Eighth Azlan Shah Cup, with Eight goals..

MALAYSIA gave away a total of 11 penalty corners and went down 8-3 to World No 1 Australia in the final of the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh yesterday.
    Five of the Aussie goals were off penalty corners, with Chris Ciriello scoring four, to claim their eight gold medal.
    Coach K. Dharmaraj's men, however deserve credit, as from the six goals that Australia let in, in the entire tournament, Malaysia had their name on five. The other one belonged to South Korea.
     It was a mismatch from the start as World No 1 Australia went for an early kill, and it was only 11 minutes into the match when they took a 2-0 lead.
   The first penalty corner saw Chris Ciriello, No 5, scoring off a low push to the board in the fifth minute, and like synchronised clockwork to their jersey numbers, No 11 Eddie Ockenden scored a field goal in the 11th minute.
   And by the 17th minute, Australia had almost sealed the match when Ciriello scored his brace off a penalty corner, for his fifth goal of the tournament.
   Malaysia could only defend for the next five minutes, as even the task of taking the ball out of their own semi-circle started to look like an impossible task.
   However, they got a break in the 23rd minute, when Firhan Ashaari was brought down, and the first penalty corner was awarded. Faizal Saari took the flick, and when it bounced off goalkeeper Andrew Charter, Shahril Saabah hammered home the rebound like a cricket shot which narrowed the gap.
   Australia went in a rampage again, but goalkeeper Hafizuddin Othman was better prepared this time, and at the break, Australia only had a two-goal lead.
   Malaysia started agressively looking to narrow the gap, and found their second penalty corner in the 37th minute, but Faizal Saari's approach was easily stopped, but still, the second goal did come their way.
   This time, Izzat Hakimi took a free hit from outside the semi-circle, and Rashid Baharom connected home in the 40th minte and the crowd went wild with celebrations.
    But two minutes later, Ciriello broke their hearts for the third time, as he nailed a hat-trick of penalty corner goals.
    Again, Australia took the lead at 4-2, but there was still 26 minutes to play, with Malaysia being very generous in giving away penalty corners.
   It was penalty corner No 9, when another low flick saw Nicholas Budgeon's ball trickle and gently slam onto the board to make it 5-2.
   And penalty corner No 10 saw Ciriello score his fourth goal in the 52nd minute, and Matt Ghodes scores No 7 in the 65th minute.
   Fitri Saari made the score respectable with a field goal in the 67th minute, but Tristen White made it 8-3 in the 68th minute.
   RESULTS -- Final: Australia 8 Malaysia 3; Third-Fourth: South Korea 3 China 2; Fifth-Sixth: Canada 2 South Africa 0.
   ROLL OF HONOUR

Player-of-the-tournament: Mark Knowles (Aust, Captain)
Fairplay: South Korea.
Man-of-the-Match: Chris Ciriello (Australia).
Best Goalkeeper: Lee Myung Ho (S Korea).
Top Goalscorer: Nicholas Budgeon (Aust, 8 goals).

Malaysia v Australia final...

MALAYSIA qualified for the final of the Azlan Shah Cup and will meet mighty Australia again in Ipoh today.
   Even though Malaysia were whipped 6-2 by Australia in the last pool match yesterday, South Korea needed four clear goals against South Africa to pip Malaysia to the final, but the Koreans could only win 5-2.
   This will be the second consecutive final against Australia, and Malaysia only lost 3-2 last year.
   Malaysia did well to hold Australia to only 1-0 going into the break, but a super effort form the World No 1 saw them score another five goals, before coach K. Dharmaraj's men woke up and narrowed the gap.
   The stadium was full to the brim, and supporters stood shoulder-to-shoulder supporting their men, and Faizal Saari was the toast of the match as his penalty corner brace in the 61st and 70th minute was unprecendented in the tournament.
   Australia had whipped every team in Ipoh by averaging six goals per match, and only Malaysia scored two against them. The only other goal the Aussies let in was when they beat South Korea 5-1.
    "Entering into the match, I knew there was a big possibility of being whipped by the Australians and I had two choices. One was to play cowardly by defending and moving up only on counter, or play our normal attacking style.
   "I chose to let the players loose, and not play cowardly, as we are in this tournament to learn, and there is no use in holding the reigns," said Dharmaraj.
   Malaysia will meet the Australians first in the World Cup in the Netherlands: "After today, believe my players would be much more prepared when we play Australia in the final. This second sparring session (in the final) would also be very valuable against our opening World Cup opponents," said Dharmaraj.
   After being 1-5 down, the coach took out goalkeeper Hafizuddin Othman and replaced him with Hazrul Sobri, who earned his first international cap against the mighty Aussies.
   "Hafizuddin played well, but I replaced him with Hazrul to give him also a chance to play against Australia and earn his first cap. And I believe he did very well, as the only goal he let in was an unstoppable world class flick to the net," said Dharmaraj.
   The Australian goals were scored by Nicholas Budgeon (17th), Chris Ciriello (38th, 59th), Russell Ford (42nd), Daniel Beale (43rd), Jeremy Hayward (46th).

