Asia Cup: Japan crush India 5-2, Sardar Singh-coached crew taking a look at exit door

A brand new-look Indian crew paid for its inexperience and profligacy with Asian champions Japan soundly thrashing them 5-2 in a bunch A league match of the lads’s Asia Cup hockey championship right here on Tuesday.

Having drawn in opposition to Pakistan within the opening sport, India’s probabilities after this defeat will likely be badly dented as even an enormous win in opposition to Indonesia within the final sport won’t be sufficient for qualification to the knock-out levels.

Ken Nagayoshi, Kosei Kawabe (twice), Ryomi Ooka and Koji Yamasaki scored for Japan whereas Pawan Rajbhar and Uttam Singh discovered the goal for the Indians.

However, the youthful crop of gamers didn’t measure up in opposition to the Japanese, who seemed extra organised and hit India repeatedly on the counters.

The two seniors — Birendra Lakra and SV Sunil — seemed effectively previous their prime and couldn’t make any tangible distinction with their performances.

“First two quarters were very tough because we didn’t get into any rhythm. We got better in the last two quarters but didn’t create many chances,” mentioned Lakra, the India captain.

Full Time! India put in a valiant effort however was defeated by Japan by three objectives in right now’s Hero Asia Cup in Jakarta, hoping for a greater sport within the upcoming matches.

🇮🇳 2-5 🇯🇵#IndiaKaGame #HockeyIndia #HeroAsiaCup #MatchDay @CMO_Odisha @sports_odisha @IndiaSports activities @Media_SAI pic.twitter.com/sMkdGjBaan

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) May 24, 2022

“In the final quarter, we lost our defensive structure and conceded a couple of goals. Also we lost two men and that had an effect,” Lakra added.

India may have gone forward within the fifth minute of the primary half itself when 20-year-old Karthi Selvam saved an inch good cross from broad left for veteran SV Sunil, who was inches wanting laying his stick for a tap-in.

The first quarter was all about attempting to get management of the midfield with rookie Indian gamers shedding lots of possession throughout the part of play.

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But, to their delight, the Japanese additionally didn’t make too many inroads save one penalty nook, which was well-saved by a diving Indian custodian Suraj Karkera.

However, within the second quarter central midfielder Raj Kumar took a crack at purpose from the sting of the putting circle, which was saved by Japan goalie Koji Yamasaki and, to India’s horror, the ball discovered Sunil’s boots as he was lurking contained in the ‘D’.

But India all of the sudden fizzled out within the second quarter after that preliminary spark, even because the Japanese upped their ante and earned two extra penalty corners — the primary of which discovered drag-flicker Yoshiki Kirishita off the mark as his highly effective drag-flick sailed effectively over the cross-piece.

Some 📸 from our conflict in opposition to Japan within the Hero Asia Cup 2022, which came about on the GBK Hockey area in Jakarta, Indonesia.#IndiaKaGame #HockeyIndia #HeroAsiaCup #INDvsJPN #matchday @CMO_Odisha @sports_odisha @IndiaSports activities @Media_SAI pic.twitter.com/3NvPFZmxr4

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) May 24, 2022

However, within the twenty fourth minute, Ken Nagayoshi transformed the penalty nook with a robust angular drive that beat a diving Suraj all finally ends up.

There got here an opportunity of an equaliser when Nilam Sanjeep Xess’ help discovered Raj Kumar, whose reverse hit was saved by the keeper.

The downside with the inexperienced outfit was its propensity to assault primarily down the middle-third as an alternative of spreading the sport onto the broad flanks.

The ageing Sunil’s poor outing additionally didn’t assist the Indians a lot because the crew appeared to lack the artwork of taking part in the urgent sport to earn the penalty corners in contrast to the Japanese, who had been sensible on the counter over the past two quarters of the sport.

It was within the fortieth minute Japan made it 2-0 in a counter-attack with Kosei Kawabi snatching the ball from the Indian midfield and sprinting down the proper wing operating left-back Dipsan Tirkey ragged along with his pace.

It was a spectacular purpose with Kawabi having his again in direction of the Indian purpose along with his markers Dipsan and Nilam closing in on him. With a physique feint, Kawabi wrong-footed goalkeeper Suraj after which smashed it dwelling from an acute angle.

India discovered one thing going their approach within the dying moments of the third quarter when veteran Birendra Lakra saved a robust help contained in the putting circle melee and the big-bodied centre ahead Pawan Rajbhar was in the proper place to put his stick for an ideal deflection that discovered the highest nook of the online.

The closing quarter as soon as once more noticed the Indians going all out and conceding a purpose in opposition to the run of play within the forty ninth minute.

With all however one gamers on the overlap, Ryosei Kato received a cross-field cross on the broad proper and he reduce inside with goalkeeper Suraj at his mercy, and Ryomo Ooka ready for an open purpose. Kato handed it to Ooka, who put it gleefully to make it 3-1.

However, India equalised with the very subsequent transfer when Rajbhar despatched a cross from proper and ahead Uttam Singh tapped it in from shut vary to make it 2-3.

But there was extra unhealthy luck for India as they all of the sudden misplaced the numerical benefit with non permanent suspensions of Rajbhar and Karthi.

The 9 versus eleven grew to become a lopsided contest as Japan repeatedly used the proper flank to launch their assault. Koji Yamasaki received his purpose within the 54th minute with a touch-in after not one of the Indian defenders cared to intercept a cross from the broad proper.

The Indian resistance had ended and the fifth purpose was the ultimate nail within the coffin — Kawabe slotting dwelling within the 56th minute after his first shot rebounded off the goalkeeper.