Sukhjeet, Uttam and Abhishek scored goals as India defeat China 3-0
The Asian Champions Trophy 2024 began for Olympic bronze medallists and defending champions India with a smooth 3-0 victory against hosts China on Sunday, September 8th. Sukhjeet, Uttam and Abhishek Singh all scored goals for the Indian team while having to withstand a strong counterattacking display from the Chinese team.
Despite India’s failure to capitalize on their dragflick opportunities, coach Craig Fulton would have been pleased to see the team score three goals from open play.
India experienced a significant scare at the beginning when the hosts launched a counterattack following a turnover in the midfield and managed to take a shot. Nevertheless, it lacked strength and veered off course. After 5 minutes, India managed to penetrate the Chinese D for the first time, with Abhishek setting up a pass to Raheel whose shot was saved.
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In the 8th minute, Harmanpreet got his first experience with a PC, but his shot was blocked, leading to a rapid counterattack from China that had India on edge.
China was gradually getting more involved in the game, but India unexpectedly scored the first goal. Jugraj Singh delivered an excellent pass into the D, which Sukhjeet redirected into the goal.
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In the second quarter, India introduced Karkera onto the field. The quarter began with Abhishek taking a shot that required China’s goalkeeper. India would extend their lead by scoring another goal in the final 4 minutes, with Uttam Singh taking advantage of a bad clearance and scoring past the goalkeeper.
Abhishek quickly scored to make the score 3-0 in India’s favor early in the third quarter, securing victory for the visiting team. China did acquire a PC in the quarter, but ultimately decided not to use it.
In the 4th quarter, India would once again start aggressively, with Abhishek coming close to scoring his second goal of the evening. The intriguing part was observing India’s attempt to score more field goals as Manpreet nearly set up Uttam for another one, but the shot missed the target.
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India will take on Japan on September 9
China ended the game on a high note with several penalty corners and good scoring opportunities, but the Indian defense, led by Karkera, effectively prevented any threats and secured the victory. India is set to face Japan on Monday, September 9 in their upcoming match.
