S2H Team

Savita Punia stepped up again to help India finish their home stretch of the FIH Pro League on a high. She brought her vast experience and prowess to bear in a shootout to win a bonus point for her team at the expense of the USA after regulation time ended 1-1 at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela on Sunday.

The Indian captain and veteran of 279 internationals saved twice in the shootout to eke out a 2-1 verdict, a performance that complemented her stellar show in open play and brought her the Player-of-the-Match award.

Deepika Kumari finally came good with a penalty corner drag flick to put India ahead in the second quarter. The US equalized in the third quarter when Ashley Sessa found the top right corner of the goal with a diving effort after Savita blocked.

India must still be smarting after failing to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, a distinction achieved by the US whose 1-0 win in the opener against Savita’s girls did much to launch their campaign and undermine their opponents at Ranchi last month.

A 3-1 win in the league’s first meeting in Bhubaneswar lifted Indian spirits after three straight defeats. A fighting 0-1 defeat to high-flyers Netherlands followed by a sensational 1-0 win over Australia on Saturday whetted the appetite for Sunday’s contest and the large crowd was rewarded with a taut, high-paced contest.

The teams have generated a rivalry for some years now after Janneke Schopman, the Dutchwoman guiding the hosts, switched jobs from being the US head coach in the 2019 Olympic qualifier which India won 6-5 over two legs after winning the first 5-1.

The Americans have done enough in India over the years to suggest to the uninformed that they’re not minnows. This time around, they spent six weeks in the country during which they sealed a spot in Paris after finishing runners-up to Germany in a qualifying tournament in Ranchi.

Surely enough, the US set the pace in the early moments, Elizabeth Yaeger posing a threat with a circle entry but India took control and held the edge in possession.

India forced their first of eight penalty corners in the 19th minute and Deepika sounded the boards with a grounder past goalkeeper Kelsey Bing and the right-hand post player to send the stands into raptures.

The Americans began to assert themselves soon later with Madeleine Zimmer and Yaeger at the forefront but India responded through Mumtaz Khan and Deepika as action swung to and fro.
Deepika’s successful drag flick notwithstanding, India have yet to crack their penalty corner execution crisis. Navneet, the option with the old-fashioned hit, failed to get the better of Bing and the US goalkeeper had no problems blocking Deepika’s drag flick from India’s fourth PC.

A flurry of abortive penalty corners followed in the early minutes of the third quarter to take India’s tally to eight and the prodigality looked in danger of being punished when the US went close after a dazzling run by the effervescent Zimmer.

The match was beginning to produce breathless moments. A speedy counter-attack ended with Vandana Katariya and Navneet Kaur all but scoring and at the other end, Jacqueline Sumfest who had sparkled in the campaign, drew Savita to a save. India looked set to enter the fourth quarter with a slender advantage but the US struck with only seconds remaining for the break. The Americans forced their first PC of the match and Sessa produced a moment of brilliance to equalize and silence the crowd.

A yellow card to Navneet three minutes into the final quarter put India on the back foot and the US rode on their numerical superiority to snatch the initiative. The pressure brought the Americans their second PC but Savita went hit the turf to block and ward off danger.

Navneet returned from the sin bin and India looked more eager to settle it in regulation time, none more than Salima Tete who threatened with a back-hander but the US stood their ground.
Sonika and Mumtaz Khan scored in the shootout for India. Leah Crouse was the lone US success. Savita denied Madeleine Zimmer and Sanne Caarls, saves which were crucial and sealed victory with a shootout attempt to spare.

The Netherlands lead the nine-nation table with 36 points from 12 matches. China (15/8), Argentina (14/7), Australia (12/8), India (8/8) occupy second to fifth spots respectively. The US are eighth with a point from eight matches.

India resume their campaign in Antwerp, Belgium, on May 22 against Argentina.