Hockey: Singapore outclassed at Sengkang Stadium

SINGAPORE — There was little to suggest that Singapore was going to create an upset over Malaysia when the sides met tonight (Jan 20) in a hockey World League Round 2 match at the Sengkang Stadium.

When the final hooter went, the scoreline read 16-1 to the visitors, with Malaysia’s top hitman Faisal Shaari scoring six goals.

The result was an accurate reflection of a match which the hosts never stood a chance from the very first whistle.

It was Singapore’s third consecutive defeat in Pool A — they earlier lost 3-2 to Oman, then 2-1 to Ukraine — and has left them at the bottom of the table. That means Singapore will play Pool B winner, Poland, in tomorrow’s crossover knock-out quarterfinals.

Defeat would effectively end Singapore’s hopes of making the 2016 Olympics at Rio de Janeiro, with places to be decided in the next round of the World League to be played in Argentina and Belgium in June.

Malaysia, who top Pool A and face Pool B wooden spoonists Mexico in the quarter-finals, had expected Singapore to put up a tougher fight.

“We thought Singapore would give it their all. But they took a different approach; opened up the game and gave us so much space. Sixteen goals is a bit too much,” said the Malaysian team manager Nur Azmi Ahmad.

Singapore coach Solomon Casojee was adamant that his side had no choice but to try and take the game to the Malaysians.

“We conceded too many soft goals. We will have to learn to deal with it and move on to the next job,” he said.

Other results:

Pool A: Oman 2 Ukraine 1

Pool B: Japan 6 Mexico 0; Poland 5 Bangladesh 0