India vs China in Women’s Asia Cup 2022: India Secure Bronze Medal with 2-0 Win Over China

The Indian women’s team ended their campaign in the Women’s Asia Cup 2022 on a good note with a 2-0 win over China in the bronze medal match. Goals from Sharmila and Gurjit Kaur proved more than enough in a match where the Indian team played clinically and efficiently.

Though the overall result for coach Janneke Schopman’s team in the tournament is disappointing, since they started as favourites, not going home empty-handed would be a relief. What was most impressive about India’s performance today was the way the midfield played. By regularly finding the right channels, they managed to keep the forward line busy and the Chinese defenders on the edge.

India on Top From the Begining

The game started on a positive note for the Indian team. The pre-tournament favourites were pressing high in the early stages of the game and making promising attacking moves. The Chinese team also got the ball in the Indian circle, but only occasionally. The first penalty corner earned by the Indian team went waste as the ejection from the baseline got messed up.

India vs China in Women’s Asia Cup 2022: Full Match Report

China also earned a PC not long after but they too, couldn’t make much use of it. India came tantalizingly close to scoring a goal when a shot taken by a player hit the crossbar. But the score remained 0-0.

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In the 13th minute, India managed to earn another PC and though, they again didn’t carry out the operation cleanly – not stopping the ball well on top of the ‘D’ – they kept possession and almost scored a goal. When the ball was airborne near the goal post, an Indian striker hit it with an inverse stick towards the goal but it hit the stick of a Chinese defender standing almost on the line.

Eventually, the deadlock was broken when India earned another PC in the same minute. Gurjit’s drag flick was partially stopped by the goalkeeper but the ball snuck underneath her and Sharmila gave the last push to ensure it was a goal. India went into the second quarter 1-0 up.

India Tighten Their Grip

The second quarter saw more of the same stuff from the first quarter. The game was being played at a good speed. Indian team continued to keep things in control and earned another corner in the 19th minute. This time, Gurjit didn’t need anybody’s assistance as her powerful hit went into the net after taking a minor deflection of the goalkeeper’s stick.

India vs China in Women’s Asia Cup 2022: Full Match Report

The Chinese players were trying hard and even earned PCs but India’s defence showed no clear weaknesses this time. 2-0 was the score in India’s favour at half-time.

Goalless 2nd Half

The entire second half was without any major events. Some more forays were made by the Indian team into the Chinese circle but they didn’t yield any results. Still, the Indian midfield remained on top and the defence solid. The third quarter was without any goals. China could never put any pressure on the Indian team consistently.

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The match ended with the same scoreline seen at the half-time. Coach Schopman’s team finally produced the sort of compact effort that was needed in earlier matches. The second runners-up spot won’t give India much pleasure but the way the team played today gives a good template for their coming matches.