[UPDATED] Hockey World Cup: Speedy Tigers down Kiwis to finish second in group

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia beat New Zealand in their final Group C match to finish second behind the Netherlands and will now play a cross-over match against the third-placed finishers of Group D to determine who advances to the quarter-finals. 

They beat New Zealand 3-2 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India today. 

The Speedy Tigers started the match well and took the lead in the eighth minute when striker Faizal Saari scored through a field goal. 

Malaysia doubled the lead when Muhammad Razie Abdul Rahim converted a penalty corner in the 42nd minute.

However, the Kiwis clawed one back when Phillips Hayden scored a field goal in the 51st minute, and Lane Sam’s penalty corner tied the game at 2-2 in the 52nd minute. 

But Faizal scored the winning goal in the 56th minute through another field goal, and secured Malaysia the win.

After the match, head coach A. Arul Selvaraj said the team’s second win in the tournament is a massive confidence boost and wants his men to use the momentum to keep chasing victories. 

“The team played calm and patiently, but with high confidence in each other which gave us the chance to score the first and second goals. 

“But in the third and fourth quarters we had less players due to the cards we got and that gave New Zealand the chance to catch up. 

“Like I said earlier, the trust the players have in themselves gave us the third goal,” he said. 

Ahead of the match, Arul said the team would be focusing on penalty corners, and Razie converted his chance for Malaysia’s second goal. 

“We spent the extra time for penalty corners yesterday and we are happy that we got a goal from (a penalty corner) today. 

“We want to get more chances for penalty corners and score more from them in the next match,” he added. 

Arul also praised both the defensive line and attacking half, as both ends’ teamwork was the key to Malaysia’s victory. 

“Muhammad Marhan Mohd Jalil also showed a good performance today as a captain, as a leader, and as a chief in defence, which is why he is the man of the match,” he said. 

For now, Arul said he wants his men to focus on recovery and not overthink their next game. 

“We will wait for the Spain v England match to see who we will play in the cross-over, but for now I want them to enjoy the moment, take the time to go out and calm themselves as tomorrow is an off day.

“We will have a late-night meeting tomorrow to discuss how we want to play against our opponents in the next round,” Arul said. 

Malaysia’s next match against Group D’s third-place finishers will take place on January 22. – The Vibes, January 19, 2023