Sophia Schwabe starred for Germany as the until-now bottom placed side in the women's FIH Pro League dismantled hosts India 4-0. The result sees Germany leap frog India into 7th on the table as India take their place at the bottom (albeit India have played two games less).
Coached by assistant Janneke Schopman, Germany were on top for almost all the game. They started the scoring in the third minute with Amelie Wortmann making the most of a goalmouth scramble. That set the tone for the first quarter where India barely strung two passes together.
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21-year-old Schwabe made it two to Germany in the second quarter with a superb hit from just inside the circle, under very little pressure from an absent Indian defence. The ball would remain stuck to German sticks till the very last minute where India launched a threatening counter only for Lalremsiami to mistrap and squander a 2-on-1 with the German keeper Finja Starck.
At the halftime break a furious-looking India coach Harendra Singh slammed his players' propensity to show too much respect for their opponents and demanded more from them, emphasizing that there was nothing wrong with the tactics.
India's players seemed to reflect that attitude a little more in the third quarter as they kept attacking the circle, but without much incisiveness they didn't really threaten the disciplined German defence. Sunelita Toppo and Beauty Dung Dung had their moments but there was very little support for them. A mark of how tough it was when Rutuja Pisal, usually an in-circle poacher extraordinaire, had to drop to midfield to collect the ball and make something happen on her own.
Germany then took the game away from India in the first minute of the fourth quarter. The impressive Lena Micheel drove in from off the right wing and fed Schwabe, who took a touch and reverse hit a sensational shot that left Savita rooted to her spot. At 3-0, Indian shoulders dropped, and Germany managed the minutes till they won a PC at the very last minute of the game. Micheel dragged a slow flick at a prone Savita, and it bounced out only for Johanna Hachenerg to calmly lift it over the prone keeper. India will play Germany again tomorrow, and will need a much improved performance to take something from that match.
You can relive all the action in our live blog, below: