5th Sultan of Johor Cup 2015: India redeem themselves with a 3-2 win over a game Argentina
After the disappointing loss to tenacious Great Britain in the previous match, the Indian U-21s were eager to erase its memory. A determined Argentinian side stood in their way, but India showed everyone why they are two-time champions with a 3-2 win over their opponents.
India wasted little time in attacking, as they easily beat the napping Argentinian defense to score in the 2nd minute. Armaan Qureshi got hold of a deflection from the Argentinian goalkeeper and slammed it into the back of the net.
After controlling possession for a while, Gurjant Singh zeroed in on a loose ball in the circle and put it past the opposing custodian. Argentina’s defense was particularl shoddy in the beginning of the first half. But they tied up loose ends in the face of an aggressive Indian team and avoided giving away any more goals.
The second half saw some drama in its nascence, as the Indian players and coach were upset over the umpire’s decision to award Argentina a penalty corner. Casella Maico made the most of the opportunity and put it in the back of the net in the 5th minute of the second half.
Just when it seemed that India might be getting a little lax and Argentina building up steam, Nilakanta Sharma scored in the 15th minute of the half. Argentina’s Nicolas Keenan would peg one back for his team, but India’s three goals would see them through to a win. India will face hosts Malaysia tomorrow.