JAPAN BLOSSOM, INDIA DROOP

S2H Team
India did not get the second bite of the cherry. The Cherry Blossoms did. Japan beat the hosts 1-0 to grab the last available ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics in Ranchi on Friday leaving the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh stadium silent as a morgue and the Indian team awash in tears.

What more could Indian-born head coach Jude Menezes want from his team in the bronze medal playoff of the Olympic qualifiers! He told them pre-match to score the first goal to silence the crowd. His girls did exactly that. They also gave the 2000 Olympian a bonus – they didn’t concede any.

Salute Japan. Their grit, gumption, spirit and discipline reaped them reward and a place in the Olympics for the sixth successive time. Add to that tactical and technical ingenuity across the lines and a rock-solid defence with the last line – goalkeepers Eika Nakamura and Akio Tanaka who shared match time – almost unbeatable.

Not many teams these days can keep a clean slate after scoring early in the game and befittingly Shihori Oikawa, the bulwark of the defence, stepped up to receive the player of the match award.

India will doubtlessly do profuse soul-searching. For captain and goalkeeper Savita Punia the tears flowed. A protagonist in all the games here, especially against Germany in the semifinals, she couldn’t be blamed entirely for the goal but the ball did go through her legs after Urata Kana struck with a penalty corner deflection in the sixth minute.

Salima Tete, the livewire of the attack, was subdued again on the day. She failed to sparkle against Germany in a heart-breaking loss sustained in a shootout and today she was somewhat cramped in another central attacking role.

The local girl, though, sprung to life in the fourth quarter after moving to her customary position on the right flank and came close to levelling the scores as the clock ticked away – her efforts going inches wide of the far post.

The stats favoured India by distance. The home side had 11 shots against 6. As many as 13 circle entries against 8 and 9 penalty corners to 4. India also dominated possession with 55%. The main statistic, however, remained blank as it did in the opener against the USA who also beat India by a solitary goal.

India had the bragging rights going into the match having won the last three encounters against Japan. The last, in the Asian Champions Trophy at the very venue in November, by an emphatic 4-0.

But Dutch coach Janneke Schopman had no illusions about the Japanese prowess. She would have seen their resurgence after being overrun by Germany in the first half of the pool match before bouncing back to split honours with the European powerhouse.

The Japanese were undone by the USA in the semi-finals after taking a 1-0 lead but tightened the loose ends against India.

They showed they meant business right from the outset when they put India under pressure with the press and forced the first two penalty corners of the match, the second of which led to a goal.

Far from taking their foot off the pedal, Japan went close again on a couple of occasions, enjoying an ascendancy that stifled any bid by India to chase the game at that stage.

India, however, began to claw back and Lalramsiami went close with a deflection to raise hopes of a comeback.

India forced their first of nine penalty corners in the second quarter, exerting pressure on the Japanese citadel whose defence remained rock-solid.

Up front, Yuri Nagai was an ever-present threat but Savita was alive to the danger with a reflex glove save to ensure the deficit was still just one.

India showed positive intent after the interval and a spate of penalty corners and circle entries ensued but chances went begging.

The hosts went agonizingly close yet again, but Tanaka, stepping in for Nakamura, brought off a remarkable save to stave off danger during India’s seventh penalty corner.

The Japanese also proved adept at referrals, winning three to deny India penalty corners, and continued holding their nerve as Indian pressure turned relentless as the minutes ticked by.

A last-ditch effort by Salima failed by a whisker and minutes later, India’s frenetic efforts to force a penalty corner were snuffed out by the hooter, cruel and lacking feeling, but entirely unbiased.