Asia Cup: Malaysian Tigress get a hockey lesson from Japan
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 -- The National Women’s Special Project Hockey Squad failed to make the semi-finals of the Women’s Asia Cup 2022 after being thrashed 8-0 by Japan in their final Group A match in Muscat, Oman last night.
Japan ran riot at the Sultan Qaboos Complex to score six field goals and two penalty corner goals, with captain Yuri Nagai opening the floodgates as early as in the fourth minute.
Japan kept pounding the Malaysian goalmouth in the second quarter and were rewarded with two Kaho Tanaka field goals in the 16th and 28th minutes and a penalty corner goal by Shihori Oikawa in the 20th minute.
Mai Toriyama then piled on the misery for the Malaysian Tigress when she made it 5-0 in the dying seconds of the first half.
Japan came back after the break with the same intensity and notched goal number six in the 39th minute through Tanaka, who scrambled home a shot during a goalmouth melee to complete her hat-trick.
Kana Urata then scored off a penalty corner in the 48th minute before Sakurako Omoto wrapped up the Japanese goal fest when she made it 8-0 in the 57th minute.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) Development and Special Project Squad technical director Paul Revington said he was a bit disappointed at the performance of the national squad in the second quarter as they lacked intensity and defensive application.
However, he said, the squad, comprising young players seeking experience and exposure, managed to put up a good performance and showed positive development.
"Despite two high-scoring results (losses) against India and Japan, it is important for me to stress that our coaching team and management staff are extremely proud of the courage shown by the team to play positive hockey… (even) against these two strong Olympic hockey teams,” he said.
The Malaysian Tigress had earlier suffered a 9-0 drubbing at the hands of defending champions India in their opening match before bouncing back to beat Singapore 2-0.
The national team will take on Indonesia in the fifth-eighth classification match tomorrow (Jan 26).
-- BERNAMA
