Tokyo Olympics 2020: Rupinder's Two Goals Helped India Beat Spain 3-0 In Hockey, Reach Second Place In Pool A

Tokyo Olympics 2020: India has won two of its three matches played in the Olympics so far. With six points, India is currently on second place in the points table of Pool A.

(File Photo)

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Recovering from the loss in the previous match at the hands of Australia, India today made a spectacular comeback in the Tokyo Olympics and defeated Spain 3-0. With this, India has won two of its three matches played in the Olympics so far. With six points, India is currently at second place in the points table of Pool A. With this victory, she has kept her medal hopes alive by entering the knockout rounds. In their first match of the Olympics, India defeated New Zealand by 3-2. Simranjeet's early goal and Rupinder's two goals helped India reach 3-0. 

The Indian team maintained its dominance in this match from the beginning and did not give any chance to the Spain team to score. Rupinder Pal Singh scored two goals for India while Simranjit scored one goal. Although Spain got eight penalty corners in this match, but they could not convert it into a single goal.

India continued to dominate from the beginning. 

In the 9th minute of the first quarter itself, India got a chance to take the lead in this match, but Simranjeet could not take advantage of Manpreet's paas and failed to score. In the last moments of the first quarter, India intensified the attack. In the 14th minute, Simranjit, taking advantage of Spain's weak defence, scored a goal and put Team India 1-0 ahead in this match. 

The world number four team India got three consecutive penalty corners in the last minute of the second quarter. Ball hit the Spanish defender on Harmanpreet's shot on the third penalty corner, and India got a penalty stroke which Rupinder converted and gave the team a 2-0 lead. After this, during the 51st minute in the fourth quarter, India got its fourth penalty corner of this match. Rupinder converted it into a goal to give India a decisive 3-0 lead in this match. 

Goalkeeper Sreejesh did a great performance 

Experienced goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who failed completely against Australia, looked in fine form against Spain and thwarted several attacks from the opposition. Spain got three consecutive penalty corners in the 53rd minute but drag-flicker Pau Quemada failed to penetrate the Indian defence led by Sreejesh. Spain got another penalty corner in the last minute but this time also Sreejesh failed Kymada's attempt.