Ipoh: “So close but yet so far”. This is what Indian team might be thinking after losing the Asia Cup final against South Korea. The Korean won a thrilling final in Ipoh beating India 4-3 to retain their Asian crown.
Leading 2-0 at halftime Korean seemed to be cruising to victory. However India came back to level the scores at 2-2. Korea then scored from a penalty corner in the 55th minute and it seemed like the game was over. However India once again came back to equalise yet again. And just when it seemed that the game was going to a shoot-out, Kang Moon Kweon scored off a penalty corner. Korea then closed out the remaining five minutes to secure the victory.
India fought tooth and nail to win the Asia Cup final, which would have cement their place in the 2014 Hockey World Cup which will be played at The Hague, Netherlands, but were left with the runner-ups trophy. Meanwhile, Korea and Malaysia will have booked their place in the World Cup while India will have to wait for the results of the Oceania Cup, which will confirm their place.
India were the favourites of winning this final and as they had already defeated Korea 2-0 in the league stage. The Indian team had raised it bars which surely posed problem to the every team that played against them. However, after nullifying the Korean attack for the first 10 minutes in the final match, India failed to make the most of the early chances they got in the first-half.
Instead just before the first-half, Indian defence was successfully raided twice once by Jang Jong Hyun (28th minute) and You Hyo Sik (29th minute). After conceding two goals in the first half, Indian team was on a defensive note after the end of the first half.
But the fresh legs rolled up their sleeves and got the things right by striking two goals which came off from Rupinderpal Singh (48th) and Nikkin Thimmaiah (57th). Rupinderpal made the most of the penalty corner that he got whereas Thimmaiah scored a sensational field goal to level the match for his team.
Though, this equalizer was broken by Korea when Nam Hyun Woo (57th), converted a penalty stroke, Mandeep Singh struck well to equalize again for India. At the score of 3-3, match was looking equally poised but the Kang Moon Kweon (68th) successfully dodged the goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and earned a controversial penalty corner.
Rupinder did make a legitimate clearance but umpire gave India a cold shoulder and awarded Korea a short corner and that was good enough for them to pin down India when only five minutes was left for the match to get over. As the match progressed, Korea started killing the time and at the end won the finals of the Asia Cup by 4-3.
Korea scored three of their four goals coming — directly or indirectly — through penalty corners, including the third goal off the stroke.
Timeline of the match:
17' Uthappa passes but Ramandeep Singh fails to control inside the D.
22' India goalkeeper Sreejesh clears a dangerous ball.
28' Goal Jang Jong Hyun converts South Korea's first penalty corner.
29' Goal You Hyo Sik increases South Korea's lead via a field goal.
48' Goal Rupinderpal Singh flicks to the right corner to convert a PC.
55' Goal A reverse flick does the trick as Nikkin Thimmaiah equalises.
57' Goal Nam Hyun Woo has Sreejesh going the wrong way as he converts a penalty stroke.
63' Ramandeep Singh misses out as he hits the ball over the crossbar.
65' Goal Mandeep connects from a Ramandeep scoop from the right.
68' Goal Kang Moon Kweon positioned on the right finishes off a smart penalty corner conversion.