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Pakistan through to Azlan Shah Cup hockey final

* India succumb to their fourth defeat, Germany come back to draw 4-4 with Spain

KUALA LUMPUR: Germany came from three goals down to hold Spain to a 4-4 draw Wednesday in Azlan Shah Cup play at the National Hockey Stadium.

With the draw Germany only needs one point from its final preliminary round match against Australia on Friday to advance to Sunday’s final against Pakistan. But while the score was impressive, the match failed to live up to its billing as a repeat of the European Championship final last September in Barcelona, where Germany triumphed on penalty strokes in extra time after the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Spain were the early aggressors and took the lead after just four minutes when Alex Fabregas worked his way on the right and sent in a cross into the semi circle, giving Santiago Freixa an open goal to aim for. The Germans rallied and managed to find the equaliser in the 10th minute when a break through in the middle saw Benjamin Kopp slotting home from the top of the semi circle.

But it was clear the Germans were not playing their usual game and many of their passes went astray or were intercepted by the Spanish. In the 27th minute Spain’s Pol Amat scored an easy goal as he dribbled his way into the semi circle from the right and struck home with a skillful forward hit. Two German defenders and goalkeeper Arnold Clemens made no attempt to stop the ball and just watched it go into the goal. Soon Amat was again making inroads into German territory, ably supported by Santiago, who in the 30th minute caught a long cross from David Algre and slot past the oncoming Arnold Clemens for the third goal.

By the 34th minute the Spanish looked the have the match sealed with Santiago again the scorer with a field goal. It was the striker’s fifth goal of the tournament and the fourth hat trick of the tournament. Germany relied on penalty corners to force the draw with skipper Floran Kunz scoring off two such attempts in the 51st and 66th minutes while Bjoern Michel came in with the equalizer two minutes before the end of regulation period.

In Wednesday’s second match Pakistan booked their spot in the final despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Malaysia. But it was not a vintage performance from the defending champions as the hosts put up a sterling display to keep the potent Pakistan strike force at bay.

There were fears of a last minute defeat for the Malaysians when Pakistan were awarded a penalty corner 47 seconds before the end of play with the score tied. But Malaysian keeper Roslan Jamaluddin pulled off a spectacular save to deny Sohail Abbas. Malaysia had taken the lead in the 42nd minute through skipper S. Kuhan, who converted Malaysia’s only penalty corner in the match. But Sohail ensured that Pakistan kept their unbeaten run in the tournament intact by scoring in the 48th minute, also off a penalty corner. “The players showed plenty of character and kept their composure throughout the match,” said Malaysian coach Paul Lissek. “This is important if we want to do well and today the team did not make it easy for their opponents.

In the final match of the day India succumbed to their fourth defeat in the tournament when they lost to South Korea 3-2. India took the lead through Len Aiyappa in the 16th minute but Korea were on level terms in the 26th minute through a goal by Yoon Young Sik.

Though the young Indian side tried to match the Asian Games gold medallists, they were clearly out of depth and it came as no surprise when Yeo Woon Kon scored in the 29th and 37th minutes to give Korea a 3-1 lead. Arjun Hallapa reduced the deficit by converting a penalty stroke in the 64th minute, but India could not force a draw as the Koreans held out to give themselves a chance of making the final.

Results:

Spain 4 (Santiago Freixa 4, 30, 34, Pol Amat 27) Germany 4 (Benjamin Kopp 10, Florian Kunz 51, 66, Bjoern Michel 68)

Pakistan 1 (Sohail Abbas 48) Malaysia 1 (S. Kuhan 42)

South Korea 3 (Yoon Young Sik 26, Yeo Woon Kon 29, 37) India 2 (Len Aiyappa 16, Arjun Halappa 64). —AFP

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