Tag: Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final

by Abhishek Shukla

Ireland beat Indian Women’s Hockey Team 2-1

Johannesburg, 22 July 2017: The Indian Women’s Hockey Team scrabbled a 1-0 lead to give away two goals in the final quarter that set up a 2-1 win for Ireland in the 7th and 8th placing match here at the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final on Saturday.

Though India started the first quarter rather slow compared to Ireland, they shifted gears ten minutes into the game. It was perhaps Ireland winning the first PC of the match that came as a wake-up call for India in the 10th minute. Monika, however was brilliant at the goal-line to defend the dragflick with her stick. In the 15th minute, India won a PC which was successfully converted by Gurjit Kaur who came up with a well-executed flick firing the ball low to the left giving India a 1-0 lead.

There was plenty of entertainment in the second quarter with India dominating with improvised circle penetrations. During one such circle entry in the 24th minute, Navjot Kaur was obstructed by Ireland keeper Ayeisha McFerran which resulted in her being sent away with a yellow card for 10 minutes. India were awarded a penalty stroke; however, nothing came off the opportunity with Ireland’s stand-by goalkeeper Grace O’Flanagan making a great save. India lost another opportunity to double their lead when a goal was disallowed as it came off the back stick of Indian striker Rani in the 28th minute.

Coming into the match after a ten-minute halftime break, India won back-to-back PCs in the 31st minute but unfortunately, they couldn’t convert the chance. India won two more PCs in the 43rd minute but striker Rani’s flick was block away by Ireland goalkeeper O’Flanagan. Though Ireland attackers made brave forays into the circle and attempted shots on goal, India’s goalkeeper Savita was on top of the job to keep the ball out.

Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, Ireland leveled the score with a clinical variation in their PC attempt that saw Kathryn Mullan finding a perfect deflection to put it past Savita in the 47th minute. Ireland further pumped another goal through a PC converted by Lizzie Colvin in the 48th minute to take a 2-1 lead over India. Though India made desperate amends to equal the score, Ireland defence stood strong to win the match.

by Abhishek Shukla

Resilient Japan beat Indian Women’s Hockey Team 2-0

Johannesburg, 20 July 2017: Japan beat the Indian Women’s Hockey team 2-0 here at the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final to secure a chance to qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup.
India made a zestful start to their campaign against Japan with Monika getting an early shot on goal in the opening minute of the game. But Japan’s goalkeeper Megumi Kageyama made a good save to deny India an early lead. In the following minutes Japan ensured they gave little such opportunity with a tighter defence while their attackers broke the Indian defence to foray into the striking circle. The aggressive approach resulted in Japan winning their first PC of the match in the seventh minute which was successfully converted by Kana Nomura. Japan won two more penalty corners in the 8th and the 10th minutes but India’s Monika and Savita came up with good saves, respectively.
The second quarter saw Indian attackers try different channels to break the Japanese defence but in vain. Meanwhile, Akiko Kato of Japan showed excellent dribbling skills to carry the ball into the circle and take a shot on goal but Savita was exceptional in her effort to save. Another big shot on goal for Japan came when Yuri Nagai cut inside the circle beating defender Gurjit Kaur but Savita came up with yet another noteworthy save. Japan’s second goal however came through another PC in the 29th minute. It was Naho Ichitani who converted the shot after they came up with a brilliant variation to trick the Indian defenders.
Falling behind by two goals, India looked to make amends in the third quarter. Though Japan won another PC in the 31st minute, Namita Toppo did well as the first runner to block away the attempt. Soon after, Rani setup a counter attack to make a swift foray into the striking to take a go at the goal but she was slightly off target. In the 34th minute, Indian goalkeeper Savita continued to live up to the billing with yet another great save when Naho Ichitani took a shot on goal. Though another PC was awarded following a scramble for ball possession, India evaded the scare to go into the third hooter with 0-2 on the scoreboard.
The final 15 minutes saw India create some strong chances to score. One such opportunity came when Vandana assisted Rani who got a good deflection, though it was saved by goalkeeper, Renuka Yadav took the rebound to push it back into the post to score. Unfortunately for India though, a successful video referral by Japan for back stick disallowed India’s goal. India won their first PC in the 51st minute but Gurjit Kaur’s fiercely-struck flick was well saved by Japanese goalkeeper. Meanwhile Japan won their 10th penalty corner, but an alert Savita was up to the task to keep them from scoring. Though India played a much better third and fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough to stop Japan from walking away with the win.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Women’s Hockey team go down 1-4 to England

Johannesburg, 18 July 2017: The Indian Women’s Hockey team lost to England 1-4 in the Quarter-Final match here at the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final on Tuesday. India will next play the fifth to eighth placing match on July 20.

