Chandigarh: Surma Club will compete with Rudra today
Chandigarh: After registering a win in their first match of the Hockey India League (HIL) in Rourkela, Soorma Hockey Club is set to take on Uttar Pradesh Rudras in their second match on January 2 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium. In their previous match, Soorma had secured a bonus point against Tamil Nadu Dragons. Meanwhile, UP Rudras secured three points with a stunning 3-1 win over Kalinga Lancers in their first match. “I think the first half was a bit of a chess game while in the third quarter both teams picked up the pace. The first goal opened up the game a bit and after that we started creating more chances,” said Head Coach Jeroen Bart. He further added, “When you look back, see the stats and footage, we should have secured all three points.
But when you are losing 1-0 with seven minutes remaining, you should be satisfied with a draw and a bonus point from the shootout.” Meanwhile, looking back at the match against Rudras, Bart acknowledged the competitive nature of the tournament. “As we have seen in the first few games of the HIL, it is going to be close. It is good that it is always exciting till the end, and each game will be a tough contest. It is going to be an interesting tactical puzzle.” Saorma’s Belgian midfielder Victor Wegnez stressed the importance of putting in solid defensive work and making the most of penalty corner opportunities. “I think the most important thing for us will be to defend first and try to get as many penalty corners as possible. We have very good defenders and a strong team for penalty corners like Harmanpreet, Jeremy Hayward and Nicolas Dela Torre,” said the 29-year-old.
