India’s captain, Harmanpreet Singh, scored two goals to help his team reach the Asian Champions Trophy final. India defeated South Korea 4-1 in the semi-final held in Hulunbuir, China.
India’s goals were scored by Uttam Singh (13th minute), Harmanpreet Singh (19th and 45th minutes), and Jarmanpreet Singh (32nd minute). South Korea’s only goal came from Yang Jihun’s penalty corner in the 33rd minute.
Upcoming Final
India to face China in the final on Tuesday. Earlier, China won their semi-final against Pakistan 2-0 in a shoot-out after a 1-1 tie in regular time.
In their previous league match, India beat China 3-0.
Other Matches
Pakistan and South Korea will play for third place on Tuesday. Japan won the fifth-sixth place match, beating Malaysia 4-2 in a shoot-out after a 4-4 tie in regular time.
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Match Summary
India started strongly, attacking the Korean defense from the beginning. Korean players mostly defended and relied on counter-attacks. Abhishek nearly scored for India in the 4th minute, but his shot was saved by Korean goalkeeper Kim Jaehan.
India kept attacking and broke through in the 13th minute when Uttam Singh scored from Araijeet Singh Hundal’s pass. Korea had two penalty corners shortly after but failed to score.
In the second quarter, India got their first penalty corner, and Harmanpreet Singh scored, making it 2-0. Just before half-time, Suraj Karkera made a crucial save for India.
India continued to press in the third quarter, and Jarmanpreet Singh extended the lead with a goal. Korea responded with a goal from Yang Jihun’s penalty corner but couldn’t keep up with India’s attack. Harmanpreet scored again from a penalty corner with a second left in the third quarter, making it 4-1.
China’s goalkeeper Caiyu Wang was excellent in their semi-final against Pakistan, which ended 0-0 in regular time. In the shoot-out, China won 2-0, with Benhai Chen and Chanliang Lin scoring.
China’s Historic Achievement
This is the first time China has reached the final of the Asian Champions Trophy. They will play India, while Pakistan will compete for the bronze medal.
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