MUSCAT: Harmanpreet Singh scored a hat-trick to hand defending champions India a facile 4-1 victory over South Korea and end their round robin campaign on an unbeaten note at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy here.
Harmanpreeton Wednesday opened the scoring for India in the fifth minute with a firm drag-flick and returned to score two more goals with rasping dragflicks in the 47th and 59th minutes to become the tournament’s third player to score a treble.
India’s Dilpreet Singh and Pakistan’s Aleem Bilal are the other players to have registered hat-tricks in the tournament so far. Besides Harmanpreet, Gurjant Singh scored a fine field goal for India in the 10th minute. For South Korea, Lee Seungil scored a brilliant field goal in the 20th minute. India finished on top of the standings with 13 points from five outings with an impressive goal difference of 25.
Malaysia is the second spot on 10 points from four matches, Pakistan on seven points from four outings and Japan on four points in four games. India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Asian Games gold medallist Japan are already through to the semi-finals but the league standings will be finalised only after Malaysia, Pakistan and Japan play their last preliminary round matches Thursday. After a goalless draw against Malaysia on Tuesday, the Indians started on an attacking note against the South Koreans from the opening whistle.
India maintained possession in the opening few minutes and earned their first penalty corner in the fifth minute which was fiercely struck in the top right corner by Harmanpreet. Thereafter, South Korea seemed content in sitting back and maintaining a compact structure, which made it difficult for the Indians to break through but in the ninth minute striker Akashdeep Singh had a chance to score but his shot blazed over the crossbar. The world no. 5 Indians doubled their lead through a counter attack. Harmanpreet found Gurjant inside the South Korean circle with a precise long pass, and the young striker made no mistake by making a turn and shooting the ball into the top left corner with a reverse hit. India will play their semi-final match on Saturday. (PTI)