RESULTS: Australia 6 Malaysia 2, South Africa 2 South  Korea 5.

 
STANDINGS

                       P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
AUSTRALIA    5   5  0   0  31  3     15
MALAYSIA      5  3  1   1  17   14    10
S KOREA         5   3  1   1  14  11     10
CHINA             5   1  0   4  13  21    3
CANADA         5   1  0   4  7   18     3
S AFRICA        5   1  0   4  7  22     3


FIXTURES: Today -- Final: Australia v Malaysia (8.35pm); Third-Fourth: South Korea v China (6pm); Fifth-Sixth: Canada v South Africa (3.30pm).

Keep Calm Malaysia...

NOBODY expects Malaysia to beat World No 1 Australia in the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh today, but the fans can rest assured that coach K. Dharmaraj's men would strive to keep the score low.
   For this might just see them play Australia again in the final on Sunday.
   The Aussies have already qualified for the final and will be going for their eighth Azlan Shah Cup title, with the second spot being a toss between South Korea and Malaysia.
   Malaysia have a seven-goal cushion, while the Koreans are on level terms as they have scored nine and let in nine.
   Mathematically speaking, Malaysia need to keep the score against Australia low, and hope South Korea do not hammer the daylights out of South Africa in their chase for goals -- as they play after the Malaysian game and would know just how many goals to score.
   "The Australians are in a different league altogether as they are also the raging favourites for the World Cup. But we need to make sure we do not let in too many goals so that we have another chance to play them in the final," said Dharmaraj.
   This is the best chance for Malaysia to spar with Australia, as their next meeting would be in the opening match of the World Cup in The Netherlands on May 31-June 15. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has paired the World No 1 against the lowest ranked team in the World Cup, Malaysia at 13th, for the curtain raiser.
   "Playing Malaysia in Malaysia is a dream situation, as this would be our last chance to meet our first World Cup opponents. And with Malaysia having fast forwards who have very good individual skills, it would be a very interesting match for sure," said Australian skipper Mark Knowles who last played in the Azlan Shah Cup in 2006.
   Australia has a massive advantage over Malaysia, and their pedigree in the tournament saw them lift the title seven times in 1983, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2013.  And as hosts for 23 Editions, Malaysia's record stops at four silvers won in 1985, 2007,2009 and 2013.
    "Yes, the match would certainly be a very interesting one as not only are Malaysia a very fast side, but also have a very supportive fan base and when they fill up the stadium, the noise is deafening and the atmosphere is electrifying. We don't get mush of this in Australia, so the experience would be good heading into the World Cup," said Australian coach Ric Charlesworth.
    The Ipoh fans have filled the Azlan Shah Stadium to the brim during all the Malaysian fixtures, and today would also see a mammoth turnout. And the fans would not be disappointed if their team lose to Australia, as all they would be looking for today is a brave fight.
   Keeping in mind that Dharmaraj took the risk of blooding seven rookies for this edition, the boys showed their mettle by beating China, Canada and South Africa and their draw was against Asian giants South Korea.
    But with Australia hammering South Korea 5-1, and all their other scores were in the region of sixers and sevens, and only letting in one goal, tonight's match can turn into a mismatch, or the crowning glory in Malaysia's record against Australia.
 
STANDINGS

                       P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
AUSTRALIA    4   4  0   0  25  1     12
MALAYSIA      4  3  1   0  15   8    10
S KOREA         4   2  1   1  9  9      7
CHINA             5   1  0   4  13  21    3
CANADA         5   1  0   4  7   18     3
S AFRICA        4   1  0   3  5  17     3

FIXTURES
   
    March 21: REST DAY.
    March 22: Australia v Malaysia (6pm), South Africa v South  Korea (8pm).

Aussies hand Malaysia seven-goal advantage..

