Amstelveen, India will look to put the disappointment of missing out on a semifinal spot behind them and sign off from the Women’s Hockey World Cup with a win when they face higher-ranked Germany in the fifth-place playoff here on Wednesday.
For India, the contest is not just about finishing fifth but also about carrying the confidence of an impressive World Cup campaign into next month’s Asian Games, where a gold medal would bring direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. India have lost just one match in the tournament and, irrespective of the result against the two-time champions, are assured of their best World Cup finish since their fourth-place effort in the inaugural edition in 1974. India, featuring 11 World Cup debutants, will face a stern test against a side that has already beaten it twice in practice matches before the tournament.
“This rest was crucial to recover from the setback in the previous match. “The team has overcome the disappointment of not reaching the semifinals and is now fully focused on defeating Germany and leaving the tournament with a win. We want to improve our game and perform better for the Asian Games. They then produced one of their most disciplined performances of the tournament against defending champions and hosts Netherlands, restricting the Dutch to two goals, both from penalty corners. However, our focus will be on improving our performance.
Now, the team will play against Germany with renewed vigour and freshness,” Marijne said. It doesn’t matter against whom we play, the focus is on us ,” Marijne said.
“Germany is a very good team, and we couldn’t beat them in the two practice matches before the World Cup.
