India bled reigning Olympic Champions Argentina’s pride at Breda Champions Trophy with a hearwarming 2-1 victory to move further in its quest for medal. Coming after demolishing Pakistan yeasterday in the opener, India now tops the pool with six points in the prestigious tournament.
After an eventful but barren first quarter, India went up with an immaculate penalty corner conversion by Harmanpreet, and later in the same quarter Mandeep Singh guided a guile Dilpreet Singh’s close range pass to enlarge the lead. Gonzalo Peillat’s goal gave life to Argentina in the dying moments of second quarter, but gritty India held the sway in the last and decisive quarter to romp home as victor.
India had enough chances in the fourth quarter with incisive run downs and precise ball supply into the circle by Sunil, but the goalkeeper could not be beaten even on one to one sitution. Sunil could once place the ball just wide off the post when challenged by the golie near at the top of D.
India braved three consecutive penalty corners midway through first quarter, all three attempted by fearsome Gonzalo Peillat.First one hit Manpreet Singh, who had to limp back. The resultant penalty corner was again met the same fate. The thrid one was near goal, but goalie Sreejeh raised his hand in time to palm it away the balloning ball falling in no man’s land.
Moments later, in a counter Mandeep Sent a perfect slap to Simranjeet, who just fumbled in stopping, losing momentum to strike at goal from top of the circle.
A stick tackle of speedying Harmanpreet singh near dotted lines gave India a gift, its first penalty corner of which Harmanpreet slotted home the ball on a grounder. (1-0).
Two minutes before the half time, a defender stretched his stick up near his own circle to intercept an Indian overhead, but young Dilpreet Singh, lurking around near circle lapped on to it, and on surrounded by a marker near backline, passed selflessly to Mandeep Singh. Mandeep was hemmed in by two defenders still managed to bend fully to deflect the pass into D (2-0).
within a minute, Gonazalo Peillat could not be denied his goal when sent the ball to the left of goalkeeper off the fourth penalty corner that came after successful referral (2-1).
A few seconds before India got its second penalty corner of which Harmanpreet Singh effected a drag which was intercepted close to him by the first charger.
India defended four of the five penalty corners it conceded, while Argentina could keep clean slate one in two penalty corners that India got.
India has two days rest now before taking on its third match.