Despite carrying a few niggles in the team, despite just needing to avoid defeat to ensure top spot in the pool stage, despite the conditions not being the easiest to play on Thursday night in Ranchi (with insects descending in massive numbers throughout the evening), India put in a clinical display to beat Korea 5-0 at the Asian Champions Trophy. The result meant Savita Punia and Co completed their group stage assignments with five wins out of five and went into the semifinals – against Korea once again – full of confidence.
Salima Tete (6′, 36′), Navneet Kaur (36′), Vandana Katariya (49′) and Neha (60′) were the scorers for India.
“We don’t know how to take it easy… I also don’t know personally,” coach Janneke Schopman had said after the match against Japan. In the third quarter especially, India put the pedal hard on the metal in a display that left the former Dutch star pleased – something that is not all that common.
Schopman revealed later that the players themselves weren’t too happy with the first half while she didn’t mind the way her side played, leading 1-0 through Salima’s first goal. “We lacked a little bit of punch, but in the third quarter, we turned the burners on and scored some amazing goals which was fun to watch I am sure.”
While the match itself wasn’t all that significant for India in terms of what was at stake, each goal carried some significance.
The first goal of the night was the most special one. The Ranchi crowd has already witnessed some lovely combination play between Salima and Sangita Kumari – the two Simdega players and local favourites for the dozens of hostel students in attendance.
But making it more memorable was the presence of their mentor from Simdega hostel, coach Pratima Barwa. The 44-year-old was beaming with pride as Sangita dribbled down the left to set up Salima for the finish.
Salima Tete’s father Sulaksan. (Credit: Vinayakk Mohanarangan)
“Bahut khushi ho rahi hai,” Pratima said after the goal was given post a lengthy review. “I hope soon more players from Jharkhand are in the Indian team. It is what I dream of,” she added as the spotlight turned on her in the area she was sitting in.
Also watching from the sidelines was Sulaksan Tete, Salima’s father who witnessed her daughter play for India live in front of him for the first time. After the match, as the crowds filtered out from the arena and the lights were turning off, Salima’s player-of-the-match awards and mementos had made their way to his possession.
Navneet Kaur’s goal early in the third quarter set the tone for India’s dominance and it was another match where she showed her creative side and got on the scoresheet too, with a hit from a Penalty Corner. In the same minute, there would be another Salima-Sangita combination as India went up 3-0.
The fourth goal was celebrated as fiercely as many of her previous goals for the 301-match veteran Vandana, who was set up brilliantly by Neha down the middle and the assist from Navneet down the right.
Simdega coach Pratima Barwa in attendance for the match. (Credit: Vinayakk Mohanarangan)
There was just about enough time left for the Indian players to get Neha on the scoresheet. “It’s been a while, and I got to celebrate a goal too at the end. My job is usually to create goals for my teammates, but tonight my teammates tried their best to get me to score,” said the creative midfielder, whose goal was celebrated enthusiastically by the Indians.
Despite being pleased overall, there were a couple of things that Schopman highlighted at the end for her team to improve as we. reach the business end of the tournament. “I am just annoyed that we give away half-chances at the end of the match. And the cards are a problem, to be honest. I told them to very quickly understand what the umpires allow and they don’t, I told them before the final quarter that the only thing I didn’t want is a card… and we got a card. The players know, that needs to be better,” Schopman said.
India will next take on Korea in the semifinal once again on Saturday, and Schopman knows that it would be a different test as the latter was left frustrated on the night. The other semifinal will be between Asian Games gold medallists China and Japan. Alyson Annan-coached side leapfrogged into the second place by defeating Japan 1-0 earlier in the day.
Salima Tete’s father Sulaksan. (Credit: Vinayakk Mohanarangan)
Simdega coach Pratima Barwa in attendance for the match. (Credit: Vinayakk Mohanarangan)
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