SINGAPORE 0 VS KAZAKHSTAN 2
The second match of the day was expected to be a tough one, as the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the standings in this qualifying tournament for the Asian Games faced each other.
Singapore was one of the best teams of the tournament, with 4 wins, 1 draw and today’s loss, they were positioned in the third position to finish their participation. On the other hand, the team coached by BEIBITOV Nurzhan, won all the matches except the one against Hong Kong China which was the first one in this tournament.
The performance of both teams was very good, and I believe that both leave with a very rich experience for the challenges ahead of the event to be held in Hangzhou next year.
As the rule was the top beat the bottom, it was not until the 15th minute that DOMASHNEVA Vera, after a penalty corner and a rebound from the goalkeeper, threw herself on the floor to extend her arm and push the 1-0 that her team needed to reaffirm their position and attitude on the field.
While Singapore was trying to play their game, with a solid defense, but with mistakes at times, they were not letting the game so easy to the team led by BAKHAVADDIN Guzal, as they also wanted to impose their personality on the game and mark that it would not be so easy to convert goals.
But in the 20th minute of the second quarter after a confused entry into the box, as there were many players in blue, it would be IZBASSAROVA Gulsina who from a tight angle would make it 2-0 to close the score.
Although Singapore tried and had their chances, they could not take advantage of them, and the Kazakh team was superior in the last match of the tournament.
The best player of the match was No. 4 SAZONTOVA Natalya, the 37-year-old player not only gave experience to her team but was a fundamental support on the field for all her teammates throughout the tournament.
Both teams qualified for the Asian Games and will continue to prepare for the next international event they will face.
A paragraph aside for the best player of the tournament, Valerie Sim of Singapore, who was key in the penalty corner goals of her team, who accumulated 6 in this tournament, and who has a phenomenal drag flick that hopefully we can continue to see in the rest of the tournaments in the Asian region.
It is also worth mentioning Viktoriya Lobanova, the Rising Player of the Tournament, who at only 17 years old had a fantastic tournament, showing that with her young age she has a lot to give and that every day and tournament she is improving to help her team. Great attitude for the player who had already participated in an international tournament, but in 2019 at the Women’s Indoor Asia Cup Chonburi.
