Moqi (Hulunbuir): In a closely fought match, Japan beat Malaysia 4-2 in a thrilling shootout after they held them to a 4-4 draw in regulation time to finish 5th in the Hero Asian Champions Trophy at the scenic Moqi Hockey Training Base on Monday.
Japan goalkeeper Takumi Kitagawa was outstanding in the goalpost to ensure his team ended their campaign in the prestigious event on a winning note.
Goals were scored by Kazumasa Matsumoto (3′, 37′), Yuki Chiba (24′) and Seren Tanaka (59′) for Japan in regulation time, while Kosei Kawabe, Matsumoto, Tanaka, and Tsubasa Tanaka scored in the shootout.
For Malaysia, Akhimullah Anuar (5′), Faizal Saari (21′, 32′) and Fitri Saari (47′) scored for Malaysia in regulation time while Faizal and Norsyafiq Sumantri scored in the shootout.
The match was evenly played between both teams. In the first quarter, Japan dominated the ball possession and created three potential shots on goal. The early attack paved way for a field goal by Matsumoto in the 3rd minute. However, they couldn’t hold on to the 1-0 lead as Anuar equalised only two minutes later when Malaysia created a PC. They successfully increased the lead to 2-1 in the following quarter when experienced dragflicker Faizal Saari scored in the 21st minute.
The match went on to remain exciting as Japan caught the Malaysian defence completely off guard when Yuki Chiba of Japan netted a field goal in the 24th minute, taking the score to a 2-2 stalemate.
After the ten-minute half-time break, Malaysia returned with vengeance to stay in the lead. A tactical attack in the 32nd minute led to a penalty corner, which was brilliantly converted by Saari, making it his second in the game.
The 3-2 lead put Malaysia in good stead. But five minutes later, Matsumoto struck a splendid field goal equalising yet again.
The contest went into the final quarter, where both teams scored a goal each, taking the match into a shootout. It was Fitri Saari who helped Malaysia regain the lead, making it 4-3 with his field goal but their defenders could not hold on to the lead, with Seren Tanaka striking a fine field goal in the 59th minute, taking the match into a shootout.
Hero of the Match, Kitagawa of Japan said, “We are happy to end our campaign on a winning note. We never gave up till the end and wanted to win this game, giving it our all.”
–IANS
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