India claimed their record-extending fifth Asian Champions Trophy title with a hard-won 1-0 victory over hosts China on Tuesday. In a thrilling final, India faced a resilient Chinese side that left no stone unturned to make a statement on home turf. In the final quarter, Jugraj Singh, who came on as a substitute scored a crucial field goal to break the deadlock and give India the win.
Despite all the pressure, it was however a rare field goal by Jugraj which turned out to be the clincher in the game, especially with other Indian stars failing to find an escape past Chinese goalkeeper Wang Weihao. Again, China’s defense, thanks to Wang Weihao, did not let India penetrate much into their zone, making several critical saves along the way.
Congratulations to the Indian Men's Hockey Team on clinching their record-breaking 5th Asian Champions Trophy title! 🏆🏑
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) September 17, 2024
With a hard-fought 1-0 victory over China, India have not only retained their crown from 2023 but also solidified their position as the most successful team… pic.twitter.com/akCC5N6kGv
China ranked 23rd, battled with daredevil spirit, and India’s still the reigning champions Indian Team, ranked Number 1. The host’s players did much to please their defense as they succeeded in keeping India blank for the first three quarters. Though China dominated the possession game by suffocating their opponents at large, they could not penetrate India’s strong defensive line.
China appeared a bit disorganized in the match at the start but India never capitalized on that. The restive home crowd was tested yet again, aside from Harmanpreet Singh and his men. China slowly started to find its rhythm. However, their increase in control over the ball was not accompanied by intensity off it as India chipped away at them with shots at the goal.
India was rewarded with the very first penalty corner in the 10th minute, but Harmanpreet Singh saw his effort being blocked by the sole of a Chinese defender, which resulted in another penalty corner he hit wide. The 14th minute saw Weihao making a terrific save to deny Sumit, and the game remained goalless.
During the second quarter, India could not drop the high-line press and continued to harry the Chinese players. Of course, Jarmanpreet Singh did manage a couple of runs behind the defense, but China was compact, closed all space, and never allowed them to settle. Harmanpreet, who had scored twice during the semi-final against South Korea, missed opportunities to score from penalty corners in the first half, hitting the goalpost on the final stroke of the second quarter.
When Manpreet dribbled past Chinese defenders in the 13th minute and was fouled by Weihao, India won a penalty stroke. China challenged that, and they fielded a free kick.
China’s defensive focus ate into their attacking, and whenever they did push forward, there was hardly any attacking presence. China came out aggressive in the second half and pushed hard on India’s defense, but the visitors held firm.
Indian head coach Peter Fulton looked exasperated as his side committed errors time and again, letting China run rampant on many instances in the third quarter. India’s perseverance finally paid dividends when 9 minutes and 34 seconds were left in the game when Jugraj Singh scored the crucial goal off Harmanpreet’s setup.
In the dying minutes of the match, with China still trying to draw level, this defense never surrendered and ensured India took home their fifth Asian Champions Trophy title. More than just an indication of India’s domicile, the achievement further shows how they can deliver under pressure.
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