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IND V JPN ( 5th / 6th ) Hockey World League Semi-Final Antwerp 2015

IND

1 - 0

JPN

Match Review IND - JPN 1-0

IND v JPN Goal 1 for INDPosted July 4, 2015

IND v JPN Oikawa shot clearedPosted July 4, 2015

IND v JPN Save by SavitaPosted July 4, 2015

IND v JPN Post match interview with Rani RaniPosted July 4, 2015

In a 5/6th place match that was tense and hard-fought, Japan and India played out their own Asian championship in the knowledge that a win would keep Olympic dreams alive.

After 60 minutes of high energy play, it was a single goal by India's Rani Rani that separated the teams.

While Japan had the marginally better structure, it was India who looks the more dangerous in front of goal, and this proved to be the case when they opened the scoring through Rani Rani's (13') delightfully lifted shot that beat Ryoko Oie and gave the Eves the lead.

Just seconds earlier, Japan's defender Nagisa Hayashi had left the field injured, and her stabilising influence was missed for those vital minutes.

Japan had their chances, including three attempts in the first half, which went all sides of the goal except in it. Akiko Kato also came close when her diving deflection just missed the far post.

Coach Yuji Nagai said that his side just missed too many chances and those mistakes were crucial in a game of this significance. This was particularly true in the final few minutes of the game as the Cherry Blossoms piled on the pressure but just couldn't find that final touch.

Savita pulled off a good save from a straight shot and then watched as her team threw themselves in front of everything that Japan threw at them.

One last penalty corner with seconds left on the clock was Japan's final chance to recover the match, but India's defence held strong and the Eve's celebrated keeping their Rio journey alive.

"We knew that sixth place was not enough, but fifth means we can still have a chance of qualifying for the Olympics for the first time in our history (India also played in the inaugural women's competition in Moscow 1980)," said Rani.

Goals

Team	Minute	Shirt #	Player	Action	Score
IND	13	28	RANI Rani	FG	1 - 0

Cards

Team	Minute	Shirt #	Player	Type
IND	51	27	PUKHRAMBAM Sushila	G

IND

Minute	Shirt #	Name	Goals	Green
X	1	KAUR Navjot
20	3	EKKA Deep
X	4	MONIKA
Bench	9	MAYENGBAM Lily
5	10	THOKCHOM Anuradha
X	11	SAVITA
16	13	ETIMARPU Rajani
X	14	RANI Ritu
X	15	RANI Poonam
X	16	KATARIYA Vandana
X	17	DEEPIKA
X	19	TOPPO Namita
Bench	21	YENDALA Soundarya
54	24	YADAV Renuka
X	26	LAKRA Sunita
X	27	PUKHRAMBAM Sushila		1
X	28	RANI Rani	1
7	31	MINZ Lilima
		Team Manager	KUMAR C. R.
		Head Coach	AHRENS Mathias
		Stand-In Manager	MARY Helen
		Physiotherapist	SUDAN Sonika
		Stand-In Manager	OLTMANS Roelant

JPN

Minute	Shirt #	Name	Goals
Bench	1	OIE Ryoko
11	2	SAKAI Shiho
X	5	NAKAGAWA Miyuki
8	7	OTSUKA Shiho
X	8	HAYASHI Nagisa
X	9	NAKASHIMA Mie
X	10	KATO Akiko
X	11	SHIBATA Akane
6	12	MITSUHASHI Aki
X	13	OIKAWA Shihori
X	14	SAKAGUCHI Maki
10	15	NISHIMURA Ayaka
X	16	NAGAI Yuri
6	17	NAGAI Hazuki
X	18	ASANO Sakiyo
X	19	ONO Mayumi
6	20	MANO Yukari
X	21	YAMAMOTO Yukari
		Team Manager	HASEBE Kenji
		Head Coach	NAGAI Yuji
		Stand-In Manager	YASUDA Zenjiro
		Physiotherapist	MOGI Jun

DNP = Did not participate
S = Suspended
DSQ = Disqualified

Match Officials

Role	Official
Umpire 1	de la FUENTE Carolina
Umpire 2	PRESENQUI Irene
Reserve Umpire	TRIVIC Melissa
Video Umpire	METCHETTE Carol
Judge 1	RAMPONE Guendalina
Judge 2	WARRIS Rogier
Technical Officer	WOTHERSPOON Anne