SO the worst fears did come true again. Unfortunately so, but realistically speaking Pakistan had little chance of playing beyond the pool round once they had lost that match against Argentina. That they will have tough, unpredictable matches against Spain, Holland and Germany was always on the cards. The key to qualification was to win every other match and try to score as many goals as possible against the minor teams, and then to beat one of the tough three and play at least a draw against one other with a built-in cushion for one defeat either against Germany or Holland.
As it happened, Pakistan failed against Argentina, and that literally took that planned cushion from right under their feet, putting pressure on them to go all out against Holland and Germany to compensate for their unplanned loss. This, however, takes nothing away from the Argentineans, who, over the years, have gained the reputation of being giant-killers on their day. Call them spoilers or whatever, but in most international tournaments they spring a surprise every now and then. And, to their credit, they ended up in the pool rankings ahead of Pakistan and Spain, and have a positive chance of finishing among the top six teams in the final rankings here in the World Cup.
Before moving on, I will once again have to mention that by the time these lines appear in print, you will have known the final rankings, including the World Champion, as I am writing these lines on March 6 the editorial deadline for this column which is the rest day here in Kuala Lumpur before the semi-finals and other ranking matches.
To the credit of Pakistan team and its management, the boys played their best hockey in the last three matches, which were the toughest in the pool, and had their chances alive till the very last. The victory against Spain was a thoroughly deserving one. But even the losses against giants like Holland and Germany were not as onesided an affair as it has generally been in the recent past.
The team had its chances against both its rivals, but failed to capitalize on them. The defence, for once, was also not as listless as it generally is, and the team as a whole played with purpose, and was not disgraced at all. Umpiring may also have been a factor, and, in fact, the Pakistan management did lodge a protest with the technical committee in this regard. I think I will better allow the heat of the moment to die down before talking about it any further.
While the national outfit did struggle in its matches, the Veterans circuit which was the side show to the actual tournament was comprehensively overshadowed by the Pakistan Seniors, who clinched it for the second time in as many attempts. This is no compensation, I know, for the national teams loss, but at least the Pakistanis will not be returning empty-handed. Well done, Seniors!
SO the worst fears did come true again. Unfortunately so, but realistically speaking Pakistan had little chance of playing beyond the pool round once they had lost that match against Argentina. That they will have tough, unpredictable matches against Spain, Holland and Germany was always on the cards. The key to qualification was to win every other match and try to score as many goals as possible against the minor teams, and then to beat one of the tough three and play at least a draw against one other with a built-in cushion for one defeat either against Germany or Holland.
