Indian women’s hockey team
Silly mistakes have to go out of our play,” he told TOI. “We played well but we needed to score more goals. Also, we gave away possession easily a few times.
Japan’s speed and agility helped them control possession, with the hosts enjoying 58% of the ball. Playing an attacking brand of hockey, India took the lead through Lalremsiami in the fifth minute. Japan threatened on the counter and enjoyed periods of possession, but India remained in control of the game. Ishika doubled India’s lead in the 30th minute, scoring from the rebound after Japanese goalkeeper Yu Kudo saved Navneet Kaur’s penalty-corner attempt. Japan managed to pull one back through Shiho Kobayakawa in the 46th minute, but India held their nerve in the closing stages to prevent the hosts from making a comeback.
After scoring goals by the dozen in their earlier matches, India faced their first real test of the competition.
NAGOYA: With 59 goals from four matches and another to go, the Indian women’s hockey team stormed into the semifinals on Friday after easing past hosts Japan 3-1 at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. India’s chief coach Sjoerd Marijne admitted his team could have scored more goals and needed to cut down on mistakes.