With one minute remaining, India got their 11th penalty corner and still failed with it. It's a department they have to look at very seriously. Any other team with 11 penalty corners would have cleaned the match out. Argentina defended in the last few minutes with their goalkeeper Rodolfo standing out for special mention. India can still make it to the final but for that New Zealand has to beat Argentina and India has to beat Japan by more than two goals. They also have to pray that Argentina doesn't score against New Zealand. For the few hundred Indian fans that turned up today, it was a day of disappointment that they couldn't see the Indians win and probably ensure a place in the final. ...

India have beaten hosts Belgium 4-1 to record their second win in three matches. In the 67th minute, Dilip Tirkey fired in a direct hit off India's second penalty corner. The Belgians did protest saying that the ball was raised but after checking with the second umpire, the goal stood as India walked off 4-1 winners. Coach Carvalho would be happy but not satisfied with the win. The fluency was missing and India missed a great opportunity to come back into some sort of a rythmn. But the six points would have raised the confidence of the team for the matches ahead with Japan and Argentina. ...

After the rains abated, has come a sudden dip in temperatures. Just before the start of the India-Belgium game, temperatures took a dive, the last recording showing 15 degrees celsius. After longish warm-up, most of the players seemed confident. Though they definitely would be careful of Belgium, since the hosts are on home ground but on form and rankings, the Indians are a better placed. Belgium at the moment are ranked 13th while the latest FIH rankings put India at the number 8 spot. The Indians have dropped Damandeep Singh (of Orissa Steelers that won the PHL) and Baljit Singh the goalkeeper. Earlier in the day, Argentina beat Japan 2-0 while England crashed to their third consecutive defeat, beaten by New Zealand 1-3. The India-Belgium game begins now. ...

Joaquim Carvalho wants time to build his team. Any coach in the world would want that. And probably that is the only reason why we can't get an elite coach to come and handle the 'talented' Indian team. Please remember, this is not an exercise in criticizing Joaquim Carvalho. He has taken on the team in difficult times, accepted a coaching job that probably apart from you and me, everybody has taken and failed. Giving Carvalho time is not in our hands but in the hands of two people, who go by the name of KPS Gill and K. Jothikumaran, President and secretary of the Indian Hockey Federation. Watching Carvalho while the team plays a match is watching him coach with a gun to his head. A few failures and his head would be on the line. Gone would be the need to give him time and someone who had earlier accepted the coaching job would be back for another shot at it. After the...