S2H TEAM

The Christmas season is over but you were reminded of the carol “Silent Night” at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi on Saturday. For the USA, however, it was cause for cheer. A 1-0 upset of hosts India got the American Olympic qualifying campaign to a sensational start and silenced a partisan crowd. Abigail Tamer’s goal in the 16th minute proved decisive in a taut contest in which the referral denied either team a goal.

India’s disappointment was palpable, given the home support they enjoyed. The Americans came into the match as gross underdogs, their superior head-to-head record of 8-4 with one drawn, notwithstanding.

You’d expect defence to be the keynote of the US victory. It certainly was a significant factor. But it was also skillful maneuvers in the midfield and attack where Maddie Zimmer stood out on the right flank that made for a winning unit on the day.

Not least, and inevitably, it was goalkeeper Kelsey Bing who emerged player of the match. She kept India’s waves of offensives at bay, excelling in penalty corner defence and open play much to the chagrin of her opponents and opposite number Savita Punia, India’s veteran captain.

The hosts were coping with setbacks. Their ace striker Vandana Katariya was sidelined by a cheekbone injury and defender and drag-flicking star Gurjit Kaur along with defensive bulwark Grace are also absent from the squad.

All the same, India called the shots. The hosts finished 13-5 on circle penetrations, 9-5 on shots and 6-3 on penalty corners. The stats, though, came to zilch as the doughty Americans fought heroically for the ball.

India, relying on the dash and speed of Salima Tete, looked ever threatening but were let down by shoddy first touches and soft turnovers as they chased the match. The scales had tipped in recent times but the American girls started off as though their early record still held.

They saw far more of the ball in first-quarter play as the hosts grappled with the pressure of playing in front of a vociferous crowd.USA made their ascendancy count in the 11th minute but Amanda Golani’s goal didn’t survive an umpire’s referral. The disappointment seemed to allow India to take control.

But it was the USA who took the lead after Udita fumbled in defence and Tamer made no mistake to put the ball in the back of the net from a goalmouth melee.

India, stung by the reverse, exerted the high press. But that brought Bing into the frame. It was her stature and composure that preserved the lead as the high-energy encounter reached halftime.

India had their work cut out after the change of ends. Four years ago, the double-legged qualifier was a cracker. India won by 6-5 after winning the first match 5-1 in a cracker. Curiously, Janneke Schopman, the Dutchwoman guiding India, was the US head coach then and knows something about their setup.

But Schopman’s buoyant countenance changed as time ticked away in the second half. The American girls, on their part, showed no panic in defending a slender lead. A yellow card to Vaishnavi Phalke in the fourth quarter could well have set the alarm bells ringing on the Indian bench. An Indian ‘goal’ momentarily released the pressure but a referral that spotted Udita’s penalty corner hit go in off an attacker’s foot drew a huge groan from the crowd.

It turned more desperate for India as USA forced their first PC of the match as late as the 53rd minute. And more anxiety as two more followed.

Frenetic action followed. India’s attempt to force a last-gasp equalizer brought the best out of a doughty US defence. The hosts, ranked sixth, however, did not help their cause with error-strewn play in the anxiety of salvaging a point.

The 15th-ranked USA ran down the clock with a minimum of fuss, pocketing the ball near the corner flag and blocking out India’s bid to switch play. India, now with backs to the wall, have a do-or-die encounter against New Zealand in pool B on Sunday. The Kiwis beat Italy 3-0 earlier and may hold the psychological advantage of beating India 4-3 in last year’s World Cup.