The lack of field goals remains an area of concern for the Indian men’s team, which is staring at a World Cup exit, after another disappointing result against a top-ranked side.
On Saturday (August 22, 2026), India lost 3-1 to co-host Netherlands in the second round, leaving it at the bottom of the Group E table.
I think we won probably four [six] PCs and scored one. India scored from another Penalty Corner, but came up short in field play. It has scored just three field goals in the tournament with two of them coming in the win over World no. Senior forward Mandeep Singh, who is yet to open his account, has had a tough outing. “We played a good game with a good game plan. I thought we needed to score a goal in the first half. We created one or two really good chances but it wasn’t to be. When we came out in the third quarter [we were] okay. “We just couldn’t connect enough in the D to try and get a field goal. But [in] field chances, we needed the field goal. That was what we were pushing for,” he added. Although India conceded two counter-attacking goals, which included an error from midfielder Manpreet Singh for the third goal, the South African refused to point fingers at any players for the goals conceded.
12 Pakistan.
That was the “best we’ve played stats-wise” against Netherlands in a major tournament, but the result has left the group “bitterly disappointed, according to head coach Craig Fulton. It was still fine,” Fulton told The Hindu after the loss. To pull off a monumental turnaround and make the semifinals, India will need a victory of four goals or more against Argentina, while Netherlands also needs to beat England on Monday.