England put India on the back foot in the first quarter when they won three back-to-back PCs which finally resulted in England being awarded a penalty stroke. It was unfortunate for India when England appealed through a video referral that an Indian defender had crossed the goal line before the injector made the pass. This resulted in India losing a defender in the goal line. Reduced to just three defenders and the goalkeeper. India did well to defend the PC but a foul was called when England attacker’s shot on goal was obstructed by Deep Grace Ekka. Giselle Ansley made no mistake in successfully taking the penalty stroke to fetch England an early 1-0 lead in the 6th minute. They extended the lead in the 13th minute when Alex Danson put the ball past Savita making this her third goal of the tournament.

India began well in the second quarter, winning a PC in the 16th minute when Lilima Minz on the counter attack found England defender’s foot in the circle. But the chance went begging with Anupa Barla missing a deflection off Rani’s flick by inches. India won another PC in the 28th minute and this time Anupa managed to get a deflection off Rani’s flick but unfortunately hit the cross bar. India went into the halftime with eight circle penetrations and three shots on goals while England made 11 circle penetrations with three shots on goal.

Though India had contained England from scoring in the second quarter, a defensive error lead to England converting a field goal in the 42nd minute through Susannah Townsend. This took England’s lead to 3-0. India later won two short corners with less than three minutes to go for the hooter but couldn’t make the opportunities count.

The final quarter saw India make some brave forays into the striking circle, desperate for a goal but nothing fruitful. Meanwhile, attempting to keep England from entering the circle, India gave away a PC in the 49th minute but they survived the scare with Savita and Monika coming up with a good save. A good referral on India’s part won them a PC in the 57th minute and India’s lone dragflicker Gurjit Kaur struck a brilliant goal beating England goalkeeper Maddie Hinch. England ended up scoring their fourth goal in the 60th minute through Hannah Martin to end the match 4-1.

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Women’s Hockey Team lose 0-3 to World No.3 Argentina

Johannesburg, 16 July 2017: The Indian Women’s Hockey team lost 0-3 to strong opponents Argentina in their last group stage encounter here at the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final on Sunday. India will next take on England in the Quarter-final on July 18.

 

World No.3 Argentina were quick to get off the blocks scoring as early as the second minute of the match. It was Rocio Sanchez who fetched Argentina an early 1-0 lead. India’s goalkeeper Savita was kept busy right from the start and unfortunately for her this goal came off Argentina’s second shot on goal. Though she made a diving effort to save the first attempt, an unmarked Sanchez was quick to pick up the rebound and convert. Soon after India came close to scoring an equalizer when Vandana Katariya assisted by Namita Toppo tried to deflect the ball into the post but it was blocked away by the Argentine goalkeeper. Savita made as many as four saves in the first 15 minutes and one of her best saves was padding away a fiercely struck shot by Julieta Jankunas. Argentina also won their first PC in the 6th minute but it was blocked away by first runner Namita Toppo. Maria Granatto scored Argentina’s second goal in the 14th minute to go into the first hooter with a strong 2-0 lead.

India played this quarter sensibly, covering their defence and restrict Argentina from entering the striking circle. In the 23rd minute India won a PC but nothing came off the opportunity as Rani’s strike was well-saved by the Argentina goalkeeper. Soon after, in the 25th minute Argentina was awarded a penalty stroke when Sushila fouled while defending a PC awarded to Argentina. The penalty stroke was converted by Noel Barrionuevo.

Argentina began the third quarter with a comfortable 3-0 lead and continued to put India under pressure. They won back-to-back PCs in the 34th minute but India goalkeeper Rajani Etimarpu, who replaced Savita after half-time, along with first runner Namito Toppo did well to defend. India came up with deep defensive tactics to keep Argentina goalless in this quarter.

The final 15 minutes saw the Indian defenders keep the Argentine attackers in check. They didn’t allow easy chances in the striking circle, they came up with a high press to frustrate the Argentines. Meanwhile, the Indian attackers made desperate attempts to take a successful shot on goal but it was hard to come by. A tense tackle by India Sunita Lakra resulted in Argentina being awarded with a PC in the dying minutes of the match. But Rajani was brilliant with her save. India gave away another PC to Argentina soon after, this was their 9th penalty corner but nothing came off the chance. Though Rani manufactured a great shot on goal within the final two minutes to the hooter, the Argentina goalkeeper denied India a goal ending the match in their favour and remained unbeaten in the tournament.

