Rampaging India women thrash USA 5-1 in first leg
Gurjit slams double as USA face almost improbable task in second match
BHUBANESWAR: The Indian women’s hockey team on Friday all but sealed a berth in the Tokyo Olympics with a big win against the United States in the first game of their two-match FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers.
It was supposed to be a close encounter—rivals USA came into the match with a better headto-head record, and having played stronger opponents in the lead up to this crucial match.
Yet the hosts killed off the competition with a clinical display at the Kalinga stadium, ending up 5-1 winners. USA now face the improbable prospect of having to beat the home team by a margin of more than four goals in the second encounter on Saturday.
Gurjit Kaur (42, 51) scored a brace, while Lilima Minz (28), Sharmila Devi (40th) and Navneet Kaur (46) contributed a goal each for India. Erin Matson converted a penalty stroke six minutes from the long hooter for the lone consolation for USA. The 5-1 scoreline was India’s best ever against USA and with this, they avenged their 0-4 rout in the 2008 Olympic qualifiers.
India’s coach Sjoerd Marijn said that the team’s finishing was the best he has seen in his tenure so far, but he also sounded a word of caution against celebrating too early.
“No, I don’t think it’s all over and we have qualified for Tokyo,” he said. “I will think that only after the second match tomorrow. We still have a match to play and have to play well as strange things have happened in these matches.”
USA coach Janneke Schopman was not giving up either.
“There is still one match and there is still hope,” Schopman said. “My team made a lot of mistakes today but it was not a onegoal performance. It looks difficult but not impossible.”
Indeed, USA had created some very good chances, and even controlled the first quarter, but mistakes in the final third and a lack of good finishing let them down. US captain Kathleen Sharkey was in prime form, and she was the most dominating player on the turf even in the second quarter. However, she did not get enough support from her midfield and fellow forwards.
India, on the other hand, found their touch slowly, making a number of basic fumbles in the first half hour—failing to cleanly trap the ball, making mispasses, and conceding possession easily. As the second quarter progressed with the US failing to score, India began to reassert control.
They had their first chance when substitute Sharmila Devi was put through by skipper Rani Rampal in the 17th minute; Devi was slow in getting to the pass and did not score. India preferred to move up the right flank, playing it out from deep through Deep Ekka, with Reena Khokhar and Gurjit trying to cross the ball into the shooting circle for the attackers.
It bore fruit as the hosts earned their first penalty corner in the 21st minute but Gurjit’s drag flick down the middle was easily blocked by USA custodian Bing Kelsey. On the counter, USA earned their first penalty corner but skipper Sharkey shot wide.
India surged ahead in the final few minutes of the first half when they earned two penalty corners in succession and scored off the second.
Monika failed to stop the push but recovered quickly to put the ball back into the D. After three passes the ball reached local star Lilima Minz, who was unmarked and slapped the ball home.
In the first half, USA enjoyed 62% possession, had 13 circle penetrations compared to eight by Indians and had eight shots at the goal to India’s six. But the Indians had one goal, and that’s what mattered.
The match turned on its head in the third quarter as Rampal’s team came alive, scoring twice in quick succession.
Sharmila Devi pounced on a pass from Navneet Kaur after Gurjit’s drag flick was padded out by goalkeeper Bing Kelsey to make it 2-0; Gurjit scored with a powerful flick off India’s sixth penalty corner two minutes later. India attacked in waves as the US midfield and defence collapsed under pressure.
Navneet Kaur scored in the first minute of the fourth quarter when she collected a pass from Salima Tete inside the circle and planted it into the bottom left corner of the goal to make it 4-0. Gurjit then converted a penalty stroke, awarded to India when when Monika was thwarted from taking a shot at the goal.
In their turn, the Indian defence kept a strong line, thwarting most attempts that came their way.
The exception came in the the 53rd minute when Danielle Grega was fouled inside the circle and Erin Matson pulled one goal back for the US.
(Lilima Minz 28th min PC; Sharmila Devi 40th min; Gurjit Kaur 42nd min-pc, 51st min-ps; Navneet Kaur 46th min) beat (Erin Matson 54th min-ps).