Pakistan lack of fight surprising

India coach Jose Brasa was pleased with his team’s comprehensive display versus Pakistan in the World Cup opener.

By Adarsh Vinay

Jose Brasa was his jovial self after India registered an emphatic 4-1 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in their encounter at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Sunday night. He was all praise for the team. "We played very well, especially in the first half. We made lots of chances and we thoroughly deserved our 2-0 lead at the break," said the Spanish coach.

But the Spaniard was surprised by the lack of fight shown by Pakistan. The visitors were completely outplayed and, for the majority, the match seemed one-sided. "The match was easier than I expected. I did not think we would have it so simple. But credit to the team, we played well and we deserve the win."

Brasa was especially pleased with the fact that the team kept its emotions in check against their bitter rivals. "I am satisfied with the way they played the game. They controlled their emotions and were very calm throughout," he said. India had lost to Pakistan 7-1 in the 1982 Asian Games at the National Stadium.

India captain Rajpal Singh was equally jubilant with the result. When asked if he thought the result would be so lopsided, he joked that he expected the margin to be higher. But on a serious note, he said he was very happy with the team's performance.

"We dominated the whole game. We stuck to our strategy. We planned to play short passes and that worked for us. Our forward line combined well while building up the attack," said the 26-year-old skipper.

The Indian captain summed up the win in one line: "They were good, but we were better."

Indo-Pak encounter excites Vogels

The much anticipated India-Pak encounter will be one of the most exciting matches of World Cup, feels Guus Vogels.

The veteran Dutch goalkeeper Vogels said even though the Netherlands open their campaign the next day against Argentina, it won't stop him from watching the sub-continent rivals lock horns at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi on Sunday.

"The India-Pakistan match would definitely be an exciting one. This match will eventually decide the standing of Pool A.

I will definitely watch it," said the 34-year-old custodian.

Even though Vogels was not certain about India's chances in the prestigious tournament, he feels Pakistan would be a tough contender to deal with during the February 28-March 13 event.

"We played two practice games against Pakistan in Doha before the World Cup and both the matches were tight. Pakistan is very strong in counter attack and no team can afford to give them space. In Sohail Abbas, Pakistan has one of the best drag-flickers in the world," he said. .

Vogels have all the major medals in his cupboard, including four Champions Trophy titles, two Olympic gold and a European championship crown.

But a World title has always eluded him and the 34-year-old, who will retire after the tournament, said that they will leave no stone unturned to win the tournament, which would be a perfect farewell to his career.

"World Cup is a nice goal because after this tournament I will retire and I want to retire as a world champion," said Vogels, who was a member of the Netherlands side that won back-to-back golds at 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 2000 Sydney Games.

"I have played for the country for the last 14 years and I am the number one goalkeeper for the last 10 years. So, I feel that its time for me to move on," he added.

Vogels said though the Dutch hockey has gone down in the last couple of years, there is very little gap between the top teams of the world.

"We have had some disappointments over the last few years. It all started from the last World Cup in Monchengladbach (Germany), but the difference between top four teams is minimal.

"We could not train back home because during winter the pitch was frozen but we practiced in South Africa. We have had a good preparation. So far our first goal is semifinal and from there on we will see," he said.