India beat South Korea 8-0 in Jalandhar to finish the Asian Champions Trophy league stage with five wins from five. Dilpreet Singh scored twice, seven players found the net and Korea failed to convert several penalty corners ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final rematch in Mohali.
Jalandhar, India: India closed out the league phase of the Asian Champions Trophy on Monday with their heaviest win since the opener, an 8-0 rout of South Korea that left them top of the table with a perfect record. The only blemish for the hosts was one of omission: the second quarter passed without a goal.
Three goals before the first break
Dilpreet Singh broke through in the eighth minute with a reverse hit, set up by Jarmanpreet Singh. Jugraj Singh doubled the lead in the 11th, and captain Harmanpreet Singh made it 3-0 in the 15th with a low drag-flick. Korea won several penalty corners during the match and did not convert any.
Four more in the third quarter
India restarted after a goalless second quarter with a burst that decided the margin. Shilanand Lakra scored in the 33rd minute, steering in a rebound after a Jugraj penalty-corner variation was saved. Sukhjeet Singh followed almost immediately with a close-range finish from Aditya Lalage’s square pass. Sanjay Rana tucked in a rebound after Korean goalkeeper Kim Jaehyon saved Dilpreet’s shot, and Dilpreet then added his second, deflecting in a Sanjay shot to make it 7-0.
Angad Bir caps it in the last minute
Angad Bir Singh scored the eighth with a reverse hit in the 60th minute, after winning the ball high up the pitch. It completed a night on which seven different Indian players scored.
Semi-final rematch
The result gave India 15 points from five matches, built on a 13-0 win over Bangladesh, a 5-2 win over China, a 4-1 win over Japan and a 4-2 win over Malaysia. They scored 34 goals and conceded five across the group stage. India meet South Korea again in the first semi-final on Wednesday in Mohali, while Malaysia play Japan in the other.
Result: India 8 (Dilpreet Singh 8’ and third quarter; Jugraj Singh 11’; Harmanpreet Singh 15’; Shilanand Lakra 33’; Sukhjeet Singh and Sanjay Rana, third quarter; Angad Bir Singh 60’) beat South Korea 0.
