India Women beat Korea 3-2 at Women’s Asian champions

In a nail-biting encounter, India clinched a 3-2 win over Korea in the Asian Champions Trophy, held at the Rajgir Sports Complex. A decisive 57th-minute penalty stroke allowed India to secure its second victory of the tournament, overcoming a tense second half that nearly undid the host team’s solid first-half performance.

The match featured two contrasting halves. India started strong, completely controlling the field for the first 30 minutes. Just three minutes in, Neha Goyal passed the ball to Navneet Kaur, who sent it into the circle. Sangita Kumari took control, turned past her marker, and scored, giving India an early 1-0 lead. This early goal set the tone for the half, with the team displaying more cohesion and clarity in their movements, a marked improvement from their previous game.

In the 20th minute, Beauty Dung Dung skillfully received a pass from Sunelita Toppo just outside the circle. Entering near the backline, she fed Deepika near the far post, who effortlessly deflected the ball into the net, doubling India’s lead. India’s forwards, particularly Sharmila Devi, Deepika, and Sangita Kumari, kept the Korean defense under constant pressure, frequently penetrating the circle and stretching play to both flanks. However, Korean goalkeeper Eunji Kim proved a formidable obstacle, thwarting multiple attempts and keeping Korea within striking distance.

After the break, India’s momentum faltered, with the team appearing disjointed and making several passing errors. They struggled with possession, and their attacks lost precision, leading to turnovers. Despite maintaining the majority of possession, India’s gameplay lacked the effectiveness of the first half, while Korea made the most of limited chances.

Korea only entered the Indian circle seven times but managed to convert both of their scoring opportunities – a penalty corner and a penalty stroke. Conversely, India had 24 circle entries, including six penalty corners, yet couldn’t capitalize on any. It wasn’t until the 57th minute, when India earned a crucial penalty stroke, that they managed to break the deadlock and secure the win, much to the relief of the fans in the packed stands.

In other matches, Thailand nearly caused an upset against Japan with a 12th-minute goal from Kunjira Inpa. Japan equalized in the 55th minute, thanks to Miyu Hasegawa, ensuring a 1-1 draw. This marked Thailand’s first point against Japan in the competition’s history. Meanwhile, China recorded an expected 5-0 victory over Malaysia.