After battling former champions, overcoming minnows and understanding their own depth, the Indian women’s hockey team on Wednesday booked its ticket to the Asian Games gold medal match with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over South Korea at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. And there it is!
China survived a scare, beating Japan 4-2 in a shootout after the regulation period ended goalless earlier in the day. Despite India earning multiple penalty corners (PC), a combination of imperfect injections from skipper Salima Tete and South Korea’s frantic defending meant the teams headed into half-time deadlocked at 0-0. Now, a massive test awaits on Friday against Paris Olympics silver medallists China who are the undisputed heavyweights of Asian hockey at world No.4. But their 2-2 draw at the World Cup in August and their unbeaten streak at the Asian Games will give India some real confidence heading into the gold medal match.
Following a match defined by relentless Indian pressure and some heroic South Korean defending, India will now face the formidable Chinese in Friday’s final. Despite the contrast in world rankings, with India sitting at 8th and South Korea 17th, the semi-final was anything but a routine victory. The first half was the epitome of attacking persistence meeting defensive desperation. Yet, for all of India’s dominance, the South Korean defence refused to buckle. Playing with their hearts, feet and sticks, they put their bodies on the line to keep the game scoreless. Whenever India seemed poised to break the deadlock, South Korea found an answer. In the second quarter Lee Seoyeon pulled off a desperate clearance on the goal line while defender An Sujin showcased brilliant 3D skills to repeatedly manoeuvre the ball out of the danger zone. The second half began on a much more cautious note. India appeared to lose the overwhelming momentum they held in the first two quarters, and the game settled into a tense but tactical rhythm. But just as conventional methods seemed to be failing against the South Korean wall, coach Sjoerd Marijne’s side unlocked the defence with a moment of pure brilliance in the 44th minute. Earning their first PC of the second half, India executed a beautifully disguised goal. Instead of unleashing a predictable drag-flick, Deepika Sehrawat on the first battery faked the shot, deftly pushing the ball to Ishika waiting on her left.
