Sjoerd Marjine has work cut out in improving women’s team play inside either circle

Chief Coach Sjoerd Marjine has expectedly focused on the development of the Indian women’s hockey team. In sharing his thoughts in public on the two tours of Argentina and Germany this year, he has expressed happiness that the team is picking up inputs that can help it close the gap with the world’s best sides.

“We have played against two different styles of teams who are among the top three in the world. The tours helped us to understand their tactics and also to see what the benchmark needs to be to beat these teams. Although the results were not in our favour, we are getting closer to them,” he said through a Hockey India release. 

“We were able to keep the ball longer, we intercepted some good passes, but the things we need to improve are finishing and defending in the circle. Against teams like these, you need to create your chances and if you don’t, they will do for sure and that’s what happened on this tour. We were able to create some chances and now we need to work on finishing better,” he said.

He pointed out that it is not easy to create chances against a very well-organised team like Germany. “We were able to create enough possibilities to score in every match, but we didn’t finish well. This is something we need to work on in the next following months. We did test them in parts and have some homework to do,” he said.

Marijne also pointed out that India improved after losing the opening Test 0-5 in Germany. “We played that match pretty well, but Germany converted every opportunity into a goal. I think we did well on the tour, but you have to keep looking at the bigger picture and not only focus on the results of this tour,” he said. “We couldn’t win in Germany, but we can win a medal in Tokyo.”

There is no doubt that Marijne and the team have their work cut out in the month-long National training camp at the Sports Authority of India  Centre in Bengaluru. The Chief Coach will have to use the time in Bengaluru to devise ways to iron out the weaknesses he has himself identified – playing inside either circle.

Of course, the tenacity of the team is a standout quality as evidenced by the fact that it did not allow the German side to post runaway victories after the first Test. But it will be matter of concern that the team conceded 10 goals and 18 penalty corners in the four Tests while scoring one goal and forcing seven penalty corners itself.

If there is one lesson that India can take from the German tour, it has to be how the home side tightened its play in its own circle after surviving close some calls in the first Test. India managed six penalty corners in that game – and was unfortunate to see a couple of goal-line saves – but Germany conceded just one such set piece in the 180 minutes thereafter.