ROURKELA: As they sit down to give the finishing touches to their strategy for Friday's encounter with Spain on the opening day of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 at the Birsa Munda Stadium here, the Indian team will be thinking of their Pro League matches against the same opponents in Bhubaneswar in October-November 2022.
India had lost the first game in the two-game series 2-3 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and could only win the second match in a shootout after the teams were tied 2-2 at the end of the regulation 60 minutes.
Those two matches played around 67 days back, must have given Graham Reid and his boys an insight into how tough the World Cup opener against the Red Sticks is going to be. Spain is ranked 8th in the FIH Rankings, just two spots below India and have come up strongly as a team recently after nearly a decade because a generation of players retired from the game.
Friday's encounter is thus very crucial for both teams as winning it will give them a chance to establish an early lead in the Group of Death in which England and Wales are the other opponents.
The Spanish players are known for their flair, skills and attacking prowess. They are one of the most talented and unpredictable teams out there and could prove a big stumbling block for India if the hosts are not at their best on Friday. The Red Sticks have in their ranks electrifying attacker Enrique Gonzalez, experienced midfielder Marc Miralles, classy captain Alvaro Iglesias, Pau Cunill and former Argentina international and 2016 Olympic gold medallist Joaquin Menini.
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