India vs. China: Fulton's Hockey Team Unveils 'New Plan' to Secure Asia Cup Final Spot

Rajgir: The Indian men’s hockey team is just a step away from making it to the Asia Cup final, and standing in front of them is none other than China. They gave the Indians a hard time in the first group game and will once again be hoping to hinder their progress to the top of the table.And considering how India have performed at times in this tournament, it does not seem impossible. But coach Craig Fulton isn’t too worried about what has happened in the last few games and believes the team is hitting peak at the right time.“During the Asian Champions Trophy in 2023, we also drew with Japan in the group stage. Then we played them in the semifinal and we won that 5-0. So, we are fast learners. It’s not something that you plan to do and go into. You have got to look back at it, regroup, and go again with a new plan,” said Fulton.“That’s probably what happened in the first two games. We weren’t sharp where we needed to be. And now I think we’re growing in the tournament. It’s better to not start 5-0, 5-0 and then lose the important games. I’d rather go this way, have a bit more frustration, but have good, honest conversations with the group and then we can do this better.”Having said that, he is, however, concerned about how the team has been playing when the crowd has been really getting loud and the team is in a spot of bother. Rather than being composed and calm, they have been getting restless and trying too hard.“We just got to deal with the moment a bit better. The crowd is baying for blood. So, they want goals and then when the noises go up, everyone thinks we have to hit it harder or do more. But like I said from the first one, we need to be a little bit calmer in the moment and see more and then (find) where the space is. And then play to the space,” Fulton had said after India’s 2-2 draw against South Korea.And it’s something that the team has been working on with mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton – to manage the moments better. There’s another area that Fulton wants the team to better manage and that is the expectations of the crowd.“I just think the expectation is the thing to manage because everyone wants to win and everyone wants every shot to go in. But it doesn’t work like that. Maybe one game in ten, it works like that and whatever you shoot goes in. But other teams know that we are a threat, so they just pack the D. It’s pretty frustrating and it takes time to break it down,” added the coach.However, it’s exactly what they will have to do if they are to beat China on Saturday and make it to Sunday’s final. They will also hope for a better show from their goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak. Although he made a brilliant save from a penalty corner against Malaysia, he has been conceding easy goals at other times but as Fulton said, “You just got to back your ’keepers.”“Goalkeeping is such a different position to any other position. Make one mistake, it’s all your fault. Strikers can make 10 mistakes and it’s the goalkeeper’s fault. So, we try to get a balance between how important that role is so that if he does make a mistake, someone else or the team or the group, we have a buffer and that’s always the play,” the coach added.It’s high time they do that because one slip on Saturday might prove very costly if the match between Malaysia and South Korea doesn’t go as expected.SCENARIO EXPLAINEDThe four teams having played two matches each in the Super4s stage, India are on top with four points while China and Malaysia are second and third with three points each. South Korea are last with one point and are out of contention. With India’s place in the final still uncertain, here is a list of what might happen on the last day of the Super4s stage:🔴If India win or draw, they will finish among the top two teams and go through to the final despite what happens in the other match.🔴If India lose, they can still go to the final if Malaysia lose or draw.🔴If India lose and Malaysia win, China and Malaysia will go through as the top two teams.🔴If India win and Malaysia lose or draw, then China will qualify alongside India.