Asian Games hockey, as it happened: India score thrice in last quarter to beat Korea 4-1
With three wins in three matches, India stay on top of pool B with nine points.
HOOTER! It’s all over. The Koreans would be kicking themselves to have let India score thrice in the last quarter. They were on par with India in the defence in the first three quarters. Both teams’ attackers struggled to breach each others’ circles. The third quarter, especially, was mostly played near the middle of the pitch. So, both teams looked to attack more in the last quarter. And, India found an opening through a PC opportunity in the 53rd minute. That changed the game. Gurjit scored. That opened up the game. She did the same a minute later. Then, Vandana Katariya sealed it with a field goal. What a match.
GOALS! Two more goals, back to back. Madness. Gurjit scored off another penalty corner with yet another superb drag flick to make it 3-1. Then Vandana Katariya tricked the goalie, drew her forward, evadeded her and slotted in India’s fourth goal. Superb comeback by the Indians.
Final quarter (6 minutes to go) India 2-1 Korea: GOAL! What a time to score. Just a little over six minutes to go. It comes off a penalty corner. Reena Khokhar injects, Gurjit knows it’s a golden opportunity and she does no mistake. Hits it to the top right corner of the net. The keeper’s wrong footed and she can’t save it.
Final quarter (8 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: Poor passing again by India. From the defence, the ball directly goes to the Korean attacker. But India make a counterattack and Lalremsiami attempts to put India in the lead again but the ball goes way wide of the net.
Final quarter (11 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: The Koreans draw the Indians forward. Ah, the strategy almost backfires. Vandana Katariya steals the ball and makes a swift run to the Korean circle. She passes the ball Nikki Pradhan, who doesn’t find the right angle to pass the ball back to Vandana or Lalremsiami.
Final quarter (12 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: A goalmouth melee. Some tough challenges. Will the Koreans get a Penalty Corner out of this? Or a goal? They don’t. The Indian defence, as usual, clear the danger away.
HOOTER! End of third quarter: A last-ditch effort by Korea there. They come close to the Indian goalmouth. But crowded by the Indian defenders, they don’t get an opportunity to put the ball into the net and take the lead.
Third quarter (2 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: Must be frustrating for both teams that they can’t breach the defence. Something has to give. Could hear Sjoerd Marijne shouting instructions from the sidelines.
Third quarter (5 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: Very few circle entries so far in this quarter. Both teams intercept the ball for each other. They wait for that one momentary lapse or one moment of genius from their players.
Third quarter (8 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: Still no clear threat of a goal. Both teams are intercepting the ball well from each other. But the passes haven’t been good enough to keep the flow going.
Third quarter (10 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: Not great passing by the Indians in the third quarter. The ball either hits the opposition stick or goes to an Indian player, crowded by the Korean defenders. They need to be a little better than this.
Third quarter (12 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: The Koreans, looking more inspired, push the ball to the Indian circle. But fail to construct a good attack. They, like their opposition, haven’t been able to trap the ball well in this match. Once again, they miss a good opportunity due to that.
End of second quarter: The Koreans came back well after conceding the early goal to India. They started slow but the momentum’s with them now after scoring the equaliser through a penalty stroke. That unwanted foul cost India dearly. Navjot, then, towards the end of the second quarter missed a great opportunity to go 2-1 up, when she instead of passing the ball to Udita at the goalmouth, went for goal and hit the ball well above the net. India need to avoid these mistakes in the next to quarters to fancy their chances of winning.
Second quarter (7 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: After conceding the equaliser, the Indians are looking a little hurried. They want to go back to lead the scoreboard again. But the passing quality has dropped. It’s become a little wayward. They’d want to be a little more patient.
Second quarter (10 minutes to go) India 1-1 Korea: GOAL! Oh dear, the Indian defender just over-committed herself there. Ends up in a collision and fall and a penalty stroke awarded for Korea. Yurim Lee converts it prompty. Korea equalise!
Second quarter (10 minutes to go) India 1-0 Korea: There’s a tangible fillip to the Indian side after the first goal. The girls are playing like their coach asked them to during the first quarter break – creating space and passing well.
GOAL! Second quarter beg... And, GOAL! Superb pass by Lilima Minz from the left flank. The ball passes the Korean defenders and reaches Navneet, who just extends her stick and deflects the ball in the right direction.
End of first quarter, India 0-0 Korea: The teams battle it out mostly outside the circles in the last two minutes. Neither of them break the deadlock. Coach Sjoerd Marijne asks the Indian women to “create more space” and “pass, pass, pass”.
First quarter (2 minutes to go) India 0-0 Korea: Coach Sjoerd Marijne has made five substitutions so far. But none of his players has been able to get that early lead he would have expected his team to score.
First quarter (4 minutes to go) India 0-0 Korea: Quite a few balls going outside. The Indian attackers need to trap the ball better. So far, the Korean attack has been better than India’s.
First quarter (6 minutes to go) India 0-0 Korea: Ooh, anxious moments there for India. Korea had the ball for over a minute and a half in their circle. They were passing well and constructing a dangerous attack. But the Indian defence, solid as usual, thwart it.
First quarter (9 minutes to go) India 0-0 Korea: Both teams looking for that opening goal. Neither of them have come close to scoring though. The defence of both teams are among the best in the world.
First quarter (11 minutes to go) India 0-0 Korea: Trying to make long-range passes, the Indians are losing the ball or hitting it out. The Koreans make a swift counterattack. Nothing alarming though. India clear it easily.
First quarter (13 minutes to go) India 0-0 Korea: So far good from India. They have controlled the ball. Haven’t breached the Korean defence yet. But they are passing well.
06:30 pm There goes the whistle. This match is underway...
Time for the national anthems...
Starting XI of both teams:-
06:00 pm Hello and welcome to the live coverage of India versus Korea. It’s been smooth sailing so far for both the men’s and women’s hockey teams at the Asian Games. But today might be the toughest challenge for India as they take on the Koreans, who are the only other Asian team to be ranked in the top-10. Korea blanked Indonesia and Thailand 5-0 and 3-0 to be placed second in Pool B. And, India started off their campaign with a 8-0 win before pumping in 21 goals against a hapless Kazakhstan.