Rival Watch: India to face World No 1 Netherlands in final leg of FIH Men's Hockey Pro League 2022-23

The Oranje are second from bottom in the standings but with several games in hand.

India will face the World No. 1 Netherlands and Argentina in Eindhoven in their final fixtures in the FIH Men's Hockey Pro League 2022-23. Ranked number two in the FIH Pro League standings with 24 points from 12 contests, India are among the favourites to win the FIH Pro League this year.

The Men in Blue, beat Belgium and Great Britain in their previous two matches. While Craig Fulton's side smashed the Olympics champions 5-1, they defeated Great Britain in the penalty shootout after a 4-4 draw in regulation time. They had, however, lost the first two fixtures against both teams in London.

Second from bottom in the FIH Men's Hockey Pro League 2022-23, Netherlands have played four games so far in the competition and will play 12 more matches, with eight of those at home. The Oranje face India in two of their remaining 12 matches, which will be played on June 7 and 10 in Eindhoven.

About the team

One of the most successful men's hockey teams, Netherlands have won the Olympics gold two times, the Hockey World Cup thrice, the erstwhile Champions Trophy a total of eight times, the Euro Hockey Nations Championship a record six times, and the Hockey World League once. They had their poorest result in their 37th year in the Olympic competitions, failing to earn a spot for the semi-finals at the Summer Olympics 2020.

Coach

Jeroen Delmee won two Olympics gold medals for the Netherlands apart from a World Cup, one European Championship and four Champions Trophy titles. He served as a coach of the Dutch hockey club Tilburg and the France men's national team (2017-2021), before taking over as the head coach of the Netherlands men's team in September, 2021.

Under his tutelage, the Dutch have continued their success at the World level. He guided the Oranje to the FIH Pro League title last season with 12 wins from 16 matches. He also coached Netherlands to a third-place finish in the FIH Men's World Cup 2023, which was a tad disappointing given they are three-time champions and had reached the final in the last two previous editions.

Netherlands' players to watch against India

Van Ass Seve - Midfielder

Van Ass Seve is the son of Dutch field hockey mentor Paul van Ass. He played a role in the 2016 Summer Olympics. After that, Seve was picked as captain of the Netherlands national team for the 2019 EuroHockey Championship in June 2019. With 209 caps under his belt, the 30-year-old midfielder is the squad's most experienced player. He has appeared in 192 matches, winning 100 of them and scoring 29 goals.

Thierry Brinkman - Forward

Brinkman was a member of the Dutch squad that won bronze in the 2018 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy in Breda. He was named in the Dutch team for the 2018 World Cup. At 27, the striker/forward has already amassed 146 caps. He has 62 goals and 74 wins for the national team in 146 appearances.

What to expect?

The 24-man Indian men's hockey squad picked for the European round of the competition includes senior goalie PR Sreejesh and former captain Manpreet Singh, who is expected to appear in a brand-new position, featuring in India's backline. The vice-captain, Hardik Singh, will oversee the midfield position. 

Under the leadership of newly appointed coach Craig Fulton, Indian players found themselves in great counterattacking positions against Great Britain and Belgium. They seem to have slowed down their game for more control without losing their attacking instincts. The five goals against Belgium are proof of that.

Hence we can expect the same from the Indian men's hockey team to perform a formidable force against the Netherlands under Fulton's command.  Despite having the home edge, India would undoubtedly dominate their opponent because of their skilled players and savvy coach.