Rotterdam: In yet another dismal performance, Indian women lost to Japan 0-4 in the FIH World League Round 3, here on Thursday.
Shiho Otsuka scored twice and paced Japan to a 4-0 win against India in the 5-8 placement game. The win bumps Japan in the Saturday’s fifth-place game, while the Indian women will hope to avoid finishing last in the pack in the seventh-place game.
Japan played a solid and patient game of hockey, waiting for the best chances to work the ball deep into the Indian D for the easy goals. Ayaka Nishimura scored just two minutes into the game to set the tone.
Otsuka followed up with a nearly mirror image goal to make it 2-0 at the break. Otsuka scored her second goal on the first trip down field of the second half to make it a commanding 3-0 lead. Yuri Nagai closed the scoring with 15 minutes left in the game with her point-blank goal.