Women’s Asian Champions Trophy: India thrashes Korea 5-0 to set up a rematch in the semifinals

 

India continued its unbeaten run with a comprehensive 5-0 win against Korea in its last league match on Thursday to stay on top of the table at the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023, dominating the opponents and setting up a rematch in the semifinal.

In fact, the knockout games on Saturday will be a repeat of Thursday’s fixtures with China and Japan facing off yet again in the other semifinal while Malaysia and Thailand will battle for the fifth spot.

For a team sitting pretty at the top with little to lose, India came out all guns blazing, taking Korea by surprise. Its attacking and aggressive play gave no breathing space for the Asian Games silver medalist.

India was intense, relentless and unstoppable and squeezed the Koreans every time it managed to get the ball – which wasn’t too often – there was a desperation to get back possession and it was refreshing to see the host being proactive on the turf rather than being reactive to the situation.

India controlled the pace of the game and Korea constantly played catch-up.

It had an easy chance early on before being denied by a desperate clearance by Yuri Lee on the goalline but it was only a matter of time before the host stuck, with Salima Tete providing the finishing touch to Sangita Kumari’s brilliant work on the left flank.

Determined to make a comeback in the game, Korea launched an aggressive offensive assault in the third quarter and even approached the goal with potential equalizing opportunities on a couple of occasions. Nevertheless, India swiftly turned the tables by counter-attacking, reasserting their dominance. Their persistence paid off when they won a penalty corner following which Navneet Kaur (36') unleashed a powerful shot to find the back of the net. Just moments later, Salima Tete (36') displayed her prowess by scoring a remarkable field goal, elevating India's lead to 3-0, which stayed intact by the end of the penultimate quarter.

In the last quarter, India's relentless pursuit of additional goals was evident as they continuously challenged Korea's defensive line. Their determination bore fruits as Vandana Katariya (49') executed a splendid flick, further extending India's lead to 4-0. Adding to the emphatic victory, Neha (60') secured a field goal in the closing moments of the match, sealing a resounding 5-0 triumph for the Indian team.

India will take on Korea in the second semi-final of the tournament on Saturday.