Red Lions v Speedy Tigers..

BELGIUM are not only eight rungs above Malaysia, but also  the team to watch in the ongoing World Cup at the Hague,  Netherlands.
   The Red Lions, as the Belgium men’s team are known,  came back from being down 1-2 to beat India 3-2 in their  Group A opening match on Saturday.
   Malaysia, nicknamed Speedy Tigers, are their next op ponents, and after losing 4-0 to Australia, coach K. Dhar maraj’s men need to be more focussed in defense to thwart a  drubbing.
    For the record, Belgium also played in the 2002 Kuala  Lumpur World Cup where they lost all seven Group A  matches and ended 14th out of 16 teams.
    Malaysia, back then, finished a laudable eighth, but the  tables have been turned 12 years later as Belgium are now  the powerhouse in Europe, after finishing second behind  Germany in the 2013 European Championships.
   Belgium coach Dutchman Marc Lammers has a proud  legacy as he took the Dutch team to gold medals at Cham pions Trophy (2004, 2005, 2007), World Cup (2006) and  Olympic Games (2008) -- and has high hopes from this  Belgian side.
    “If we come in fourth, I will be a little disappointed. We  want to win a medal, but I always say that you will not win a  medal if you don’t focus on the game that is coming up,” said  Lammers.
    And he also said the “The beauty of this team is that they  haven’t won a big tournament so they are hungry.”
    The red Lions hunger was on display against India, as they  scored the winner 17 seconds from time to steal the show.
    And in the four-nation Ergo Masters tournament in Dus seldorf, just 12 days before the World Cup, the Belgians drew  2-2 with Germany and then defeated Holland 2-1 and  England 3-2 to win the title.
     As for Malaysia, coach Dharmaraj knew that it would be  uphill all the way against Australia, but before he left, he said  even though the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) are  looking for his side to finish 10th among 12 teams -- his  personal target is to upset some top sides and try to finish two  steps higher.
   “Belgium, England, Spain and India will all be difficult to  play against, but we hope to steal some points along the way  and I believe my players are up to it,” Dharmaraj had said.
    RESULTS Group A: Malaysia 0 Australia 4; England 1 Spain  1; Belgium 3 India 2.
   Group B: Germany 4 South Africa 0.
   MALAYSIA’S World Cup Fixtures (Malaysian time) -- Today:  v Belgium (11.30pm); June  5: v England (7pm); June 7: v  India (8.30pm); June 9: v Spain (8.30pm).

Australia vs Malaysia - Men's Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 Hague Pool ...

Malaysia 0 Australia 4

 Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin in action against Australia ..

THE Malaysian hockey team played well in patches and went down 4-0 to world no 1 Australia in the curtain raiser of the World Cup at the Hague, Netherlands yesterday.
   The score was 1-0 at half-time, but world no 13 Malaysia let in three more soft goals in the second half.
   Glenn Turner started the count with a 25th minute goal, while the other goals were scored by Eddie Ockenden (50th), Jamie Dwyer (52nd), and Turner (54th).
   All the second half goals were scored in a spate of four minutes, as Malaysia collapsed at the back-line.
   Only the heroics of goalkeeper S, Kumar, who saved at least seven attempts, saved a total drubbing.
    Malaysia will next play Belgium on Monday.
    Yesterday morning, the Malaysian team were hit by another bad news as coach K. Dharmaraj’s gather, R. Kanniah, passed away in India a few hours before the match against Australia.
    Dharmaraj had this posted on his FaceBook: “Thank you all, for your condolence messages with regards to my father's sudden demise. As it has been difficult moment with so many sad and bad news. Thanks for the kind words and concern.
   “It is difficult but your words make me strong. Thank you again.”
   The match statistics sided Australia, as they had 11 shots at goal while Malaysia only had two. The Aussies also had six penalty corners but they failed to score a single goal, as Malaysia defended well.
   The two penalty corners won by Malaysia were executed by Razie Rahim and Faizal Saari but were nicely stopped by the first runners.
    RESULTS -- GROUP A: Malaysia 0 Australia 4, Belgium x India x, England x Spain x.
   MALAYSIA’S World Cup Fixtures (Malaysian time) -- June 2: v Belgium (11.30pm); June  5: v  England (7pm); June 7: v India (8.30pm); June 9: v Spain   (8.30pm).

Kookaburras lose Simpson & Ford to injury

Deavin & Gohdes called up.

Author: Lawrence West/Friday, 30 May 2014/Categories: Hockey Australia News, Kookaburras, Events, World Cup

The Kookaburras have made two changes to the squad for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup, which begins on Saturday in The Hague.
Victorian Glenn Simpson has been withdrawn from the squad after sustaining a fractured ankle in last Sunday’s Test match against England. He will be replaced by Tasmanian Tim Deavin, who is one of two travelling reserves to have trained and played with the World Cup team in England and the Netherlands over the past ten days. 

After sustaining a calf tear in a practice match against Germany on Thursday, Victorian Russell Ford (pictured) has also been withdrawn from the squad. Ford will be replaced by Queenslander Matt Gohdes, who is already with the team in The Hague as a travelling reserve. 

Both Deavin and Gohdes were members of the Australian team that won the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

1 day to the Malaysia-Australia cracker...

MALAYSIA’S World Cup Fixtures (Malaysian time) -- Saturday:  v Australia (4.30pm); June 2: v Belgium (11.30pm); June  5: v  England (7pm); June 7: v India (8.30pm); June 9: v Spain   (8.30pm).