The Asian Champions Trophy 2024 match between India and Japan has come and gone, with India setting up a final showdown against China after beating Japan in the semis. Japan appeared to maintain their game three quarters before India’s Navneet Kaur and Lalremsiami scored against the Japanese. That means the 2024 Women Asian Champions Trophy Winners will emerge between India and China when both mammoth nations play each other in Wednesday’s final.
Here are the key moments from the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey semis between India and Japan. We explore various aspects of the game, from first-game highlights to star performances, and audience reactions to the overall match outcome.
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Match Overview
Defending champions India head into the game with a perfect record against familiar foes Japan in the semi-final match on Tuesday. India failed to score in the game’s first three quarters, thanks to several failures to convert multiple PCs and Japan’s goalie Kudo’s heroics.
But Japan’s defensive wall would only last unbroken till the end of the third quarter as goals from India’s Navneet and Lalremsiami would see the hosts through to the final berth against China on Wednesday.
Date, Venue, and Team’s Standings before the Match
The Indian hockey team walked valiantly into the final of the Asian Women Hockey Championship 2024 after beating Japan in Tuesday’s semi-final. The event, which ended 2-0 in favor of India, was held at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar on Tuesday.
India, 9th in the hockey rankings, approached the semifinal match as favorites after topping the league stage standings with a perfect record in their five matches. This outstanding run for the Indians included a 3-nil victory over fellow finalists China.
Japan, on the other hand, were the World No. 11 team. They finished fourth in the group stage with 5 points, netting six goals and conceding nine, including 3 unreciprocated goals against India. After losing so many games, the Japanese planned to avoid conceding goals during their semifinal showdown to maximize their winning chances. However, the hosts got the better of the Japanese’ plans after three quarters to break the deadlock with a first goal.
How India and Japan Compared Going into the Semis
| Country/Rank | P | W | D | L | ScF | ScA | PDiff |
| India/ 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 24 |
| Japan/ 4th | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 |
Historical Rivalry between India and Japan in Women’s Hockey
India and Japan’s women’s hockey teams have a long-standing international hockey rivalry. Both sides had met eight times, with India winning seven of their last encounters. Japan’s win came against India earlier in the year, after a lone goal earned Japan the final Olympic spot ahead of India.
While Japan’s entourage at the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey is completely different from the Olympic-qualification squad, India still remembered the impact of the Olympic qualification defeat.
First-Half Highlights
Here are key moments to note at the Women Asian Champions Trophy 2024 match between India and Japan at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar on Tuesday. Summarily, India put up an impressively dominant display characteristic of their form throughout the league while Japan’s resistant defense would keep the Indians at bay throughout the first two quarters.
Early Strategies and Formations
India began the game in a characteristic dominant fashion as they kept Japan under pressure in the opening five minutes. The hosts kept going forward with the possession game, hassling to make a circle entry into the opening ten minutes. While the score remained 0-0 into the second quarter, the Japanese’ defense had maintained a rock solid defense that had denied India any scoring opportunity.
Key Goals and Saves in the First Quarter
By the end of the second quarter – and first half – Indian Women’s Hockey Team had seen seven penalty corners. None had yet produced any tangible result to their persistent attacking efforts.
Turning Points Before Halftime
Both teams would have to wait till the second half to see how far Japan’s defensive wall could remain impermeable. India soon would sit back a little bit into the second quarter to allow Japan have some of the ball. But it’s only passive possession as India waited for a chance to counter, leading to a sixth PC. Indian failed to convert this PC, alongside six other PCs, but their mellowed possession could signal the hosts are considering a tactical change to break Japan’s defenses.
Second-Half Highlights
A very brief moment of relief came for the hosts’ fans after the ball got into the back of the net. However, the whistle had gone before Sangita’s finish and the referee declared no-goal. Perhaps this event thumped India to put in more pressure at finally converting their efforts into a victory.
Momentum Shifts in the Third Quarter
Deepika went close after hitting the goal from a PC. Japan’s defense remained strong again, frustrating India’s efforts as Kudo deflected the attempts with her pads. However, that would only be the first of multiple misses for the tournament’s top scorer in the third quarter. India would have to endure multiple saves by Japan’s Kudo, who deserves some flowers for her sensational goalkeeping thus far into the game.
Critical Plays and Goals in the Final Quarter
India finally breaks the deadlock in the final quarter as Navneet Kaur beats Yu Kudo’s right guess. Expectedly, shouts of relief and joy filled Navneet and other Indian players at this breakthrough.
Japan’s PC defense would block another chance, as they continue to keep Deepika at bay. Fine work from Sharmila beats her marker to give a one-handed pass to release Sangita. However, a final pass to Preeti could only result in a long corner.
Things would appear pretty much with an Indian sparsely-fruitful defense until 17-year-old Lalremsiami scored after Sunelita found her in space. The final touch India had lacked throughout the first three quarters had now materialized. It was getting clearer that India could easily end the semi-final, continuing their perfect record.
Game-Changing Moments and Their Impact
Japan began to go offensive in the second final but were without any significant impact. India, however, would leverage 10 minutes inside the goal to secure a two-goal lead for themselves. The result set up a final between India and China on Wednesday at the Women Asian Champions Trophy 2024 finals.
