New Delhi, June 7 -- Sanfida Nongrum scored 40 seconds into the second half, but before she could even process what she had done, she dropped to her knees. Not in celebration. She was looking for Dangmei Grace.

not cleanly, not by the scoreline alone, but in the way the victory belonged to someone who never touched the ball against Bangladesh on Saturday. Grace, 30 years old and 13 years a Blue Tigress, had told her teammates before the tournament that this would be her last. They told her they would win it for her. They did, defeating Bangladesh 3-1 at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, to clinch India's record-extending sixth SAFF title and end a seven-year wait for the crown.

Grace entered as a substitute in the 86th...