Women’s Asia Cup hockey: Strong attacking display helps India beat Korea 4-2 in Super 4s opener

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India vs Korea Women's Asia cup It remains to be seen if India are allowed the same time and space in possession by China, which is going to bring the defence far more into play on Thursday. (Hockey India)

It took India 70 seconds after (a much-delayed) pushback to win their first penalty corner against South Korea at the Women’s Asia Cup in Hangzhou, the first Super 4s clash of the tournament.

Korea actually started the match on the front foot, attacking down the left flank. One of the areas India have worked on in the training camps since the Pro League season was to be more proactive in tackling opponents outside the attacking circle. They did just that, being aggressive in 1-vs-1 situations, and when they won the ball back, they broke forward at pace. Sangita Kumari’s speed down the left flank helped with the circle entry and then Lalremsiami’s typically robust ball-control in crowded spaces helped India win the set piece. After struggling with PC conversions in the back end of the big win against Singapore, there was bound to be some intrigue as to how India tackled the PC routines.

And India promptly converted from the first chance to take the lead in the second minute. The injection and trapping were clean, Udita took a touch to her right and hit a low slap towards the goal. The initial shot was saved, but Vaishnavi Phalke – after her clean injection – had made her way across the baseline to take up the spot next to the goalkeeper and was alert to sweep the ball in. It was just the start that coach Harendra Singh would have wanted. It set the tone for India’s strong attacking display as they registered a 4-2 win to remain unbeaten in Hangzhou.

Snapshots of a hard-fought win! 📸✨

India edged past Korea 4-2 to record their first victory in the Super 4s of the Women’s Asia Cup 2025.#HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #WomensAsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/o4HFgSQUnG

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) September 10, 2025

Korea, to their credit, didn’t make it easy. Sangita Kumari’s early goal in Q3 was almost immediately followed by Kim Yujin’s goal in the next few seconds. Then, Lalremsiami reestablished India’s two-goal lead, which was again cut short by Kim in the final quarter to potentially make for a nervy finish.

But to India’s credit, they actually didn’t play to defend the 3-2 lead in the last few minutes, and went on the attack once more. Rutuja Pisal’s 59th-minute finish was a fitting reward for an energetic attacking display where India barely took the foot off the pedal. India scored from the first and last PCs they won on the night, for a conversion rate of 2 out of 9.

The aggressive attacking nature of the Indian women’s team has been a feature for some time now – former coach Janneke Schopman insisted on speed above all else, while coach Harendra often refers to the Indian style as ‘masala hockey’.

In defence, however, conceding two goals against Japan in Pool B and now two against Korea is a matter of concern. Korea scored two from the four penalty corners they won, both nearly identical goals. The ball was injected to Kim in the second battery, and she just powered a straight low hit. The first time, Bichu Devi was beaten for pace, and the second time, she dived the wrong way. And both times, the first-rusher was beaten comfortably. It’s an area to work on, especially when they take on Paris Olympics silver medallists on Thursday in a potential blockbuster in perhaps the dress rehearsal ahead of the final.

Chinese concerns

China’s tournament has been spotless so far, scoring 33 goals in four matches and conceding none, defeating Japan 2-0 in the Super 4s opener later in the day.

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Five of the nine PCs that India won on the day came in the first quarter, with Udita and Navneet Kaur once again sharing the duties. Navneet also tried setting Udita up with a variation – with passes behind her back – a couple of times, but Korean goalkeepers and defenders were largely alert to the threat.

While Navneet once again was the driving force behind India’s attacking threat from central positions, captain Salima Tete had her best game of the tournament so far, offering width from either flank and turning on the afterburners when required. Siami’s energy in the midfield, Udita’s calm passing from deep defence also helped India keep Korea pinned to their defensive third for large parts of the match. Vaishnavi, though guilty of conceding a PC that led to Korea’s second goal, was brilliant with her defensive tackling and initiating moves from India’s half.

It remains to be seen if India are allowed the same time and space in possession by China, which is going to bring the defence far more into play on Thursday. Both teams might be cautious about going full tilt against each other, perhaps trying to play a couple of cards close to their chest. But India’s defence – a key concern during the difficult European tour recently – will likely be called much more into action by the hosts.