Star Performances
India broke the deadlock through a penalty stroke earned by Deepika, India’s star athlete who had endured a frustrating night till then. Navneet made no mistake at converting the penalty from the sport. Lalresmsiami also slammed into the back of the Japanese goal after Toppo’s terrific run from the right flank brilliantly set her up.
Kudo’s world-class saves and high-powered outing weren’t enough to keep her team in the tournament. But they’ll be remembered as a heroic display of Japan’s fighting spirit in the 2024 Women Asian Champions Trophy.
Key Players from India and Their Contributions
There’s no doubt that Deepika’s aggressive attempts at goal did significant damage in wearing out the Japanese defense. Navneet’s goal from the penalty and Lalresmsiami’s conversion of Toppo’s brilliant were all India needed to land a spot in the final against Japan.
Japan’s Standout Players and Their Impact
Yu Kudo is largely Japan’s standout player throughout the match. She made a couple of world class saves to deny the hosts an early lead up till the third quarter. Kudo also succeeded at reading all of India’s variations, often nipping their plans in the bud till Navneet broke their defense in the final quarter.
Tactical Analysis
Here, we observe a technical analysis of the India vs Japan Women Asian Champions Trophy 2024 semi-final match at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar on Tuesday. India’s defensive and offensive strategies may not have been incredibly stellar, but they were enough to break Japan’s adaptability and all-defensive approach during the match.
India’s Defensive Offensive Strategies
Scoring no goals from 13 PCs is a definite concern for the Indians. The hosts would likely look towards improving their offensive outing during their final match against Japan. Navneet, India’s vice-captain, stepped up the plate of the side’s designated takers in Sushila, Navneet, and Deepika. While the hosts look to polish their offensive, there’s no brushing aside that India could have scored more from their 13 created PCs.
Japan’s Approach and Adaptability During the Match
Japan maintained a strict defensive line throughout the match. Even when they gained some possession during the match, it was certainly a case of passive possession as they only appeared to adapt to the Indians who at some point stepped down their aggressive attacking prowess to possibly rephrase a means of breaking Japan’s defenses. Kudo’s saves could only keep Japan so far, and it could make some glimmer of hope for the squad ahead of future competitions.
Match Outcome and Implications
With India coming out tops in the semi-final encounter against the Japanese Women’s Hockey squad in the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024. Here are the implications of the match outcomes on both teams and the continental tournament.
Final Score and Its Significance in the Tournament
A final score of 2-0 in favor of India sets up a final berth against China. Although India already defeated China earlier in the tournament, the hosts would do well to not underestimate their opponents. China defeated Malaysia 3-1 in the first semi-final earlier in the day to earn a spot at the final game.
Malaysia will take on Japan in the third-fourth place match. Meanwhile, Korea finished fifth after defeating Thailand 3-0 in the fifth-sixth place classification match.
Impact on Team Rankings and Future Matches
India can rest assured that another win to extend their perfect record in the Women Asian Champions Trophy 2024 would boost their global rankings. Meanwhile, the victory, which saw them score two unreturned goals could prove some morale boost for their defense line and overall squad as they head into the finals against China.
Japan, on the other hand, could drop in their global rankings, after losing to India in the semi-finals. However, Kudo’s player-of-the-match performance for the Japanese women’s hockey team could be something to bank on for subsequent outings
Audience Reactions and Expert Opinions
Here’s the section where we explore audience reactions and expert opinions on the Women Asian Champions Trophy 2024 semi-final between India and Japan.
Fans’ Perspective on the Match
Here are some comments from the Women Asian Champions Trophy 2024 fanbase on Reddit.
“I am impressed with the never die attitude of the (Indian) team. Even when we were missing chances in the first three quarters, we kept changing tactics and kept trying. Game management is improving. Need to work a lot on PC.” – @ Reddittor_53
“Defending Champions India are into the finals again!! Where they will face arch rivals and reigning Olympic Silver medalists China.” – @Reddittor_53
“The (Japanese)… goalkeeper is incredible. Japan wouldn’t still be in the game without her.”
Some other fans felt the need to comment on other issues apart from gameplay.
“The stadium looks good! Management has really put in efforts in the organization of this event.” @Scary_Asperagus_6890
Analysts’ Take on Team Performance and Tactics
When asked by pundits the day before the semifinals why India had been better in the second halves of matches at the Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir, head coach Harendra Singh gave a guarded response. He said, “Sometimes Plan B becomes Plan A, and it’s been working for us. The opponents also have been doing their own homework.”
The tactician went on to imply that his team’s finishing could be better if they weren’t merely shooting at the goalkeepers hurriedly. True to Rajgir’s observations, Japan’s goalkeeper Kudo fielded like a character in a Japanese anime, who appeared to possess the superpower to read the minds of Indian forwards. She saved with her stick stretched upwards, her pads closed, and sometimes with her outstretched feet on either side. Kudo, no doubt, deserves her flowers for her notable show during the match.
Yu Kudo nearly emerged as the hero of the match in the semifinal against hosts India. Notwithstanding goals from Navneet Kaur and Lalremsiami, Kudo rightly earned the player-of-the-match award from analysts and experts.
Conclusion
India broke a three-quarter deadlock by scoring twice in 10 minutes against Japan to book a spot in the Women Asian Champions Trophy 2024. Despite showing a valiant defensive effort, Japan couldn’t withstand India’s persistent efforts as they’d soon find answers just in time after goals from Navneet and Lalresmsiami earned them a chance to defend the title on Wednesday.
