On Monday, at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy in Moqi, China, India completely dominated Japan and recorded a 5-1 victory. India continued their winning streak after their 3-0 win against hosts China in their opening match of the campaign.
Sukhjeet Singh (2′, 60′) scored a brace in India’s victory, while Abhishek (3′), Sanjay (17′) and Uttam Singh (54′) scored one goal each, while Kazumasa Matsumoto (41′) scored the only goal for Japan.
India quickly got going with a brilliant goal from Sukhjeet Singh in the second minute. It was Sanjay, who was on the right side of the circle, who whipped in a cross-field pass which Sukhjeet quickly deflected away. The Indian forwards extended the lead to 2-0 in the next minute when Abhishek dribbled past several Japanese defenders to beat the goalkeeper and score.
The onslaught continued in the second quarter, with Sanjay converting a splendid penalty corner in the 17th minute. With a 3-0 lead on the scoreboard, India were in a comfortable position as Japan tried to shake off their early nerves and get back into the game. They quickly mended their attack and got a PC in the 21st minute, but Japan’s drag flick was accurately blocked by the Indian attackers, allowing their team to launch a quick counter-attack.
Jugraj Singh attacked from the right and made a good turn, earning a free-kick. After a series of short and quick passes, the Indian forwards missed the goal by inches. With one goal in this quarter, India dominated completely with 67 per cent possession of the ball, leading to 11 entries into the circle and three shots on goal.
After the 10-minute break, India tried to keep up the pace. They played with patience and discipline to launch their first attack in the third quarter, but Japan recovered the ball well. They did well to develop a structured attack that eventually led to a field goal in the 41st minute by Kazumasa Matsumoto. India goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak could do little to prevent Matsumoto from scoring that goal.
Just a few minutes earlier, India had a brilliant chance but Vivek Sagar fell inches short of scoring the fourth goal.
India eventually managed to score a fourth goal thanks to some good stickwork from Jarmanpreet Singh who assisted Uttam Singh from the byline to convert a fine field goal. This left India with a comfortable 4-1 lead in the 54th minute. Sukhjeet added another goal to his tally in the 60th minute after an excellent assist from Abhishek to end the match on a high and lead the points table at the top spot with back-to-back wins.
Match hero Abhishek of India said, “Today was an effort from the entire team and we stuck to the basics. We played a good attack and made sure we got our shots right. I am also happy to be recognised with the Hero of the Match award.”
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.