Sunday witnessed two surprises from the men’s hockey field in Paris Olympics 2024, where first India got rid of World No. 2 England in the quarters, and then, when Spain beat World No. 1 team and defending champs Belgium to make semis. While the first one is on the expected lines, the ouster of Belgium is a little hard to digest.
Spain Beat Belgium at Paris Olympics
Spain beat Belgium 3-2. Even though it was a close contest, but none of that matters for now. The defending champs are out. It all started when Spain got the first goal in only fifth minute, from the stick of Jose Basterra. But Belgium were quick to respond with an equaliser, in the next 30 seconds, through Arthur de Sloover.
The match was even stevens till the last quarter, where with just six minutes left, Spain struck again. A buoyed Spanish side sounded the board just two minutes later to make sure Belgium can’t script a comeback from there. The the European giants did give it their best, after a goal in the 58th minute. But it was too little, too late for the latter, as they were kicked out of the competition.
What Does it Mean for India?
India will either face Argentina or Germany in the semis, but what it really means for the Harmanpreet Singh-led team is, they have avoided nemesis Belgium in the final, for sure. In a nutshell, if India were to progress to the summit clash, and Belgium, who are fully capable of beating any side; India won’t be facing them any further in the competition. In fact, they had beaten India in the group stages 2-1, our only loss in Paris Olympics so far.
