Junior World Cup :: It gets harder for Malaysians to second round hopes

Malaysia’s chances of advancing to the second round of the Junior World Cup Finals took a hard knock when they lost 0-2 to South Korea in a Group C match at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

A goal in each half from successful penalty corner executions gave the Koreans full points. The Koreans had in their opening match on Sunday beaten the United States 8-0 while the Malaysians scored a 1-0 win over England.

The Koreans went on the offensive from the start yesterday and their speed play had the Malaysians reeling in defence.

And they did not have to wait long to take the lead. They earned their first penalty corner in the fifth minute and Kang Moon-kyu deflected home the drag flick taken by Lee Woo-geun.



The Malaysians were kept pegged in defence and conceded another three penalty corners. But some very close defending prevented the Koreans from stretching the lead. Malaysia had just one good shot at goal in the 21st minute.

In the second half, Malaysia tried to take the fight to the Koreans but it soon fizzled out.

The Koreans pushed forward and earned another penalty corner in the 55th minute. This time, Jeong Yun-sang beat goalkeeper Abdul Hakim Adnan with a low flick.

Malaysia coach K. Rajan said that the Koreans’ better execution of the penalty corners made the difference.

“It is not over yet for us. We still have two more matches to go and the second-round berth is still in sight,” he said.

In another Group C match, Euro­pean champions Spain began their campaign with a 9-0 win over the US.

The Spaniards had total control of the match. Gabriel Debanch scored a hat-trick and Salvador Piera had a brace. The other scorers were Javier Garcia, Diego Arana, Roc Oliva and Xavier Lleonart.

Spanish coach Salvador Indurain said that they were happy to start off convincingly.

“The tougher matches are coming up and that is where the results will matter most.

“We took our time to settle down but it all went as planned once we got the first goal.”

Junior World Cup :: Pakistan’s Haseem hopes to strike it hot

Pakistani forward Haseem Khan is on a quest to emerge as the top scorer of the Junior World Cup Finals.

He got off to a flying start with a hat-trick against Russia in a Group A match on Sunday and he added two more in the 3-0 win over Egypt yesterday.

He faces tough competition with India’s Diwakar Ram who started off with five goals in the match against Singapore yesterday. The Indians won the match 10-0.

Argentina’s Guido Martin Barreiros Lopez, Kiwi Simon Child and Holland’s Bob de Gvood are just one goal behind the duo.

“It is still early and we can see that there are good players in the other teams. But I feel that I can achieve it if I can keep up a consistent scoring rate,” said Haseem.

“I have been quite consistent. At the junior level, I have scored 46 goals in over 40 matches. I have also scored six times at the senior level from seven matches.”

The 19-year-old from Karachi wants to emulate his uncle and idol, Hanif Khan, in making a mark in the national team.

“He is my role model and I took up the game after watching him play. He has won the big titles, among them the Olympics and the World Cup. I would like to follow in his footsteps. This is a passion for me and I will work hard to achieve this,” he said.

Haseem also has a brother who plays hockey. Asim was in the Pakistan national junior squad last year but he is no longer eligible to play in the age-group.

Haseem turns 19 on July 15 and is looking at giving himself a perfect birthday present by helping Pakistan lift the Cup.

“I want to help Pakistan regain the Junior World Cup. By having personal targets, it will drive me to help my team win matches here,” he said.

With two wins in the bag, Pakistan are looking at beating defending champions Argentina and Belgium as well in their remaining Group A matches.

Junior World Cup :: Champions Argentina get off to flying start

Argentina began the defence of the Junior World Cup with a 9-3 win over lowly Russia in a Group A at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here.

Nahuel Salis set Argentina on the road to victory with a field goal in the ninth minute before Guido Martin Barreiros Lopez scored the first of his four goals in the 14th minute. Barreiros Lopez was also on target in the 30th, 31st and 68th minutes.

The other scorers for Argentina were Leandro Tolini (23rd), Agustin Mazzilli (26th, 49th) and Juan Cruz Aguilleiro (66th).

The Russians replied through Alexey Mayorov (30th) and Nikolai Yankun (61st, 70th).

In another match, Pakistan chalked up their second win in Group A, beating Egypt 3-0.

The Pakistanis were lethargic yesterday and for most part of the match laboured against the defensive Egypt, who did well to end the first half without conceding a goal by clearing the ball quickly out of danger.

Haseem Khan finally broke the duck and eased the pressure on Pakistan with a field goal in the 46th minute. Four minute later, Kashif Ali scored from the penalty corner. Haseem went on to score his second goal of the match in the 54th minute.

Pakistan coach K.M. Junaid was pleased with the result but felt that the humid conditions affected his players.

“Having to play twice in a row and that too under such humid weather was tough on the young players,” he said.

“I am glad that we did not falter. These are points we need to make the second round. There are still two tough matches but the players will gain in confidence from this win.”

Pakistan play against Argentina tomorrow and wrap up their group fixtures against Belgium on Friday.

Junior World Cup :: Belgians plot to ambush the Argentines

The underdogs in Group A for a second round berth, Belgium, aim to ambush defending champions Argentina and pick up at least a point.

Team manager Phil Rooseleer said that their chances making the second round would very much depend on how they fared against Argentina and also Pakistan.

