KUALA LUMPUR, March 5: Pakistan were knocked out of the race for a place in the semifinals Tuesday by two opponents — Germany and the umpires — as they fell to a 2-3 defeat at the National Stadium in this crucial early morning game of the 10th World Cup hockey tournament.

The victory put Germany into the semifinals from Pool A bringing to an Pakistan’s bid of winning the tournament for a record fifth time. But although the green shirts lost, they were not disgraced, fighting back gallantly from two goals down to pull level before conceding a 50th minute goal.

However, Pakistan, knowing just too well that it was their last chance, pressed forward and in what was a tense five minutes for the Germans, forced five short corners.

And while the first four went abegging, it was the fifth that was converted by Sohail Abbas who dodged past Christoph Eimer to score just before the break, off an indirect drill that ended the 26-year-old defender’s two-match goal-less run.

But Pakistan thought they were denied a good opportunity earlier when forward Kashif Jawad was pushed in the semi-circle, and in what should have been a stroke the umpire blew for a short corner.

Pakistan, spearheaded by Shahbaz Ahmed’s silky, flowing skills upfront, were on the offensive for a good part of the first half but some intelligent defending by the Germans prevented them from scoring more goals. With the scoreboard still blank and 13 minutes gone, Shahbaz made a defence-splitting burst to set up Kashif but he was unable to strike the ball well enough.

The Germans were briefly pinned down in their own half and it was not before the game was 20 minutes old that they managed to score from their third penalty corner set-piece.

Bjorn Michel took the shot that was initially saved by Muhammad Qasim in goal, only for Reinelt to score off the rebound.

The second German goal that followed four minutes later was a drag flick from their captain Kunz, who said afterwards he had his favourite hockey stick with which he had scored the most goals in the last Champions Trophy especially flown in from Germany.

Pakistan 1-2 down at the break looked particularly dangerous after having a pep-talk with the bench management and stormed the German goal-mouth. The efforts paid quick dividends and it was that man Sohail again who did it right, flicking home to bring his side back into the game from a short-corner, their sixth of the match. They had eight in all.

On the other end, the dangerous Oliver Domke nearly scored soon afterwards but Muhammad Usman came out of nowhere to dispatch the ball away that was just a whisker away from the goal-line.

The midfielder seemed to work hard, going ahead and then quickly falling back and had a good game. Pakistan, their urgency in attack quite obvious, initiated several moves and perhaps their best chance to go 3-2 up came when Shahbaz made another of his now familiar runs, putting through a ball to Muhammad Saqlain who shot wide.

New Zealand umpire Jason McCracken dealt the Pakistanis a cruel blow giving the marching orders in the 48th minute to defender Tariq Imran for bumping into a rival player, an offence that did not merit a yellow card.

As if this was not enough, Clive McMurray, the South African umpire at the other end, disallowed a goal from Muhammad Waseem off an indirect short corner.

With Pakistan down to 10 men, the Germans took quick advantage and it was Kunz again who scored off a 50th minute penalty corner to go 3-2 up and then 10 minutes later he hit the post, again from a set-piece.

Pakistan 2 Germany 3