Penalty Cornered: Belgium Pins Down India with 5-Goal Barrage

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The women's Indian hockey team's European tour continued to run into rough weather as they faltered to a 1–5 defeat at the hands of Belgium in the FIH Pro League on Saturday in Antwerp. India got off to a flying start, but the defence simply couldn't resist the relentless Belgian attacks, their fifth straight defeat in the competition.

Match Highlights

India struck first in the 6th minute through a mighty penalty corner conversion by Deepika, which provided the visiting team with a good start.
Belgium came back with a second-half explosion to score five consecutive goals, all of them coming from penalty corners.
Hélène Brasseur (37', 55'), Lucie Breyne (41'), Ambre Ballenghien (54'), and Charlotte Englebert (58') were the scorers for the home team.
India's sit-back-and-defend strategy came at a heavy cost, as Belgium earned 17 penalty corners, converting five with clinical precision.

Tactical Analysis:

India began promisingly but was unable to build momentum. Midfield control suffered, and defensive weaknesses handed Belgium the upper hand in possession and territory. A couple of vital saves by Goalkeeper Savita Punia, but sheer volumes of Belgian attacks became too much for the defense to cope with.

What's Next:

India will begin their second-leg campaign against Belgium on Sunday, hoping to regroup and redeem themselves in the final part of their European sojourn.

Sources: Hindustan Times, News18, Sportstar – The Hindu, Devdiscourse