Kiwis check into final

NEW Zealand beat Malaysia 4-1 to qualify for the final of the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh yesterday.
    It was again a case of porous defense for Malaysia, as they have let in a total of 13 goals in five matches.
    Malaysia were a jaded side in the first half, as they gave the Kiwis too much space to roam and were punished early in the match.
     Ryan Archibald made it look easy by tucking the ball between goalkeeper S. Kumar’s pads in the fifth minute, and it was just the start of Malaysia’s misery.
    New Zealand, who beat Malaysia 2-1 in the final of the World Cup Qualifier, then hit their second when Shea Mcaleese’s 16th minute volley almost tore the netting.
  And in the 34th minute, Nick Wilson made it 3-0 and the prospect of a comeback was lost when Malaysia’s only penalty corner was also wasted.
   After the break, it was the same script, as New Zealand kept possession and attacked on counters, while Malaysia were falling and chugging along waiting for the clock to kill the match.
   However, a lucky break in the 45th minute saw Hafifi Hafiz slam in the ball between the pads of Kiwi goalkeeper.
    But that was as far as they went as Shay Neil scored the fourth goal in the 62nd minute to qualify for the final.
   Meanwhile, India re-ignited their fire with a 2-1 win over Pakistan, while Britain played to a 1-1 draw with South Korea.
   India and Pakistan were heading for a draw, but V. Sunil scored in the final minute for nine points after six matches.
     Sandeep Singh gave India the lead off a powerful flick which sailed past goalkeeper Imran Shah. It was his second goal in the tournament.
    But Pakistan never gave up and finally scored off a Sohail Abbas penalty corner in the 60th minute.
    
STANDINGS
                        P  W  D  L  F  A  PTS

N ZEALAND    5   4   0    1    18      7      12
ARGENTINA   5   3    0    2     14    16     9
INDIA            6   3    0    3     12     15      9
BRITAIN         5   2   2    1      11     10     8
S KOREA        5   1    2    2      10      8      5
MALAYSIA      5   1    2    2     10      13     5
PAKISTAN      5   1    0    4     8       14      3

 RESULTS: Britain 1 South Korea 1, Pakistan 1 India 2, New Zealand 4 Malaysia 1.
  JUNE 2: South Korea v New Zealand (4pm), Britain v Pakistan (6pm), Argentina v Malaysia (8pm).

BRITAIN 1 KOREA 1

The draw opens up race for final.
 India beat Pakistan 2-1 with goals from Sandeep and Sunil.
  

How low can they go...

ARGENTINA 3 INDIA 2
BRITAIN 2 NEW ZEALAND 1
MALAYSIA 3 PAKISTAN 2


By www.malaysianhockey.blogspot.com
(Satwant Singh Dhaliwal)

My visitors list at my corner in the open terrace continues as the Great Britain team officials paid me a visit before their match against New Zealand.
  And after the Argentina v India match, it was the coach of the world number one team Ric Charlesworth who dropped by to say hello, stating that he had read my plight on the internet.
  That is how powerful the internet can be but trust the Malaysian Hockey Confederation and those in the Organising Committee to realise this.
   What was more sad was the fact that FIH had, finally after years of trying, put up a story on their website asking fans to visit www.azlanshahcup.com.
   Except for some SMS exchanges, no effort has been made by any party to ask me to continue with my work. The reason given is that they have appointed a Media Officer from a government agency and his boss is elated at being given the chance to go on stage to receive a souvenir from HRH Sultan Azlan Shah on Friday.
  I painstakingly produced what many are acclaiming as the best souvenir program for the SAS Cup and someone else of going on stage to claim credit.

How low can they go.

In the words of the British official - what they did to you was downright disgusting...

Australia expect better draw after protest

SYDNEY: Coach Ric Charlesworth said on Monday that he was hopeful the Australian men’s field hockey team would receive a fairer draw at the London Olympics after lodging an official protest.
   Charlesworth was furious last week when his world number one “Kookaburras” were handed three early morning starts in their group matches, while main rivals Germany avoided the early timeslot altogether in the opposite group.
   Hockey Australia fired in an official protest, along with recommendations, to the organising committee of the London Games and the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
   Charlesworth said he was optimistic of a positive outcome and expected a decision to be made this week.
   “There are 10 early starts, there are 12 teams in the tournament and we got three of them. That doesn’t make any sense and I suspect there will be an adjustment,” Charlesworth told reporters in Perth.
   “I wouldn’t have been so keen to be vociferous if I didn’t think we could change it.
   “We expect to play early games. We expect to play one or two, but we don’t expect to play three spaced over the tournament like they are.
   “That doesn’t make any sense and it’s unfair.”
   Charlesworth said the 8.30am timeslot would require players to wake up at 5am in a major disruption to their daily tournament routine.
  Australia have dominated international men’s field hockey since Charlesworth took charge of the national team in 2009 and are strongly fancied for the gold medal in London.

Dawn

Jason Lee furious..

Not happy: following the defeat to Argentina head coach Jason Lee said: "If we play like that in the Olympic Games we will finish in the minor placings." Photo: PAUL GROVER

"GB will face Argentina in their opening match of the Olympics".
Great Britain coach Jason Lee criticised an "appalling performance" as his side lost 3-2 to Argentina in their third match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.
   Lee suggested such form at this summer's Olympics would leave the team well short of the medal places. Ironically Team GB will face Argentina in their opening match of the Games.
   "Quite simply it was an appalling performance," he said on Monday, three days after his team had let slip a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 with lowly Malaysia. "If we play like that in the Olympic Games we will finish in the minor placings."
   Enrique Paredes put Argentina – whose world ranking of nine is five positions below fourth-placed GB's – ahead after just eight minutes and although East Grinstead midfielder Ashley Jackson equalised just after half-time Paredes restored the South Americans' lead within two minutes.
   Lucas Cammareri swept home Argentina's third from the middle of the circle and although Jackson's late penalty corner gave GB hope, even replacing goalkeeper James Fair with an outfield player for the remaining four minutes could not force an equaliser.
   Great Britain face New Zealand, who have won all three matches, on Wednesday without the services of James Tindall as the Surbiton forward was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament after turning an ankle in Sunday's win over India.
    The Telegraph