Pool B, FULL TIME India 2-1 Japan: Stern-looking Savita Punia at the end of the match as India have a player-debrief. Think they could’ve easily been punished by Japan for their wastefulness today but the win is a win, at the end of the day.
We will close this blog out with a couple of articles to read on today’s goal-scorers for India and the player who won her 100th cap and played a fine match.
Speedy Salima Tete is adding goals to her repertoire
From Simdega to Indian senior team, Beauty Dungdung’s rise against the odds
Correction: India have now qualified for the semifinals.
Pool B, FULL TIME India 2-1 Japan: India have made it two wins out of two. Chile and South Africa play next and one of them could potentially join Japan on one win. India could be guaranteed a semifinal place later tonight if that ends in a draw. Or anyway, they could just avoid defeat vs South Africa and go through as toppers of Pool B (which is going to be essential to avoid Spain in the semifinals, the hosts have also won two in two and looked good doing so).
Goal-scoring progress in IND vs JPN
| Team | Minute | Player | Action | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 5 | Tete Salima | Field Goal | 0 - 1 |
| India | 40 | Dung Dung Beauty | Field Goal | 0 - 2 |
| Japan | 49 | TAKASHIMA Rui | Field Goal | 1 - 2 |
Pool B, FULL TIME India 2-1 Japan: India are nearly in the semifinals now. Not mathematically confirmed
Pool B, FULL TIME India 2-1 Japan: Will be a huge surprise if one of Salima or Siami is not player of the match.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: CLOSE! India just about hang on at the end after giving the ball away cheaply a couple of times.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: Some umpiring confusion there but India have the ball back. But give it away.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: Last minute. Japan ball.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: Siami does well to win the ball high but she dribbles forward and hits it wide. India would have liked her to hold ball there.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: Well done Nisha, says Schopman. Keep possession, says Menezes. Last three mins, it’s really tense out there.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: India’s PCs are starting to hurt them defensively too. Japan with a brilliant counter and nearly score. Savita is alert to deflect with her feet.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: Great possession recycling by India and down the right flank Sonika and Neha combine superbly to win a PC. But what can India do with a PC? No conversion again.. deflected wide off Gurjit.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: Monika! What a save by the Indian midfielder on the line, Savita is beaten by Monika was alert.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: Brutal hit for one of the JPN players, who walks off the pitch. But looks like a late review by India. They will lose their challenge it looks like... oh wait. It is a PC but India keep their referral because it happened before the PC was given. A little confused by that.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: Under little pressure, Udita lifts the clearance high. And it results in a PC. That is another defensive error from her. PC for Japan.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: There are some tired legs out there... but on India’s defence too, I think. They have looked bright. Will India’s chance conversion come back to haunt them again?
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: India have not led the goal pin them back too much, still playing high up Japan’s half. But that third goal is needed here you’d think.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: JPN concede another PC, as Siami who has had a stormer of a 100th game wins the short corner. But India don’t convert once again and what’s worse, they are down to 10 for 2 mins. Sangita with a green.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-1 Japan: GOAL JAPAN! India looked more likely to score a third but as it often happens in hockey, one moment is all it takes to change the game. Another deflected goal past Savita off her own teammate it looked like. Credited to Rui Takashima.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-0 Japan: Unsurprisingly, India start on the back foot in Q4 but Navneet and Neha do so well to bring the ball out of their circle.
Pool B, Q4 India 2-0 Japan: That’s the end of Q3.
Pool B, Q3 India 2-0 Japan: It must be said that last PC was a good low save by Nakamura.
Pool B, Q3 India 2-0 Japan: It feels like India are getting closer from PCs, but that is another one not converted. Gurjit with a flick. India keep the pressure.
Pool B, Q3 India 2-0 Japan: Sangita does well to win a PC for India and Japan lose their referral.
Pool B, Q3 India 2-0 Japan: Green card for Sushila shortly after India scored. And Savita makes a solid save to keep it 2-0 from the resulting play.
Pool B, Q3 India 2-0 Japan: GOAL INDIA! And it is a moment to remember indeed as the youngster from Simdega powers herself through defenders to score her first senior goal. Dan Strange says on air, she scored in a practice match recently but won’t count in her tally. Lovely celebrations.
Pool B, Q3 India 1-0 Japan: Gurjit this time, and the shot is deflected over goal.
Pool B, Q3 India 1-0 Japan: Navneet takes this PC, it’s rushed well. Next PC is mistrapped. India get another PC as the defender loses her protective gear onto the field.
Pool B, Q3 India 1-0 Japan: Siami is having a wonderful spell here. Superb from her through the circle and she wins the PC. Pats on her back from all around.
Pool B, Q3 India 1-0 Japan: Oh fine piece of skill by Siami to make room for herself in the circle but the ball runs away from her a bit.
Pool B, Q3 India 1-0 Japan: India look more threatening from PC variations than direct strikes on goal, to be honest.
