August 18, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-us-Sani 19, 1424

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AMSTERDAM (The Netherlands), Aug 17: Pakistan fought off a brilliant comeback from Argentina to win 6-5 at Champions Trophy hockey tournament as Sohail Abbas broke the 200-goal barrier for his country here on Sunday.

Pakistan took a 4-0 lead after 25 minutes through two goals each for Sohail Abbas - the 200th and 201st of his international career - and Shabbir Hussain but allowed Argentina to score four times in the second half to set up a thrilling finish.

With seven minutes to play, the score was 5-5 but Pakistan pulled through thanks to Rehan Butt’s 69th minute goal.

“We were tired in the first half,” said veteran Argentina striker Jorge Lombi. “But we were more comfortable in the second. With the score at 5-5 we went for the winner but unfortunately Pakistan got the goal.”

Pakistan’s coach Tahir Zaman was not a happy man. “It should not happen that we lead by four goals and have to struggle to win,” he said.

“The goals I score are not for me, they are for the team,” said Sohail Abbas after scoring his 201st goal.

Fresh from winning the Pan-American Games to qualify for the Athens Olympics earlier this week, Argentina took the game to Pakistan in the first quarter but had no answer to the powerful penalty corner conversions of Sohail or the deft dribbling of Shabbir.

Sohail scored brought up his double century on Pakistan’s first corner in the seventh minute and converted again four minutes later with a high flick.

Argentina stayed competitive until Mudassar Ali and Shabbir combined with a short passing run through the left with Shabbir making a backstick flick over Pablo Moreira in goal to score in the 15th minute.

Shabbir scored again when a cross from the right found him unmarked in front of the open goal and he drove home the advantage for Pakistan’s fourth goal.

Argentina adjusted, bringing Carlos Retegui back from the midfield to anchor the defence.

They pulled a goal back before half time when Matias Vila converted a penalty stroke when Pakistan’s defence deliberately hacked the Argentina’s Marco Riccardi when he carried possession into Pakistan’s circle.

Vila put his flick high to the right of Ahmad Alam.

Argentina started the second half with a deflection goal by Mario Almada from a free hit from midfield.

But Pakistan replied again two minutes later when Rehan fired in a right cross for Kashif Jawwad to deflect into goal.

Argentina brough the score back to 5-3 after a failed penalty corner when the ball was not stopped at the battery. Argentina recovered and passed to Lucas Cammareri on the right of the circle who fired in a shot which deflected off Pakistan’s defence on 45 minutes.

Lombi levelled the scores through a penalty corner conversion and a penalty stroke to set up a titanic last eight minutes.

Relentless Pakistan pressure was rewarded with Rehan’s winning goal and Argentina wasted a chance to equalise with a penalty corner in the last 15 seconds.

In the second game of the day, the Netherlands recorded their second win with a 5-3 defeat of Australia.

“We had to show that we are not just a lucky team who can win with six minutes of hockey as we did on Saturday,” said Dutch coach, Joost Bellaart referring to Saturday’s victory over India where they came back fromn 3-1 down to win 4-3.

“We needed to show we could control a world-class team like Australia and we did.”

Smarting from a 6-1 loss to Australia in their last encounter in February, and a lucky win against India here, Netherlands took hold of the match on Sunday with an 12th minute goal by Matthias Brouwer, crafted by the genius of Teun de Nooijer who found his teammate at the left post for the controlled deflection into goal.

De Nooijer struck again 12 minutes later with his own goal conjured from quick play along the left with de Nooijer flicking over Mark Hickman in goal.

Guus Vogels in goal for Netherlands saved two hot penalty corner flicks by Troy Elder to hold Australia scoreless until striker-turned-midfielder Nathan Eglington carved through the midfield with a lightning run after a pass from Brent Livermore after half an hour.

He beat three defenders and drive into the left pocket of goal from the top of the circle to keep Australia in the match at 2-1 at the interval.

The Dutch stamped their authority on the match in the second half with Rob Reckers’ deflection goal from Brouwer’s cross from the far left pocket in the 42nd minute and Taeke Taekema’s penalty corner conversion flick high into the middle of the net after 48 to put Netherlands ahead 4-1.

Bram Lomans converted a penalty stroke for Netherlands in the 52nd minute and Matthew Wells drove in Australia’s third penalty corner two minutes later to take the score to 5-2.

Australia scored through Dean Butler in the 65th minute but, as the clock ticked down, the Netherlands held possession to win 5-3.

With Australia having seven more shots on goal than their opponents, coach Barry Dancer believes there is still work to be done by his team which must now win their three remaining matches to make the final.

“That we had more chances on goal is encouraging but our finishing was too poor to win the match,” Dancer said.

“The clinical finishing of the Dutch was the difference between the two teams today.”

Nathan Eglington in his first major tournament for Australia’s senior team enjoyed the chance to play against Teun de Nooijer.

In the last match, India bounced back from 2-1 down to edge past Germany 3-2 with Gagan Singh scoring the winner.

Sperling scored the opening goals for the Aussies in the 25th minute. Gagan equalised in the 42nd minute.

Sahmel again put Australia ahead with a 46th-minute strike, but Prabhjot Singh’s 61st minute raid put the game on an even keel. Gagan finished off after he found the target two minute before time.

Monday’s fixture (time PST)

Germany v Argentina 7.30pm. —AFP