India ease past Japan with 6-0 win, maintain unbeaten-run in Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2021

Harmanpreet
Singh,
(10′,
53′)
Dilpreet
Singh
(23′),
Jarmanpreet
Singh
(34′),
Sumit
(46′),
and
Shamsher
Singh
(54′)
scored
the
goals
as
Team
India
picked
up
a
big
win.
India
are
in
contention
for
their
third
consecutive
title
at
the
Hero
Asian
Champions
Trophy,
having
won
the
prestigious
tournament
in
2016
and
joint
winners
in
2018.

Team
India’s
dynamic
front
line
started
troubling
Japanese

defence
as
soon
as
the
hooter
blew,
as
they
received
a
flurry
of
penalty
corners
early
on
in
the
first
quarter.
Defender
Harmanpreet
Singh
made
the
most
of
the
opportunity
in
the
10th
minute,
as
he
converted

it
into
the
1st
goal
for
India.
India
camped
inside
Japan’s
circle
in
the
final
few
minutes
of
the
first
quarter.
Young
forward
Shilanand
Lakra
and
experienced
striker
Lalit
Kumar
Upadhyay
managed
to
get
shots
on
target
but
were
denied
by
Japan
goalkeeper

Takashi
Yoshikawa.

As
soon
as
the
second
quarter
started,
Japan
started
working
hard
to
find
the
equaliser.
In
the
21st
minute,
Japan
received
a
penalty
corner,
but
once
again,
the
Indian
defence
was
up
to
the
task
and
denied
Japan
the
equaliser.
Dilpreet
Singh
continued
his
goal-scoring
form,
as
he
put
the
ball
back
into
the
nets
in
the
23rd
minute
to
score
the
2nd
goal
for
India.
Japan
received
another
penalty
corner
in
the
dying
minutes
of
the
second
quarter
but
were
yet
again
unable
to
breach
India’s
defence.

After
half-time,
Japan
started
showing
attacking
intent
to
cover
up
the
deficit
quickly
and
immediately
attempted
to
make
circle
penetrations.
But
India
continued
to
defend
well,
leaving
no
gaps
for
Japan
forwards
to
get
a
shot
away.
Jarmanpreet
Singh
scored
from
a
reverse
hit
in
the
34th
minute
to
extend
India’s
lead
to
3-0.
India
goalkeeper
Suraj
Karkera
made
two
important
saves
in
the
third
quarter
with
Kenta
Tanaka
making
threatening
penetrations
inside
India’s
circle,
and
India
maintained
their
clean
sheet
going
into
the
final
15
minutes
of
play.

Early
on
in
the
fourth
and
final
quarter,
Sumit
scored
the
fourth
goal
in
the
46th
minute
after
India
surprised
Japan’s
defence
with
quick
penetrations
and
passes.
Japan’s
defence
faltered,
awarding
India
a
late
penalty
corner,
and
Harmanpreet
Singh
converted
it
into
a
goal
with
ease,
adding
in
the
5th
goal
for
India
in
the
53rd
minute.

A
minute
later,
Shilanand
Lakra
combined
with
Shamsher
Singh
as
the
latter
scored
the
6th
goal
for
India
in
the
54th
minute.
Japan
made
penetrating
runs
in
the
final
few
minutes,
but
Team
India
maintained
their
calm
and
came
away
with
another
clean
sheet,
winning
the
match
6-0.

India
will
play
in
the
Semifinal
of
Hero
Men’s
Asian
Champions
Trophy
on
Tuesday.

Source:
Hockey
India