Defending champions India stormed into the semifinals of the Girls’s Asian Champions Trophy with an unbeaten document, defeating Japan 3-0 on Sunday. Persevering with her stellar kind, star striker Deepika netted a quickfire brace from penalty corners within the remaining quarter to seal the victory, following vice-captain Navneet Kaur’s opener within the thirty seventh minute. With this win, India topped the league stage with most 15 factors from 5 matches, forward of Olympic silver medallists China (12 factors). India will tackle fourth-placed Japan within the semifinal on Tuesday, whereas China will play third-placed Malaysia within the different last-four recreation. Deepika, the match’s main scorer, now boasts 10 targets, together with 4 subject targets, 5 penalty corners, and one penalty stroke, underscoring her dominance.
Within the day’s different matches, Malaysia beat Thailand 2-0, whereas China defeated South Korea by an equivalent margin.
The Indians secured their first scoring probability within the type of back-to-back penalty corners within the eighth minute however Deepika’s flick from the second effort was brilliantly saved by Japanese goalkeeper Yu Kudo.
India earned one other penalty nook within the thirteenth minute however but once more wasted the prospect.
The Indians continued to dominate and secured their fourth penalty nook within the twenty fifth minute however as soon as once more Kudo rose to the event and made three good saves to disclaim the hosts.
A minute after the change of ends, Kudo once more got here to Japan’s rescue to disclaim Deepika.
India finally broke the impasse within the thirty seventh minute by Navneet’s good reverse hit to the second put up.
Deepika’s brilliance
The Indians continued their domination and earned three back-to-back penalty corrners within the forty seventh minute and star dragflicker Deepika lastly discovered the again of the online with a robust low dragflick to open her account.
A minute later, the Indians secured one other set piece and this time too Deepika struck once more with a robust flick into the highest proper nook, successfully sealing the match.
Credit score should additionally go to the Indian defence, led brilliantly by Udita and Sushila Chanu, as they did not let the Japanese take a single shot on the Indian aim.
Skipper Salima Tete, Neha and Sharmila Devi too had been good within the midfield, creating quite a few probabilities for the forwardline with their runs and neat dribbling expertise.
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