MJWC: Malaysia just pull through
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| Malaysia |
July 8, 2005
New Straits Times
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Jugjet singh reportring from Rotterdam
MALAYSIA, like the heroes in Hindi films, gave their fans an agonising time before overcoming Egypt 2-1 in the ninth-12th playoff match of the Junior World Cup at the Rotterdam Hockey Club yesterday.
Now, they will either meet England or Belgium in the ninth-10th playoff today. At Press time, the England-Belgium match had yet to start.
The first half was 0-0, and Malaysia only got their act together when Kelvinder Singh scored a deflected goal in the 37th minute. Ismail Abu added another in the 46th minute, but just as the clock showed one minute left in regulation time, the Malaysians let in a goal.
Egypt's Hanafy Mahmoud scored a field goal in the 69th minute, and the remaining seconds ticked off agonisingly as Malaysia almost fumbled again.
A total of six sitters were missed by the forwards in the match.
The start was delayed by 40 minutes because torrential rain had made the second pitch water-logged.
It was hilarious to watch the organisers using mops to dry the pitch, but it was not effective, and the pitch was only suitable for water-polo.
Malaysia found the going tough as when they tried to push, the ball travelled less than 15 feet.
Overhead balls were the order of the day as the ground was too heavy, and Malaysia could not score a single goal off their four penalty corners because the pitch was too heavy for Zulkifli Rejab to lift the ball.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) need to be more strict in selecting and approving future World Cup venues, because the second pitch of the Rotterdam Hockey Club is far below the standards needed to host such a big event.
For the record, the Netherlands, until yesterday, had yet to play a single match on the second pitch.
On Wednesday, the 13th-16th classification match between Poland and Mexico had to be played on a sand-based pitch because the second pitch was water-logged.
The Mexican coach tried his best to rid the pitch of water, even using a floor wiper to dry the pitch but it was declared unfit to play, and the match had to be played on sand-based turf.
GERMANY pulled off a great escape when they beat South Korea 5-4 in a classification match.
South Korea were leading 4-2 but collapsed in the last 15 minutes when two players were sent to the sin-bin.
Germany equalised in the 70th minute and in sudden death, they booked the fifth-sixth playoff against the winners of the Holland-Pakistan game.
The South Korean goals were scored by Jang Jong Hyun (eigtht, 53rd), Le Jong Soo (17th), Hong Sung Kweon (37th).
The German scorers were Oliver Korn (15th, 70th), Benjamin Wess (42nd), Tim Witthaus (55th), Sebastian Draguhn (74th).
* WHILE the English were celebrating after winning the 2012 Olympics host job, in Rotterdam, they lost 1-0 to India. British player Warren D'Souza, whose house in London is only a 10-minute walk from the future Games village, had some reason to cheer.
How did you find out about London winning the 2012 Olympics bid?
"We were watching television with the entire team at our hotel room when news of London winning came through.
"We had one big party at the hotel after that. I am 18 years old, so in 2012, I will be at my peak and it would be a great experience."
* The referees at Rotterdam had to pull out their cards 145 times out of their pockets, with 99 green and 46 yellow.
Egypt won the cards game collecting 11 green and seven yellow cards.
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