do, and teaching the players the newer systems. Maybe they could bring in a foreign coach? Someone from Europe, or South America, who has been at the top?

Improve the Fundamentals at the Youth Level

The skill gap has been the result of poor planning over the course of many years. Our youth development is weak. Kids in the hockey academies are not getting the training above the baseline.

We should be getting them between the ages of 10, 12 or 14. By the time they are approaching 20, they should be accustomed to skills including, good first touch, accurate passing, and smart positioning.

We have poor systems relative to our competitors, which is reflected in the poor performance of our players. More money should be invested in better facilities to retain quality coaches at the junior level, and more money should be spent on maintaining the collapsed systems at the national and state level and creating the broken pathways between the local clubs.

Compete Against Better Opposition

Playing against poor opposition is not a good thing. Yes we will lose many of the games to begin, however, we will have the ability to improve very significantly.

Understanding Psychology in Sports

A mental breakdown occurred in this match; therefore, it would be best to get some help for the mental aspect of the game. Every professional sports team has sports psychologists. Why don’t we?

Players must learn to deal with pressure, mental setbacks, and frustration when things do not go their way. All of this can be achieved through training, in addition to mental conditioning. However, guidance from mental condition professionals is necessary.  

What we can learn from the Argentine Team

As we point fingers at the team for the match, we can mention the strengths of the Argentine team. They played really well.

They were a really good team and they can teach us some things. They were awesome at their teamwork. Before a player passed the ball, the others knew where to move. This comes from good training and having a game plan.

They have also been efficient. They scored 8 goals from about 12 good chances. This comes from finishing and not from panic. Our players need to watch videos of the Argentine forwards to understand how to position themselves when taking the shot.

The work rate is incredible. Even at 6-0 they were still running, still pressing, still fighting for every ball. That’s sheer professionalism. That’s what champions do.

Why This Loss Is Different

It’s part of sport to lose. But losing like this has a deeper sting for many reasons.

We lost in front of a home crowd. People filled Birsa Munda stadium. People paid their hard earned money to take time off work to support their team only to witness a record 8-0 defeat. They deserved better.  

We lost in a way that is historically significant. “Remember when India lost 8-0 at home?” This will be a stain on our history of hockey for many years to come.

Most importantly, we lost our dignity. When you lose 2-1 or 3-2 you can say you fought hard. When you lose 8-0 you look like you should be in a completely different sport. That’s what hurts the most.

Can We Bounce Back?

Yes, it’s possible, but it depends on what happens next. If everyone simply moves on and forgets about this match after a few weeks, then nothing is going to change. We will continue to be average and endure the same defeats.

Now, if this is the wake-up call that brings about change, like new coaching and new systems, real commitment to player development, then, just maybe, this terrible loss could be a positive turning point.

In other sports, there are stories of comebacks, of teams who after hitting rock bottom completely transform and become champions. There is no reason why Indian hockey can’t do that. We have the devotion. We have the infrastructure. We have the talent. What we lack is the right execution.

Final Thoughts

The 8-0 defeat to Argentina at Birsa Munda Stadium is a day that is etched in the history of Indian hockey, and it is a day that Indian hockey fans will never forget. It is an embarrassing and painful truth that is hard to swallow.

The defeat is not the biggest problem. The most important thing is that we do something about the problems that we have raised. Concrete actions need to be taken to address the problems. Fitness, strategies, skills, mindset, and systems from grassroot levels to the national level.

Nothing in life is solved quickly, and this certainly is not an exception. It will take years to achieve this, and only if we are truly committed to revitalising Indian hockey, will we see results.

The score is unforgettable and will stick in the memories of everyone involved for years. The only positive we can take is that the future holds an opportunity to ensure that this never happens again. However, we will need to demonstrate the commitment to avoid this, and that is absent.

At this stage, all that we can do is hope for a turnaround from this low point. If we

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