Tokyo 2020 Highlights: India lose semifinal to Belgium, fail to reach men’s hockey final

Meanwhile, if you want to life your mood, switch to the 400m hurdles final. The word record holder is in action. History beckons!

Tough one for India to digest, this. After the first half, Belgium completely bossed the game. The Indian midfield went passive, defence too error-prone. The world champions knew all they needed to do was find an Indian foot inside the D. And they did, plenty of times. Save the last open goal sans Sreejesh, all of Belgium’s goals resulted from PCs. A 5-2 scoreline in the end doesn’t reflect how close this game was, especially in the first half. But it does reflect who the better team was.

But it’s not all over for India. A bronze medal match beckons with either Germany or Australia. They’ll have to pick up from here and get back out roaring in a couple of days. A medal, irrespective of the colour, will be massive.

Tokyo 2020: India lose semifinal match to belgium, fail to reach men’s hockey final. The side will compete for Bronze medal in Men’s Hockey either against Australia or Germany.

GOAL! Belgium have scored another. John-John Domen scores another goal with Sreejesh off.

Thomas Briels seems to have pulled a muscle with two minutes on the clock. Sreejesh is off as India are playing with a rolling keeper now to get two goals back.

India are defending at this moment as Belgium continue to keep possession.

GOALLL! Alexander Hendrickx scores! You just can’t keep Alexander Hendrickx out, can you? Gets his third goal of the game, courtesy a penalty stroke this time that goes right between Sreejesh’s legs. It’ll have to be a mother of all comebacks from the Indian team to come back from 4-2 down now.

PC! leads to PC! leads to PC! India have asked for a referral this time — and Belgium have been awarded a penalty stroke.

PC! Belgium have got two more back to back penalty corners. Hendrickx misses it this time with a save from Sreejesh.

Wave after wave, PC after PC, goal after goal. That’s been Belgium’s tale with penalty corners in this match. India did well to save two of them, but when you have the kind of quality like Belgium do, it will be just a matter of time. India will be hoping to turn things around in the final 10 minutes, just like they did in the final 10 of the first quarter.

GOALLL! Alexander Hendrickx hammered another goal – this one to the right bottom corner. His 13th goal of the tournament. And Belgium take lead.

PC! Well saved by Sreejesh on the 2nd attempt, but India have conceded another PC via rebounds.

PC to Belgium! Hendrickx goes for it but well defended by Amit Rohitdas but there is another PC to Belgium. Their 9th one.

A green card shown to Manpreet Singh and he is off for two minutes. India are down to 10 men now for a minimum of 2 minutes, and now they have conceded a penalty corner.

The final 15 minutes begins… can India find a winner in the fourth quarter to book a spot in the final?

The intensity, quite understandably in the heat and humidity of Tokyo, has dropped a bit in the third quarter. But that was a much better 15 minutes of defence from the Indians, not conceding a single PC. India, in turn, couldn’t convert the one they earned. All down to the final 15 now.

End of third quarter. The final 15 minutes — are we heading to a shootout now?

Great ball inside the cirlce, but well defended by India. Sreejesh is screaming to defence to mark much tighter.

Great defensive work by Sumit and Amit Rohitdas there in the defene. Very important passage this, these are tense moments.

India key difference so far has clearly been the PC conversion rate. India have quality dragflickers in the likes of Hamanpreet and Rupinder, but the Belgians have been good in thwarting the threat from that area.

PC! Harmanpreet Singh sends the shot but a brilliant body block by the first rusher from Belgium.

PC to INDIA! Manpreet Singh to Sumit — he runs from the right-hand flank, got pushed in the back by Arthur van Doren inside the circle. Belgium have taken a referral. Belgium have lost their referral.

This is smart froM India, keeping possession and keeping a slow pace. Not allowing Belgium to get a chance to make circle penetrations as much they did in the 2nd quarter.

Cagey third quarter right now. Both teams are trying to penetrate circles but no one being threatening enough.

Indians are doing well on the ball rotation but they need to be sharper win the final 25 wiith their final pass.

The third quarter begins… Belgium get the ball rolling. HERE WE GO!

India got off to a nervy start, conceding an early penalty corner. Felix Denayer sent a ball inside the scoring circle, and the ball was deflected off by Rupinder Singh. Despite Alexander Hendrickx not being on the turf at that point, Luick Luypaert made the most of the opportunity and scored an early goal for Belgium.

It took India nine minutes to get things back to level pegging as Harmanpreet Singh smashed a powerful dragflick past Belgium goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch after the World Champions conceded a penalty corner. Two minutes later, Amit Rohitdas passed a ball to Mandeep Singh inside the circle, and the Indian forward turned a tomahawk shot into the nets to give India the lead.

But Belgium came back strong in the 2nd quarter, getting as many as four penalty corners within a matter of minutes. Hendrickx scored his 12th goal of the Olympics from the penalty corner, getting things again back to level terms, and both teams went into the halftime two goals apiece.

Tokyo 2020: India 2-2 Belgium at halftime in men’s hockey semifinal. Belgium’s quarter, that. But the good thing for India is that it’s only level. Even better: the world champions seem to be relying majorly on PCs to find the goal. India appear more creative with the ball and certainly inside the circle. If they manage to keep the Belgians away from the short corners in the second half, the game could turn around again.

MISS! Harmanpreet Singh misses from penalty corner into the ifnal minute of 2nd quarter.

CHANCE! Dilpreet gets a ball, but he is unable to get a shot away. Passed it to Shamsher, who attempted a tap-in. India have been awarded a penalty corner. Can they score

PC! Alexander Hendrickx’s shot was blocked by Amit Rohitdas — but there is another penalty corner. 2nd PC corner has been reversed as it was regarded as dangerous play.

PC! Belgium have got another penalty corner after Indian team loses some of their steam in defence.

Mandeep saying that he was pushed behind. He has asked for a referral. Will India get a PC? Was there a push on Mandeep or was he already going down? India lose their referral.

CHANCE! Mandeep sends a ball inside the circle and Nilkanta fails to hammer it in. That was a big big chance.

India are now slowing down as the scores are levelled. Belgium looking to dominate possession as well.

PC! Another penalty corner for Belgium as Hardik Singh’s leg touch the ball. Alexander Hendrickx is on the pitch. SCORES!

This one was coming. India conceded as many as four penalty corners to start the second quarter, and something had to give. It did. Belgium level it up.

PC! leads to PC! leads to PC! Rebound goes over the cross bar, Belgium made a mess off it. Well defended by Amit Rohitdas.

PC! Belgium get a penalty corner as Thomas Briels peentrates circle and get the ball on Vivek Sagar Prasad’s legs.

The 2nd quarter begins… Belgium have been rattled. Can India retain lead?

End of first quarter, India are leading by a goal despite Belgium scoring a first goal in just 2nd minute.

That was a brilliant first quarter for India. The Belgians started quicker, and with the early opening goal. But after about five minutes, the Indians took over. Then Harmanpreet did. Then Mandeep did. India with the first shot in this semifinal.

Well defended by Amit Rohitdas as Belgium penetrated the circle, dangerous area. Cool, calm defending.

PC to India! Rupinder Pal Singh’s dragflick saved by Vincent Vanasch. Fantastic save.

GOALLLL! Mandeep Singh’s reverse hit goes in and India have taken a lead now! Amit Rohitdas passed him in circle, he picked it nicely, and sent in a tomahawk shot into the nets.

Belgium are asking for a referral that ball came off a back stick. NO! THE GOAL STANDS! Make that two in two! India have taken the lead in a space of two minutes, with Mandeep Singh scoring a brilliant reverse flick field goal. The Belgians chose to review for a back stick, but the goal stayed.

GOAL! Harmanpreet has equalised with a powerful dragflick, straight through the legs of the defender. India match Belgium PC for PC. After missing the first chance, India make no mistake for the second attempt with Harmanpreet Singh converting his fifth of the tournament

PC TO INDIA! An Indian penalty corner see India try a tomahawk technique, but Vivek could not stop the ball. Another PC.

Amit Rohitdas sends a ball in the striking circle. Gurjant has called for a referral, saying that the ball ball struck Belgium defender’ Arthur Van Doren’s stick and touched Gurant’s leg.

India get a PC!

Arthur Van Doren is troubling the Indian defence with long passes inside the circle. Belgium on the attack.

“Do I have your attention now”. There was no Alexander Hendrickx on the turf, and Luypaert took the charge on the PC. Superb drag flick, superb technique.

Belgium have done what India did against Great Britain: take a very, very early lead. The Belgians are composed as a defensive unit. Composure will have to be the keyword for India as well now.

PC To Belgium! Felix Denayer sends a ball in the circle — and Rupinder Singh’s leg deflects the ball.

GOALKLLL! Luypaert has hammered it in!

CHANCE! Early free hit for Hardik Singh, who made the circle penetrations but could not find a blue shirt in front of goal. Good start

And we are underway… India vs Belgium Men’s Hockey semifinal – LIVE from Tokyo.

This is time for National Anthems – all the players are out on the turf and this is the moment when all emotions come out. The National Flag – the nation. This is what it is all about.

This is it, then. The biggest game in Indian hockey in decades is about to begin. India will have to ensure Belgium’s golden generation doesn’t have a shot at gold; Belgium will look to curtail India’s dream run. Who you got?

Belgium’s golden generation has been superb over the years. It would be not be an easy challenge for India. The first half is crucial.

Team news India: One change in the team today. Lalit Upadhyay is in the playing 16 in the place of Samsher Singh.

Belgium beat Netherlands 3-1

Belgium beat Germany 3-1

Belgium beat Republic of South Africa 9-4

Belgium beat Canada 9-1

Belgium drew with Great Britain 2-2

Belgium beat Spain 3-1 in the quarterfinals

India beat New Zealand 3-2

India lost to Australia 7-1

India beat Spain 3-0

India beat Argentina 3-1

India beat Japan 5-3

India beat Great Britain 3-1 in the quarterfinals

Alexander Hendrickx has been in superb form this Olympics for Belgium – he has scored from PC and scored field goals as well. He is the danger man for India.

India toured Belgium in 2019 and won five games but one must not forget that most of their first-team players were not playing in that tour for Belgium.

India played the first-team squad in FIH Pro League matches in February 2020, and won one match and lost the other.

Here is all your updates from Tokyo Olympics Day 11 — LIVE!

Hello and welcome to our live blog on Tokyo Olympics match between India and Belgium. This is it — it has been two of the best days for India’s hockey in a long, long time. From here on, it could be even better if India can win this one.