Asian Games : Malaysia shootout defending champions India in semis

Asian Games : Malaysia shootout defending champions India in semis

FPJ BureauUpdated: Wednesday, May 29, 2019, 06:37 AM IST
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Jakarta : Defending champions India were on Thursday knocked out of the Asian Games gold medal contention and denied a direct entry into the 2020 Olympics, with Malaysia again proving to be their Achilles heel in the men’s hockey semi-finals.

The Malaysians handed India a heartbreaking 6-7 loss in sudden death after an exhausting shoot-off. India will play Pakistan in the bronze medal play-off. Pakistan lost 0-1 to Japan in the other semi-finals.

Malaysia, who had beaten India in the last-four stage eight years ago at Guangzhou, made their wasteful opponents pay for their mistakes, both in regulation time and shoot-off. Both teams were tied at 2-2 after 60 minutes.

 India conceded a late goal to push the match into shoot-off after Harmanpreet Singh and Varun Kumar had scored from penalty corners  in the 33rd and 40th minute. Malaysia struck through Faizal Saari (39th min) and Muhammad Razie, who found the all-important equaliser less than two minutes before the end of regulation time.

In the shoot-off, it was anyone’s game and Malaysia handled the nerves better to make their second Asiad final. India, who had scored a record 76 goals in the group stage, were left stunned after SV Sunil missed his attempt in the sudden death. Only Akashdeep and Harmanpreet scored in the first five shots of the shoot-off while Manpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh and Sunil faltered.

Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh kept India in the game as he only let in two goals from Muhammad Ashari and Fitri Saari. Tengku Ahmad, Faizal Saari and Muhammad Azuan missed the target for Malaysia.

In sudden death, Malaysia’s all five attempts were successful while India scored the first four before Sunil cracked under pressure.

Earlier, India were on the offensive from the word go, earning a penalty corner in the first minute of the match. But Harmanpreet had his flick saved by the Malaysian custodian Kumar Subramaniam.

Four minutes later, it was Malaysia’s turn and dragflicker Muhammad Ashari even found the net, only for the goal to be disallowed by the video umpire as a foul was committed.

Against the run of play, Malaysia, earned a couple of penalty corners in the 13th minute, but PR Sreejesh was up to the task at the goal.

India broke the deadlock early in third quarter as Harmanpreet slotted it in towards the left of the goalkeeper, helped by a deflection from a Malaysian defender standing at the goal.

However, it did not take long for Malaysia to bounce back. On a counter attack, they equalised in the 40th minute through a brilliant field goal with Faizal Saari. It was a breathless period of play and seconds later India converted an eighth penalty corner with dragflicker Rupinder Pal passing the ball to Varun Kumar, who found net to the right of the keeper.

Malaysia got two penalty corners in the last five minutes and Razie scored from the second one.

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