India vs Japan hockey Highlights, Asian Games: Abhishek, Harmanpreet score as India beat Japan 2-0 to qualify for semis

For the semifinals. One wonders how head coach Craig Fulton will feel about this win. Now they have one more match to go in the pool stage. That will be against Bangladesh on September 28. Join us for that game. For now, goodbye from us.

Indians are leading 2-0 but they have been far from convincing. A few penalty corners saw even basics ignored. Meanwhile, Japan get a PC. Can they make it 2-1? No, they don’t. Just a couple of minutes to go now.

They have been leading 2-0 at the end of the third quarter but if truth be told, they haven’t been impressive entirely. There have been lapses in defence and they should have scored more goals. They might win this but there performance has not been convincing so far.

Harmanpreet Singh scores it via penalty corner to make it 2-0 for India in the 40th minute. He struck it fiercely. Clean goal. The Japanese couldn’t do anything. India now should feel good about their chances. Remember, they will advance to the semis if the beat Japan.

Back-to-back penalty corners but nothing came of them. India need to tighten up their defence. It can’t be like this. For the past 20 minutes, the Japanese have really upped the ante. If they are allowed to play freely, at some point they are going to score. India head coach Craig Fulton can’t be happy seeing all this.

India need to increase their lead to feel better about their chances. Japanese really did well in the second quarter. India can’t afford to have another similar 15 minutes. The first quarter was their best, however, they could only score one goal towards the end.

Proving to be India’s toughest game yet. They got opportunities but were able to convert just one. Japan have been pretty good in attack ever since conceding that goal towards the end of the first quarter. The second quarter comes to an end too. India continue to lead 1-0 courtesy of Abhishek’s goal.

Let’s see if they can convert it and make it 2-0. No, they don’t. The Japanese were defensive in the first quarter but in this one, they have been very attacking especially after conceding the goal.

Got a PC very early into the second quarter but the Indian defence was up to the task. Japan look desperate to get the equaliser. Meanwhile, India continue to create one opportunity after another.

India should have scored more but Japanese were very good in defence. They had several PCs and dominated ball possession at 60 per cent. They also had three field goal opportunities and one was converted by Abhishek. The second quarter ready to get underway.

Following which the Japanese failed to covert the penalty corner. There were celebrations but they were short-lived, needless to say. If they had scored, for the first time in this edition, India would have trailed.

Early penalty corner for India. Nothing comes of it. Japan are a solid defensive team, especially in penalty corner situations. They have lived up to their reputation. One more penalty corner, hits the foot of a defender and here is another. Another opportunity wasted. Japanese have been just too good so far.

The Pool A standings are as follows:

India 9 points (Goal difference +33)

Japan 9 points (+25)

South Korea 6 points (+4)

Bangladesh 6 points (-4)

Sri Lanka 0 points (-28)

Indonesia 0 points (-30)

The Indian men’s team’s arrival visuals show steady drizzle at Kakamigahara, and it is all set to add another dimension to the fixture between India and Japan.

The live action between India and Japan will begin at 1:30 PM IST. Stay tuned for all the live updates from the contest. Everything to play for both teams as the winner will finish at the top of Pool A and also qualify for the semi-finals.

Both India and Japan are unbeaten so far in Pool A, and the winner of the contest between the two teams will finish at the top of the standings. It goes without saying, a lot to play for Harmanpreet and co.

Japan is the last Asian team to beat the Indian men’s hockey team. It was at the 2022 Asia Cup where Japan beat a second-string Indian team 5-2. However, the recent head-to-head is heavily stacked in India’s favour.

The Indian team had earlier outclassed Indonesia 13-1, Sri Lanka 16-1 and South Korea 8-2 in their first three matches at the Asian Games. Can the same performance be repeated against Japan? Only time will tell.

In the last 10 matches between India and Japan, the former has won on eight occasions while the latter came out on top only once. The remaining contest ended in a draw. The odds are stacked heavily against Japan and India start as overwhelming favourites.

Dilpreet Singh is the current leading goal-scorer in the Asian Games 2026 men’s hockey event with nine goals to his name. Pakistan’s Sufyan Khan also has nine goals; however, the Indian would look to jump ahead in the cue against Japan.

India are so far unbeaten in the Asian Games in Pool A but a flawless performance is yet to come as the side have been unable to keep a clean sheet in the previous three encounters. The third and fourth quarters have witnessed a slip up in defence and India would hope to correct the mistakes against Japan.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the men’s Pool A hockey match between India and Japan. A win here would assure Harmanpreet Singh and co’s berth in the semi-finals. Stay tuned for live action.