India will take on England on July 18 at 19.15 hours IST. Matches will be shown live on Star Sports 1, HD1 as well as live streamed on Hotstar.com

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Women’s Hockey Team beat Chile 1-0 to seal Quarter-Final berth

Johannesburg, 12 July 2017: A gritty Indian Women’s Hockey team scored a 1-0 win against Chile to make the knockout stage here at the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final on Wednesday.

 

Preeti Dubey’s 38th minute goal ensured India earned their first win in the tournament after a goalless draw against South Africa and 1-4 loss against USA in their previous matches.

 

Both teams traded PC in the first quarter with Chile winning the first in the 4th minute of the match while India earned their first PC in the 12th minute but nothing came off the opportunity for both teams. Though it seemed like India had scored off the rebound when they earned another PC in the 12th minute through a successful video referral, the goal was denied as it came off the body and not the stick. Both teams went into the first break in a stalemate.

 

In the second quarter, Chile came up with high press but that didn’t stop India from creating opportunities to score. One such chance came in the 19th minute when Anupa Barla brilliantly stole the ball from a Chilean player, setting up a counter attack, to find Rani in the striking circle. Rani, however, missed the post by inches. The following minutes saw Indian defenders deny Chile from making forays into the striking circle.

 

After both teams went into the halftime goalless, India finally made a breakthrough when Rani and Preeti Dubey worked in tandem as they drove into the striking circle, Dubey giving it a finishing touch with a quick nick on the ball to put the ball past the Chilean keeper. The much-needed 1-0 lead came in the 38th minute. India mounted pressure on Chile, with the attackers creating chances. Though Rani made yet another shot on goal, the Chilean keeper did well to defend. Soon after, Renuka Yadav found herself on the bench with a yellow card forcing India to start the fourth quarter with 10 players.

 

Chile thus far had made zero attempts on goal despite 17 circle penetrations while India made 16 penetrations with 5 shots on goal. The final 15 minutes saw some tense moments with Chile making desperate attempts to break the Indian defence. Barla, meanwhile, did well to beat the first defender and then find a Chilean foot to win the team a PC in the 54th minute of the match. A different variation didn’t fetch anything though with India’s score remaining 1-0. Chile, on the other hand, won back-to-back PCs in the 55th minute but India did well to defend on both occasions and walk away with the winning points.

India will take on Argentina on July 16 at 21.30 hours IST. Matches will be shown live on Star Sports 1, HD1 as well as live streamed on Hotstar.com

by Abhishek Shukla

Spirited Indian Women’s Hockey Team go down 1-4 to USA

Johannesburg, 10 July 2017: A dominant USA beat India 4-1 in their second Pool B match here at the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final on Monday.
There was plenty of action in the first quarter with USA keeping India’s goalkeeper Savita busy at the post. They won a PC in only the 2nd minute of the match but nothing came off that opportunity as Savita came up with an effortless save. A smart referral call by Rani appealing that there was a back stick by the defender in her attempt to stop Rani from driving into the circle, saw India win their first PC. However, an innovative variation didn’t pay off as Deep Grace Ekka’s strike lacked the power to carry it past the keeper. Almost immediately, India came close to scoring when Vandana brilliantly assisted by Rani made a diving effort to deflect the ball into the post. Though she got a slight touch on the ball, it wasn’t enough to convert. With less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter, USA won their second PC but in vain as Savita came up with yet another great save.

India came up with an improvised attack in the second quarter. Rani managed to win India their second PC in the 22nd minute. She showcased exceptional dribbling skill to beat two USA defenders on the counter to find the foot of US defender in the D. But the chance to score went begging with stopper Monika miss-trapping the ball. USA however didn’t fumble when given a chance. Jill Witmer dispossessed Deep Grace to drive into the circle and beat Savita to score USA’s first goal in the 24th minute. Though India made a brilliant effort to equalize when Rani from the midfield sent a powerful pass to Vandana inside the circle in the dying minutes of the second quarter, but US keeper ensured they kept the lead with a great save.
While both teams traded PCs at the start of the third quarter, it was a quick-thinking Monika, dribbling into the circle, who found Lilima Minz positioned perfectly to deflect. Minz made no mistake as she scored the equalizer in the 38th minute. Though India played on par with the higher-ranked USA in the first two quarters, the equalizer saw USA change gears to put India under the burner. Only two minutes later, a miscalculated attempt to defend on India’s part saw Taylor West (40’) score USA’s second goal. Jill Witmer scored her second goal of the match when she perfectly deflected a dragflick to take USA’s lead to 3-1 in the 43rd minute.
The final quarter saw USA apply pressure on India, limiting India’s chances in the striking circle with strong defence. Meanwhile, USA continued to dominate with a fourth goal scored in the 49th minute. It was Michelle Vittese who scored the goal from the top of the circle. Though USA won another PC in the dying minutes of the match, nothing came off it but it didn’t stop them from notching up their second win of the tournament.
India will take on Chile on July 12 at 15.30 hours IST. Matches will be shown live on Star Sports 1, HD1 as well as live streamed on Hotstar.com
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Women’s Hockey Team hold South Africa 0-0

Johannesburg, 08 July 2017: Brilliant goalkeeping by Savita saw India hold hosts South Africa 0-0 in their first match at the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final here on Saturday.