WORLD NO 1 Australia started off slowly, but went on to beat South Korea 5-1 to cement their spot in the final of the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh yesterday.
   And now, Malaysia need to keep the score low when they play Australia on Saturday, and hope South Korea does not hammer South Africa in their last match to move into the final on goal difference.
   The Koreans scored nine and let in nine, while Malaysia have a seven goal cushion going into the Australian match and they must no blow it.
   Australia were given the run around by Asian champions South Korea, who defended stoutly until a silly mistake made all the difference in the 10th minute.
   Off a goalmouth melee, Trent Mitton slotted in the ball for the lead.
   However, the Koreans refused to be intimidated by that goal and kept defending while only moving forward a handful of times in the first half. And if paid off when they won their first penalty corner in the 32nd minute and Jang Jong Hyun nailed the equaliser with a low push which sounded the board.
   But the Australians came back strongly into the match again, and just as the clock showed seconds left to the half-time, Nicholas Budgeon scored and made it 2-1.
    In the second half, goals by Jeremy Hayward (59th), Matt Gohdes (63rd, 69th) made it  a comfortable 5-1 win for the Aussies.
     Meanwhile, Malaysia had a well deserved two-day rest period after whipping China 7-3 on Wednesday and will only meet tournament raging favourites Australia on Saturday.
    Seasoned striker Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, who is playing in his eigtht Azlan Shah Cup likes the improvement shown by the seven juniors drafted for the tournament, and feels they can only become better is given more exposure.
   "Seven players without caps were included by the coach, and they showed some good promise in all the matches, and I believe that with more exposure, Malaysia will have a very strong team as these players mature further," said the 28-year-old who scored his first tournament goal against China.
   Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin made his mark in the 2005 Junior World Cup in Rotterdam, and has since been a permanent fixture in the Malaysian strike-force.
    With beating Australia almost an impossible dream, the task as hand for Malaysia would be to stop the Aussies from scoring too many goals and have a rematch with the World No 1 in the final on Sunday.

RESULTS: Canada 4 China 3, South Korea 1 Australia 5.

  
STANDINGS

                       P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
AUSTRALIA    4   4  0   0  25  1     12
MALAYSIA      4  3  1   0  15   8    10
S KOREA         4   2  1   1  9  9      7
CHINA             5   1  0   4  13  21    3
CANADA         5   1  0   4  7   18     3
S AFRICA        4   1  0   3  5  17     3

FIXTURES
   
    March 21: REST DAY.
    March 22: Australia v Malaysia (6pm), South Africa v South  Korea (8pm).

Malaysia whip China 7-3

MALAYSIA whipped the daylights out of China when seven different players scored in the 7-3 win against China in the 23rd Edition of the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh yesterday.
   The goal-cushion could come into the picture as Malaysia, who confirmed a berth in the third-fourth placing match, make a dash for the final with only the Australian match remains on Saturday where they need to keep the score low.
    China were the early agressors, but cheered on by a capacity crowd, Malaysia took an early lead after they started with a strike, instead of a defensive side.
   And in the sixth minute itself, Marhan Jalil's cracking shot from the top of the semi-circle went crashing into the top of the net for the much needed lead.
   The opening goal was just the tonic needed for another push, and the first penalty corner was won in the eighth minute. Ahmad Kazamirul's dummy went to Shahril Saabah, whose flick was saved by the goalkeeper but in came Azlan Misron who  slapped in the rebound for the second goal in the ninth minute.
   Missing from the match was striker Faizal Saari, who was suspended for one match yesterday morning after the Tournament Director Gavin Hawke from New Zealand found his conduct during the Canada match unbecoming.
   On Monday, Faizal was yellow carded in the 24th minute for hitting Canadian Jagdish Gill, and instead of sitting it out, he hit the sin-bin plastic chair with his hockey stick and broke it.
   The four-goal striker was then benched for the match against China, and coach K. Dharmaraj had to push skipper and defender Azlan into the forwardline.
    And the coaches' reshuffle paid dividents as Malaysia went on a first half rampage and in the 23rd minute, off their third penalty corner, Kazamirul's push found Izzat Hakimi who tucked in to make it 3-0.
   Three minutes later, it was the turn of experienced striker Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin to slam in the ball from a difficult angle for his first of the tournament, as Malaysia cruise at 4-0.
    The fifth goal was another masterpiece, as Shahril Saabah got his name on the scoreboard with a tap-in in the 30th minute.
    China pulls one back when E Liguang scores in the 44th, but a minute later Malaysian were awarded a penalty stroke and Fitri Saari scores from the spot to make it 6-1.
      The second China goal was scored off a penalty stroke by Du Talake in the 60th minute, but Firhan Ashaari makes it 7-2 in the 62nd minute.
   In the end, the final score was 7-3, as Du Talake gets his brace in the 66th.
   "I did expect my players to pull off a win, but the score was not expected as the players took themselves to the limit," said Dharmaraj.
    As for Azlan who from a defender was promoted to striker: "That is the new trend which I will propogate, as I look  to make players versatile, and able to play in any position when required."
    RESULTS: Canada 2 South Africa 3, Malaysia 7 China  3.

  
STANDINGS63

                       P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
MALAYSIA      4  3  1   0  15   8    10
AUSTRALIA    3   3  0   0  20  0     9
S KOREA         3   2  1   0  8  4      7
CHINA             4   1  0   3  10  17    3
S AFRICA        4   1  0   3  5  17     3
CANADA         4   0  0   4  3   15     0

FIXTURES
    March 20: Canada v China (6pm), South Korea v Australia  (8pm).
    March 21: REST DAY.
    March 22: Australia v Malaysia (6pm), South Africa v South  Korea (8pm).