Source: Xinhua Net
Xi'an, September 23 (Xinhua) -- The men's semifinals of the hockey event of the 14th Games ended on the evening of the 23rd at the Enyi Campus of Xi'an Institute of Physical Education, with Guangdong and Inner Mongolia defeating their respective opponents in the finals.
In a showdown between "old neighbors", the Only Inner Mongolia team that has maintained a complete victory since the beginning of the tournament and the Gansu team that were involved in the previous round of risky promotion were entangled in the opening stage, and there were frequent scenes of players "strangling" people in the midfield. The deadlock was broken in the early part of the second quarter, with the skilled Inner Mongolia team scoring a powerful shot by Dutalak half a meter inside the arc of the penalty in the main corner.
Gansu equalised in the 41st minute, with Lu Yuanlin scoring a cold arrow in a short corner kick. Entering the white-hot fourth quarter, the Inner Mongolia team suddenly took off, relying on skillful coordination to score two consecutive points in the 47th and 48th minutes, and before the final whistle, the 33-year-old veteran Guo Jin went down to the city to take the victory 4:1.
Inner Mongolia's South Korean coach Kim Sang-yeol said after the game that due to the low temperature on the day, the players played tighter and entered the state more slowly, but after being equalized, the tactics were more resolutely executed, and finally there was no danger to win. "No matter who the opponent in the final is, we are ready for everything and the heart to win will not change." He said.
In another semi-final of the same day, Guangdong won 2:0 over the defending champion Liaoning, blocking the hopes of the fourth consecutive meeting between The Liaoning and Mongolia teams for the men's final of the National Games. After a dull first half, Guangdong's Gao Jayson opened the scoring in a short corner kick in the 35th minute, and his teammate Wang Xudong scored another goal in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
The men's hockey competition of the 14th Games has been played in The Enyi District of Xi'an City since September 15, and the final will be played on the 25th.