India made a strong start with a structured game, a better ball possession in the first 15 minutes. There were also some crucial circle penetrations made in the first quarter that fetched them a PC in the 12th minute of the match. However, a fiercely struck flick by India’s dragflicker Gurjit Kaur was well-defended by South Africa’s first runner to deny India an early lead.
With the second quarter starting with the score reading 0-0, South Africa bounced back into the game with an improvised attack. They made two brilliant attempts on goal. First it was Tarryn Glasby who beat Indian defenders in the circle to take a shot on goal, but an alert Savita was brilliant in her efforts to keep South Africa from scoring. Sulette Damons’ shot on goal was perhaps the best chance South Africa had to score but her powerfully struck shot was slightly off the mark even as Savita made a diving effort to defend. Both teams went into halftime in a stalemate.
There was plenty of action in the third quarter with hosts South Africa, backed by a roaring home crowd, and the support paid off when the home team scored through a field goal by Stephanie Baxter. However, a clever call for video referral by India denied South Africa the goal as it came off the back of the stick. India continued to keep the pressure on the hosts with a strong defence to keep them from making successful forays into the striking circle.
The final quarter witnessed both teams build up frantic pace, as both India and South Africa pushed for a goal. India won their second PC in the 47th minute but striker Rani’s attempt at scoring a PC was denied by South Africa’s first runner who deflected the ball rather perfectly. The following minutes saw South African forwards keep India’s Savita busy at the post as they made tactical variations to take shot on goal. But Savita was exceptional to deny them a goal. South Africa made eight unsuccessful attempts on goal with 34 circle penetrations while India had 15 circle penetrations and three shots on goal. Though South Africa won their only PC of the game in the dying minutes, Tarryn Glasby was kept from converting the goal. India did well to hold hosts to a 0-0 draw and share the points.
India will take on USA on July 10 at 21.30 hours IST. Matches will be shown live on Star Sports 1, HD1 as well as live streamed on Hotstar.com
by Abhishek Shukla

Upbeat Indian Women’s Hockey Team take on South Africa

Johannesburg, 07 July 2017: The Indian Women’s Hockey team will take on South Africa in their first pool B match here on the opening day of the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final on Saturday 8 July 2017. The team led by Rani arrived in Johannesburg one week prior to the tournament which has helped them in their preparations. Getting acclimatized to the conditions in the host city which is at an altitude of 1,753 metres was easier thanks to the high-altitude training held in SAI Centre Shillaroo before arriving for the event which is also a World Cup Qualifier. “We had some good short training sessions here over the past week and the girls did well. They did not tire easily which was one of the main reasons to have the high-altitude camp. We have one session planned today (Friday) on the game pitch which will count as our final preparation before the start of the tournament,” expressed Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne on the eve of the match.

The Women’s team also played two practice matches against England and Ireland. “Both teams are physically dominating when they play. So, the exposure against these two teams before the start of the tournament was good. I personally think South Africa plays a lot like Ireland. We controlled the entire game against Ireland and against England we did well first half with better control. It is important for us to play disciplined hockey and if we are able to do that then we have a great chance of doing well,” he added.
India have Chile, USA, Argentina apart from South Africa in their pool. “The mood in the team is quite upbeat ahead of our first match. South Africa is ranked around us (No.13 in the world) and I feel we have improved a lot over the past year and are mentally a tougher team than we were before. I am quite confident we will get off to a good start and then take it match-by-match. First goal here is to make it to the Quarter Finals,” expressed striker Rani about the mood in the team.
While both South Africa and Chile are ranked below India at No. 13 and No. 20 respectively, USA and Argentina will pose bigger challenges for the team. While USA is ranked No.6 in the world, Argentina are ranked No.3. “A lot of what we did in the camp over the past few months under Chief Coach Sjoerd involved mental training as a major aspect. We initially did have small mental blocks against playing higher ranked teams. But I think we have overcome that and know that we must just stick to our plans, structure and give our 100 per cent,” stated an optimistic Rani.

India will take on South Africa on July 8 at 21.30 hours IST. Matches will be shown live on Star Sports 1, HD1 as well as live streamed on Hotstar.com