Pool B, Q3 India 1-0 Japan: Salima Tete, once again, is brilliant down the flank and it eventually leads to a PC. Gurjit Kaur is there for a drag flick this time, but it is high and wide.
Pool B, HALF TIME India 1-0 Japan: Janneke Schopman – “I think Japan will look to come out with a lot of pressure, we need to defend really well and try and score a second one”. A stern looking Schopman, reckons the commentators. She might want more here. Jude Menezes says his side needs to lift the intensity and wants more energy from his side.
Pool B, HALF TIME India 1-0 Japan: A clean sheet is important for India, it gives them the base to work with at the start of Q3 and perhaps extend their advantage. Salima had a fine first half too.
Pool B, HALF TIME India 1-0 Japan: That will, indeed, be all for the half as players head off for a break and tactical adjustments. India have done well and deserve the lead but Japan are very much in this.
Pool B, Q2 India 1-0 Japan: Great skills from Naveneet down the right byline. But Japan defend well. Likely to be the last action of the half.
Pool B, Q2 India 1-0 Japan: It’s a cagey battle now. Both teams losing the ball easier than the coaches would like. Into the last 4 mins of the half.
Pool B, Q2 India 1-0 Japan: Gurjit tries a variation and India build towards the goal, but Japan clear.
Pool B, Q2 India 1-0 Japan: India try a hit with Udita and it is saved by Nakamura. Monika does brilliantly with 3D skills to win another PC.
Pool B, Q2 India 1-0 Japan: PC for India, good work down the right by Salima. Vandana then finds the foot. PC conversion... all eyes on that once again.
Pool B, Q2 India 1-0 Japan: “Udita is having a bizarre game, she is having moments of brilliance mixed with big errors,” says commentator Dan Strange.
Pool B, Q2 India 1-0 Japan: Some tactical advice for rookie Beauty Dungdung by Coach Schopman. It’s an even tussle on the field at the moment.
Pool B, Q2 India 1-0 Japan: Savita Punia continuing in goal it looks like. Good news for India who have started Q2 on the front foot.
Pool B, End of Q1 India 1-0 Japan: Oh dear, has Savita Punia hurt herself here? She does a split, trying to save a shot on goal and is limping off gingerly as the hooter goes for Q1.
Pool B, Q1 India 1-0 Japan: Savita saves again, with her foot this time. Another PC for Japan.
Pool B, Q1 India 1-0 Japan: Udita is not quite having a good quarter here (also got the last touch for the goal for Chile yesterday). A PC for Japan with 28 seconds left.
Pool B, Q1 India 1-0 Japan: INDIA CHANCE! Great work by Siami down the right byline, Udita finds herself in the circle and her shot is on target. Nakaumra saves well.
Pool B, Q1 India 1-0 Japan: India with a good attacking phase. But no clear cut attacking chance. Salima shows off her pace down the left flank, India then switch flanks.
Pool B, Q1 India 1-0 Japan: That’s a terrific low save by Savita to keep JPN at bay. Japan then challenge from the resulting play for a foot, but it is no PC. Luckily for Japan, they keep their referral because it wasn’t clear.
Pool B, Q1 India 1-0 Japan: That was a bad moment for India. Navneet loses the ball and Udita throws in a bad tackle to concede the PC. First of the night... and it is followed by the second. Siami with a good rush.
Correction to the previous update: Of course it was GOAL INDIA, Salima Tete is very playing in blue today.
Pool B, Q1 India 1-0 Japan: GOAL INDIA! Salima Tete puts her side ahead with a nice change of direction inside the circle followed by a powerful hit past the goalkeeper Eika NAKAMURA who was unsighted for a second and reacted late.
Pool B, Q1 India 0-0 Japan: Oh that’s a good chance for Japan but Deep Grace and Gurjit do well deep in India’s circle to defend and not concede a PC too. Calm.
Pool B, Q1 India vs Japan: Pushback in Valencia.
Pre-match: A beaming Lalremsiami, the live wire from Mizoram, makes her 100th senior appearance today for India.
Pre-match: Japan is a team we know well, we know what their strengths are and try and put them under pressure, says Janneke Schopman. Jude Menezes, you’d recognise as the former India goalkeeper, is the Japan coach.
Hello and welcome to our coverage of Indian hockey. FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup Spain 2022 continues today and Savita Punia-led India take on Japan for their second Pool B match.
The Indian women got off to a solid start on Sunday with a 3-1 win against Chile, in a match where they stared favourites and played like favourites. Tonight, they take on Japan and this will be a decisive game to decide who tops Pool B. Japan had defeated South Africa in a close affair 2-1 last night.
Teams in Pool A – Ireland, Italy, Korea, Spain
Teams in Pool B – Chile, India, Japan, South Africa
Format: Top two teams from each group qualify for the semifinals, winner of the tournament earns a spot in the FIH Pro League (women) for 2023-’24