“If we can get a point off either of them, then there is a chance for us to go through. We would like to think that we can upset one of them here,” he said. “Although we beat Egypt 5-1 in the opening match (on Sunday), we had a poor outing. We were over cautious and at one stage the match looked headed for a draw. But, thankfully, our penalty corners worked.”

Rooseleer said besides 17-year-old drag flicker Maximillian Peters, who scored a hat-trick in the win over Egypt, they had another ace in the pack for penalty corners.

“I don’t want to reveal his name just yet. He is even better than Peters. We will let him loose tomorrow against the champions,” he said.

Junior World Cup :: A winning start for Malaysia

Forward Faizal Saari scored the crucial goal to give Malaysia a 1-0 victory over England in their opening Group C match of the Junior World Cup Finals at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

It was a supreme performance from the Kelantan player, who was in the sin bin for 12 minutes when he was yellow carded in the 18th minute.

But as soon as he came back on, Malaysia earned a penalty corner and Faizal, who is the main drag flicker for the team, made no mistake with his attempt. The 30th-minute goal was enough to give Malaysia full points.

Malaysia got off to a nervous start but gained in confidence as the match wore on.

For most of the second half, the Malaysians defended in their half but they were dangerous on the counter attack to keep England goalkeeper Ian Scanlon on the alert.

The Malaysians were determined to win the match and held out on three penalty corners in the last 15 minutes of the match.

Coach K. Rajan was happy with the result but felt that the team could have done much better.

“There is room for improvement and we need to step up a gear. The important thing is for the players to recover quickly for the match with the Koreans tomorrow,” he said after the match.

“A few of the players came down with cramps and we need to ensure that they are back on their feet quickly. The Koreans play a fast game and we have to be ready for it.”

In the other Group C match, South Korea routed the United States 7-0. Drag flicker Lee Woo-geun scored a hat-trick from penalty corners in the ninth, 25th and 29th minutes.

The Koreans had full control of the match and opened accounts through Kang Moon-kyu in the 18th minute. His twin brother, Moon-kweon, was also on target in the 44th minute. The other scorers for the Koreans were Lee Dong-hyun (47th) and Kim Ju-hun (58th).

South Korean coach Shin Seok-kyu said he was happy with the win and hoped to collect three points as well in the match against Malaysia today.

“Yes, I believe that we can beat Malaysia in our next game. It was a good start and the big win should only boost the players confidence. We want a convincing win,” he said.

Junior World Cup :: Korean twins set for big roles in senior team

South Korean will for the first time in their international hockey history have identical twins in their ranks.

The Kang brothers, Moon-kyu and Moon-kweon, were born just two minutes apart. But their paths have gone very much the same way as they make their debut in the Junior World Cup Finals.

The older Moon-kweon has in fact gone one step ahead, having played for the senior side in the Beijing Olympics last year.

Team manager Shin Seok-kyu said yesterday that both players were among the most talented ones in their side and they would certainly make the grade to the senior team.

“Both are university students and have started playing hockey full time. They are set to play for the national team for a long time,” he said.

The twins hail from the Kim Hae. Moon-kyu studies at the Cho Sun University while Moon-kweon is with the Korean Sports University.

“I brought them into the junior squad three years ago when I was appointed coach,” said Seok-kyu.

“It was through a talent spotting exercise at a school game that I saw them in action. I was sure that they will go far and so far I have been proven right.”

Moon-kweon plays in the forward line while Moon-kyu is their playmaker, taking the centre-half role.

“What makes them different is the extra work they put in training. Usually when we finish, they will still continue training on their own. They are very committed and I have no doubt about their ability,” said Seok-kyu.

The twins are assured of places in the national senior team as Seok-kyu will take over the helm after the Junior World Cup Finals.

“It is not favouritism ... they deserve the places. I am sure they will prove themselves in this tournament,” he said.

Junior World Cup :: Pakistanis go on scoring spree against the Russians

Former Junior World Cup champions Pakistan started off their campaign here with a bang when they hammered Russia 7-2 in a Group A match at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Pakistan’s senior team player Haseem Khan chalked up a hat-trick, scoring in the sixth, 49th and 66th minutes.

Kashif Ali scored a brace (56th, 70th) while Shafqat Ali and Zubair Mohamed added the other goals in the 21st and 53rd minutes respectively.

Russia earned their goals through Alexey Mayorov and Nikolai Yankun in the 28th and 52nd minutes.

Pakistan coach K.M. Junaid said that they were happy to start on a winning note.

“Winning big in an opening match is a bonus. It is a good start for us and we need to build on it. We started off nervously but settled down when we got the early goals,” he said.

Pakistan, winners of the trophy in 1979, have another easy match today against Egypt, who were beaten 1-5 by Belgium yesterday.

Belgian young defender Maximillian Peters scored the first hat-trick of the tournament. Peters put Belgium in front with a field goal in the 24rd minute.

One minute into the second half, Belgium increased their lead when Renaud Pangrazio scored from top D.

The Egyptians pulled a goal back in the 41st minute when Houssam Ghabran scored from a field attempt.

As the Egyptians opened up play, the Belgians were able to make good use of their counter attacks.

In a three-minute spell from the 67th minute, Belgium scored three goals. Peters scored in the 67th and 69th minute off two penalty corners while Alexandre de Paeuw added the fifth in the 70th minute.