“It’s do or die,” said the Belgian men's hockey team head coach Shane McLeod, before their quarter-final against India on Sunday. That’s somewhat of a platitude when it comes to a knockout phase, but his statement did single out the overarching importance of the match: Belgium last won an Olympic medal – a bronze on home soil – at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp; India were a win away from a semi-final berth, something they hadn't achieved since Moscow 1980.

The Indians went into the quarter-final as underdogs, reflecting the recent shift in the balance of power between the two countries. In Belgium, "golden generation" is a phrase in vogue. The Belgian football team were much heralded at the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 European Championship, but they failed to deliver high-quality outings in spite of a wealth of Premier League-based players.

The hockey team is different – down-to-earth, hard-working and without the petulant demeanour of football players. They have been the virtuoso mavericks at this Olympic tournament. Their scorecard in the pool phase was impressive: 21-2, including trumping powerhouses Great Britain and Australia. Against hosts Brazil, they romped to a 12-0 victory. Tom Boon, Tanguy Cosyns and Felix Denayer were all a part of the prolific Belgian attack.

In Belgium, the sport has gone from amateur to semi-professional. Gone are the days of drinking initiations for new players and dressing up in a charade. The Belgium team’s professionalisation is backed up by thorough preparation and a large backroom staff who monitor heart rates, check dental conditions, supervise the body fat percentage, and graph the GPS position of players. It’s a huge leap from the amateur set-up of Beijing 2008, when Belgium finished 12th. They finished fifth at London 2012.

Unexpected lead

From the start of the match, Belgium monopolised the ball, but India kept in fine defensive shape. The sustainability of that attitude was always going to be the caveat for India. Belgium pressed for the early goal, keeping the field wide and attempting penetration when they could. With two minutes left in the first quarter, Indian goalkeeper and captain PR Sreejesh parried Sebastien Dockier’s close range attempt. A nervy defence conceded a penalty corner, but Belgium didn’t take advantage.

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At the death, India struck. Manpreet Singh dispatched an excellent ball from the line for Akashdeep Singh to deflect inside the post. The lead was fortunate and in the second quarter Belgium continued its domination, the same match pattern appearing, but with their sterile pressure resulting in little danger, bar a fine attempt from John-John Dohmen. Sreejesh responded with another outstanding save. The Belgians were exasperated.

Momentum shift

After the break, the match’s momentum tilted in Belgium’s favour. India did go forward, but allowed for too many turnovers. The Belgians adjusted their tactics and ran circles around a disorientated and energy-sapped India.

“Throughout the tournament, the energy level was not at its highest,” assessed Indian head coach Roelant Oltmans, after the game. “Belgium took the initiative from the start and, apart from a few attacks we created, they kept it.” Sreejesh concurred, “They took the initiative. They won the penalty corners. We needed to apply more pressure. The legs were not there.”

Dockier scored twice, with aplomb and class. First, he cut inside past Manpreet Singh and Chinglensana Singh Kangujam to strike in the near corner. Dockier then deflected a cross from Cedric Chailler high into the Indian net. At the start of the fourth quarter, Tom Boon added a third for Belgium. India were at all at sea, the midfield crumbling steadily. Oltmans gambled with ten minutes left and replaced Sreejesh, but to no avail. “Full pressure is a kind of bluff, but, still at 3-1, it was the only thing we could do,” he explained later.

India neither scored nor conceded. His team had been outplayed by a mature and better Belgium. The Red Lions had put in an authoritative 60 minutes. “This is one of the most unpredictable tournaments of the last few years,” said Oltmans. “Normally, one or two teams are far better than the rest. That is not the case now. All the teams in the semi-finals are in the finals.”

Belgium is among the last four – eulogies for the Red Lions will be merited if they do win a medal. For India, the next stop on the road to hockey redemption is the 2018 World Cup, which they are hosting, after an Olympics tournament of too many inconsistent and imperfect matches.