South Korea beat Japan in a tense tiebreaker to win the Champions Trophy hockey title. This is the first time indomitable Korea is the best in the prestigious tournament of Asian hockey.
South Korea scored a goal just 7 seconds before the end of the match at the Maulana Bhasani Stadium today. The scoreline was then 3–3. But even a little earlier, Japan was leading by 3-1. But the goal can be the last whistle market, today it showed again in defeating Korea.
After a 3-3 draw in high drama, the game went to a tiebreaker. According to the rules of hockey, the tiebreaker has to be scored with the ball from 25 yards away. 5 players from each team get this opportunity. Korean goalkeeper Kim Jae-ying blocked the Japanese duo’s efforts. In the end, Korea won the tiebreaker 4-2 to celebrate the title.
Before this, Japan reached the final of the 2013 Champions Trophy. But they lost to Pakistan in the final at home. Japan did not even get to see the biggest success in their hockey history by making it to the finals for the second time. They lost incredibly. On the other hand, Korea is successful in their first final in the tournament.
Both the teams showed a display of fast paced hockey. From one post to another, the ball has gone with the touch of two or three sticks. Traditionally skill-dependent teams such as India or Pakistan, Japan and Korea are not. The fitness of the players of both the countries is so good that there is no such thing as fatigue. The way Korea fought until the end despite falling behind by two goals, is in one word impeccable.
South Korea made it 1–0 on a field goal by Joon Woo Jeong in the eighth minute. Japan’s Ken Nagayoshi made it 1-1 in the penalty corner in the 24th minute. Rayma Oka made it 2–1 with a superb solo effort late in the quarter. Yoshiki’s stick from PC made it 3–1 in the third quarter. The match was completely under the control of Japan.
Korea’s Jang Jung-hyun, who single-handedly crushed India with four goals in the semifinals, made it 3–2 from PC in the fourth quarter. But 7 seconds before the end of the match, Jang scored a penalty corner and brought Korea back into the match. 3 Olympic Games 37-year-old Hyeon Jang won two consecutive games for Korea. He is also the top scorer of the tournament (10).
After the goal, when the center came, there was only 1 second left in the match. Earlier, the two teams drew 3-3 at the league level as well. However, South Korea had the last laugh today.