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| June 6, 2005 | Monday | Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1426 |
Aussies keep crown with golden goal
KUALA LUMPUR, June 5: Craig Victory scored a golden goal 11 minutes into extra-time to give Australia a thrilling 4-3 triumph over South Korea in the final of the 14th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Sunday. Victory turned in Grant Schubert’s cross from the right to complete an amazing comeback for the Olympic champions, who fought back from 3-1 down to claim their second successive title.
The Aussies beat second-half kings Korea at their own game, showing more finesse and determination in the final quarter to overturn a two-goal deficit and force extra time.
For Korean coach Cho Sung-jun, reaching the final itself was a major achievement. His team only earned a place in the title match after tournament favourites Pakistan lost to Malaysia 1-0 in their final group game on Friday.
After Michael McCann gave Australia a ninth-minute lead with a field goal, the slick Koreans took control and turned the match with two quick goals just before the interval.
First, Lee Nam-yong converted a penalty corner in the 30th minute and soon afterwards, Seo Jong-ho scored from close range to make it 2-1 to Korea.
Striker Jang Jong-hyun scored Korea’s third three minutes into the second half with a penalty corner.
Australia looked out of contention, easily losing possession and allowing the Korean players to pass and run at will.
But giant defender Luke Doerner brought the Kookaburras back to life with 17 minutes left when he slammed home a penalty corner.
McCann tied it nine minutes later with a deft deflection off Jamie Dwyer’s shot from the top of the circle.
Australia finished strongly, despite having Liam De Young yellow-carded in the 66th minute, and forced Korean goalkeeper and man of the match Ko Dong-sik into two excellent saves in the dying moments.
The Aussies continued to dominate in extra-time, missing a number of chances. Although it was still 3-3 after the first period of seven and a half minutes, Victory spared them the ordeal of a penalty shootout with his 81st-minute winner.
Earlier, Pakistan defeated New Zealand 4-2 to secure third place.
It was scant consolation for the Pakistanis, who threw away their chance of reaching the final when they were beaten 1-0 by hosts Malaysia in league play on Friday.
Pakistan had been the most impressive side in the seven-team event but their shock loss on Friday relegated them to the third/fourth-place play-off and allowed South Korea to sneak into the final against defending champions Australia.
Rehan Butt and Adnan Zakir put Pakistan 2-0 ahead after only 19 minutes but New Zealand fought back with a penalty stroke from Dean Couzins and a short corner from Richard Petherick.
Pakistan lifted a gear in the second half with goals from Mudassar Ali Khan and Butt sealing victory.
In other play on Sunday India gained a measure of revenge against Malaysia when they beat the hosts 2-1 in extra-time to finish fifth.
India were thrashed 4-1 by Malaysia during the round-robin stages of the competition last week but were given a chance to redeem themselves in the play-off for fifth and sixth place.
However, they needed a field goal from Prabhjot Singh seven minutes into extra-time for the victory after the two sides completed 70 minutes locked at 1-1.
Malaysia, who finished fifth in league play, one place ahead of India, took an early lead when Hairul Nizam Abdul Rani scored with a field goal.
India’s short corner specialist Len Aiyappa equalised for his country 17 minutes later from the set piece.
Neither side were able to score in the second half and tempers frayed late in the game, resulting in red cards for Malaysia’s Jiwa Mohan and India’s Deepak Thakur.—AFP
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