It was a game of many firsts for the home side who were left out of title contention by New Zealand in the crossovers.
As it happened: India vs Japan
Five of India’s eight goals have come from penalties (PC), including the skipper Harmanpreet Singh’s drag flick manages to beat a goalkeeper on a PC for the first time in the tournament. India’s CP conversion rate was the best in five games – 5/11.
Abhishek (36th and 44th minute) and Harmanpreet (46th and 59th) scored two goals each, while Vivek Sagar Prasad (40th), Manpreet Singh (59th) and Sukhjeet Singh (60th) joined Mandeep to score a goal each.
The team played like giants awakened from their slumber, beating Japan with a flurry of counter-attacks for the majority of the 60 minutes, which had it all: CP, CP variations, fluid midfield and goals.
India ends in style by beating Japan. Here are some highlights from the match.🇯🇵JPN 0-8 IND🇮🇳… https://t.co/J0S8dOAVep
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) 1674747142000
But the first 30 minutes were scoreless.
Mandeep Singh’s run off the ball eventually came back against the opponent he likes to score against the most. Mandeep’s name was first on the list of goalscorers, with his fine deflection from a 33rd-minute free-kick. He opened the floodgates.
The pattern of the game did not change thereafter – India attacked, Japan defended. It stayed that way until the final whistle.
Vivek Sagar Prasad, whose selection directly to the World Cup after a long absence through injury has been questioned, has finally managed to add fluidity to the midfield. He set up Abhishek well at the end of a counterattack, and Abhishek’s reverse kick landed in the net for a 2-0 lead.
Like Mandeep and Abhishek, Vivek also scored his first goal of this World Cup when a rebound from Harmanpreet’s drag flick fell on his stick, and Vivek’s clean shot rang the board.
By then, the Indian team were enjoying themselves and almost had a punching session in front of the Japanese post. Meanwhile, with the game as open as a hockey game can be, Japan had their chances; but India goalkeepers PR Sreejesh and Krishan Pathak managed to hold them off for a clean sheet.
Abhishek’s backhand into the net then made it 4-0, while Harmanpreet breathed a sigh of relief when finally a kick from his stick beat a goalkeeper. His first and previous goal on PC came in the group stage when the Welsh side pulled out their goalkeeper.
Japan then replaced goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa, who stood like a wall for 30 minutes before wilting under pressure in the third quarter, with Kisho Kuroda.
The game’s final minutes were played inside Japan’s 23 yards, with India scoring three times in two minutes.
A Manpreet Singh field goal, Harmanpreet’s second on a CP and Sukhjeet fully utilizing another rebound off Kuroda’s pads on a CP to find the goal completed Japan’s misery.
India will face South Africa on Saturday in the 9th-12th place playoff.
