ACT Final Day by the Numbers: India’s 42 Goals, Harmanpreet’s 10, and Japan’s Shootout Nerve

Forget the preview talk for a minute. The numbers going into Thursday’s Asian Champions Trophy final in Mohali are almost silly.

42. That’s how many goals India have scored in six games. Thirty-four in the league stage, eight more in Wednesday’s 8-1 semifinal demolition of Korea. Shilanand Lakra scored twice in that one, Dilpreet Singh scored twice, and Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Angad Bir Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad all got on the scoresheet. India have won every game they’ve played in Punjab. They’ve already beaten Japan once this tournament, 4-1 in the league stage last Friday. They’ve won this trophy five times before, and they’re playing their seventh final.

10. That’s Harmanpreet’s tournament tally after his penalty corner in the semifinal. Ten goals, and he’s still the man Japan have to stop first. Craig Fulton warned about complacency before the semifinal. His players answered with eight goals.

5 from 5. That’s Japan in Wednesday’s shootout against Malaysia, after 60 goalless minutes. Five attempts, five scored, semifinal won. And don’t forget the other half of Japan’s week: they’ve now beaten Malaysia twice in completely different ways, once in the league and once when it mattered most. Malaysia’s attack scored 17 goals in the league stage. Japan held them scoreless for an hour on Wednesday night.

2. That’s how many previous ACT finals Japan have played, and they’ve lost both. History says India. Form says India. The crowd in Mohali will say India. But here’s the thing about teams that win shootouts like that: they stop believing in history and start believing in themselves.

The bronze game has its own edge. Malaysia v Korea at 4:00 p.m. PKT is a rematch of their league meeting, which Malaysia won 3-1. Malaysia are hurting from the shootout loss, Korea are hurting from two heavy defeats to India in three days. Bronze games come down to who recovers fastest.

Then the final at 6:30 p.m. PKT. For our money, India win this, and probably well. But if Japan can drag it into the fourth quarter with the score close, remember Wednesday night. They’ve already proved they don’t blink.