MALAYSIA hammered the daylights out of South Africa with a punishing 4-1 win in the Quarter-finals of the Champions Challenge I in Buenos Aires, Argentina yesterday.
Coach Paul Revington’s men will now meet either Japan or South Korea in the semi-finals.
Malaysia showed that they meant business when Izwan Firdaus scored in the fourth minute of the match, and a brace from Faizal Saari in the 38thth and 57th minutes and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin’s goal in the 56th minute sealed the match.
The South African goal was scored by Austin smith in the 63rd minute.
“We have reached the target set by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) which is to finish top-four in the Champuions challenge to improve our rankings.
“However, the team has his own target of winning the title and playing in the Champions Trophy and that will be our focus in the remaining two matches,” said Malaysian team manager George Koshy.
George attributed the early goal was settling their nerves: “After that, the confidence grew and the players managed to soak in the pressure and deliver the goals.”
For the record, Malaysia finished fourth in the 2001 Champions Challenge in Kuala Lumpur when they lost to Argentina 4-2 in the bronze battle.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Malaysia lead the numbers game...
Ahead of Thursday’s Quarter Finals, the FIH brings you a
statistical look at the completed Pool phase of the Argentina Hockey
Men’s Champions Challenge 1, which is currently taking place in Quilmes.
Pool phase by the numbers
4: The number of goals conceded by
Malaysia in their three Pool A matches, the fewest conceded by any team
in the Pool phase of the competition.
6: The number of penalty corners scored by Korea’s
Jang Jong Hyun in the Pool phase, making him the tournament top scorer.
Argentina’s Gonzalo Peillat is just one goal behind on 5,
with all of his goals also coming from penalty corners. The leading
open play scorers are Tengku Tajuddin Abdul Jalil (MAS), Marcin
Lewartowski (POL) and Guillermo Schickendantz (ARG), who have all
claimed 2 goals each so far.
9: The number of points earned by both
Malaysia and Argentina en route to winning their respective Pools. Both
teams finished the Pool phase with 100% winning records, giving them
great confidence ahead of their Quarter Final matches on Thursday.
11: The number of goals conceded by Poland in their
three Pool A matches, shipping more than any other opponent ahead of the
Quarter Finals.
12: The total number of goals scored
by Malaysia in the Pool phase, more than any other team in the
competition. Muhammad Razie Abdul Rahim and Tengku Tajuddin Abdu Jalil
have top scored for Malaysia, netting 4 and 3 respectively.
36: The total number of disciplinary cards shown during the Pool phase of the competition. 26 Green Cards and 10 Yellow Cards were shown during the 12 pool matches, with Yellow Cards averaging at less than one a game.
62: The total number of goals in the tournament so far. Over the 12 matches, this is an average of over 5 goals a game. The most popular method of scoring has been from open play, with 33 field goals so far. 25 penalty corners have been scored, with 3 penalty strokes and 2 own goals. Malaysia and Poland are the only teams to have conceded own goals in the tournament so far.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Next, South Africa test...
MALAYSIA will play South Africa in the quarter-finals of the Champions Challenge I in Buenos Aires, Argentina, today (Thursday 7.30pm Malaysian time).
The national players are in a super run, as they beat all three teams in Group a by four-goal margins. However, the true test begins today, as all eight teams move into the quarter-finals irrespective of their group results.
Only the champion will move into the Champions Trophy bracket.
Malaysia started off by beating Poland 4-0, then South Korea 4-2 and finally Canada 4-2 for nine points. The only other team which ended with nine points in the tournament are hosts Argentina in Group B.
Malaysia didn't need to beat Canada on Tuesday, as they were already assured of the top spot on six points after Poland shocked South Korea 5-4 in an earlier Group A match.
However, Paul Revington's charges kept up the winning momentum with moments of brilliance from goalkeeper S. Kumar to deny the Canadians, and a super solo effort from Fitri Saari in scoring the fourth goal and dousing a fight-back.
Razie Rahim started the goal-count by tucking in a seventh minute penalty stroke, and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin increased the lead with a field goal in the 11th minute.
Canada pulled one back in the 17th minute when Keegan Pereira fired home, but Malaysia restored their two goal cushion in the 24th minute through a Faizal Saari field attempt.
The Canadians rallied hard towards the end of the first half and could easily have pulled themselves level if not for some outstanding goalkeeping from Kumar.
Canadawere rewarded for their persistence when Matt Guest lashed home a reverse stick shot in the 39th minute and looked liked they were game for a fight.
But the fire was doused by Fitri Saari, With 14 minutes of the match remaining, as he snatched the ball in midfield, drifted past three Canadian defenders before arrowing in a sensational reverse stick shot into the bottom corner.
It was a goal worthy of sealing shut any match.
“My team has only been training together for six or seven weeks, and this is our first official international tournament.
"That’s why it is good for us score four goals in every match again. I’m pleased with my players because playing against Canada is never easy.
"However, even our next opponents South Africa are no pushovers even though they hit a bad patch in the Group stages so we will have to bring out our best again to move into the semis," said Malaysian coach Paul Revington.
Kumar, 32 and 195 caps, believes the team must keep up the winning mentality in the next three knock-out stages.
“We did well three games but have to keep this winning attitude in the knock-out stages as well as we work our way towards the final.
"Although this is an important tournament and we want to win it, we are also looking for a constant improvement of the team for the future.”
