The Hague (Netherlands): India will be seeking to overcome Asian champions South Korea in the play-off for the ninth position in the ongoing men's hockey World Cup, after they failed to improve upon their eighth-place finish in the last (2010) edition at New Delhi.
South Korea finished fifth in Group B after suffering a 1-6 loss against 2012 Olympic champions Germany in their last league match on Tuesday. The Koreans suffered four defeats and managed to earn just one point from a draw with South Africa, who finished at the bottom of the pool.
After losing their first two matches by conceding late goals, India were relegated to the fifth position in Group A. The Indians managed just one victory and a draw in five outings.
England, to whom India conceded a 69th-minute match-winner after squandering several chances at the other end, have progressed to the semifinals after registering 3-2 win over Belgium on Monday.
India will seek to avenge their loss to the Koreans in the Asia Cup final, and ensure that they slip just one spot from the 2010 World Cup.
Like India, the Koreans too suffered from conceding late goals in their preliminary league outings.