RESULTS (Tuesday): Group A -- Malaysia 4 Canada 2, South Korea 4 Poland 5.
Group B: Ireland 3 South Africa 1, Japan 1 Argentina 4.
THURSDAY -- Quarter-finals: Malaysia v South Africa (7.30pm Malaysian time), Japan v South Korea, Poland v Ireland, Argentina v Canada.
FINAL STANDINGS
GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
Malaysia 3 3 0 0 12 4 9
Poland 3 1 1 1 8 11 4
Korea 3 1 0 2 8 9 3
Canada 3 0 1 2 5 9 1
GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
Argentina 3 3 0 0 10 5 9
Japan 3 1 1 1 8 8 4
Ireland 3 1 0 2 6 8 3
South Africa 3 0 1 2 6 9 1
The national players are in a super run, as they beat all three teams in Group a by four-goal margins. However, the true test begins today, as all eight teams move into the quarter-finals irrespective of their group results.
Only the champion will move into the Champions Trophy bracket.
Malaysia started off by beating Poland 4-0, then South Korea 4-2 and finally Canada 4-2 for nine points. The only other team which ended with nine points in the tournament are hosts Argentina in Group B.
Malaysia didn't need to beat Canada on Tuesday, as they were already assured of the top spot on six points after Poland shocked South Korea 5-4 in an earlier Group A match.
However, Paul Revington's charges kept up the winning momentum with moments of brilliance from goalkeeper S. Kumar to deny the Canadians, and a super solo effort from Fitri Saari in scoring the fourth goal and dousing a fight-back.
Razie Rahim started the goal-count by tucking in a seventh minute penalty stroke, and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin increased the lead with a field goal in the 11th minute.
Canada pulled one back in the 17th minute when Keegan Pereira fired home, but Malaysia restored their two goal cushion in the 24th minute through a Faizal Saari field attempt.
The Canadians rallied hard towards the end of the first half and could easily have pulled themselves level if not for some outstanding goalkeeping from Kumar.
Canadawere rewarded for their persistence when Matt Guest lashed home a reverse stick shot in the 39th minute and looked liked they were game for a fight.
But the fire was doused by Fitri Saari, With 14 minutes of the match remaining, as he snatched the ball in midfield, drifted past three Canadian defenders before arrowing in a sensational reverse stick shot into the bottom corner.
It was a goal worthy of sealing shut any match.
“My team has only been training together for six or seven weeks, and this is our first official international tournament.
"That’s why it is good for us score four goals in every match again. I’m pleased with my players because playing against Canada is never easy.
"However, even our next opponents South Africa are no pushovers even though they hit a bad patch in the Group stages so we will have to bring out our best again to move into the semis," said Malaysian coach Paul Revington.
Kumar, 32 and 195 caps, believes the team must keep up the winning mentality in the next three knock-out stages.
“We did well three games but have to keep this winning attitude in the knock-out stages as well as we work our way towards the final.
"Although this is an important tournament and we want to win it, we are also looking for a constant improvement of the team for the future.”
RESULTS (Tuesday): Group A -- Malaysia 4 Canada 2, South Korea 4 Poland 5.
Group B: Ireland 3 South Africa 1, Japan 1 Argentina 4.
THURSDAY -- Quarter-finals: Malaysia v South Africa (7.30pm Malaysian time), Japan v South Korea, Poland v Ireland, Argentina v Canada.
FINAL STANDINGS
GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
Malaysia 3 3 0 0 12 4 9
Poland 3 1 1 1 8 11 4
Korea 3 1 0 2 8 9 3
Canada 3 0 1 2 5 9 1
GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
Argentina 3 3 0 0 10 5 9
Japan 3 1 1 1 8 8 4
Ireland 3 1 0 2 6 8 3
South Africa 3 0 1 2 6 9 1
Malaysia v Canada in pictures
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Malaysia 4 Canada 2
Malaysian goals by Razie Rahim (seventh), Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (11th), Faizal Saari (24th) and Fitri Saari (56th).
MALAYSIA didn't have to lift a finger against Canada, but were propelled to the top of Group A in the Champions Challenge I in Buenos Aires, Argentina yesterday.
The earlier match between Poland, world No 19, and South Korea, No 7, upset the rankings when Poland won 5-4 which saw Malaysia unchallenged to the top on six points from beating Poland (4-0) and South Korea (4-2) in their earlier matches.
However, Malaysia still went on to beat Canada 4-2 yesterday to keep a clean slate on nine points.
Malaysia will now play against the bottom placed team in Group B which could be either South Africa, Ireland or even Japan.
The South Africa-Ireland and Japan-Argentina matches were yet to start at Press time.
All eight teams qualify for the quarter-finals, but only the champion advances to the Champions Trophy.
MALAYSIA didn't have to lift a finger against Canada, but were propelled to the top of Group A in the Champions Challenge I in Buenos Aires, Argentina yesterday.
The earlier match between Poland, world No 19, and South Korea, No 7, upset the rankings when Poland won 5-4 which saw Malaysia unchallenged to the top on six points from beating Poland (4-0) and South Korea (4-2) in their earlier matches.
However, Malaysia still went on to beat Canada 4-2 yesterday to keep a clean slate on nine points.
Malaysia will now play against the bottom placed team in Group B which could be either South Africa, Ireland or even Japan.
The South Africa-Ireland and Japan-Argentina matches were yet to start at Press time.
All eight teams qualify for the quarter-finals, but only the champion advances to the Champions Trophy.
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