Pakistan v Malaysia in Johor: Top of the Table, Hosts in the Way

Fourteen goals in two games. That’s Pakistan’s start in Johor, and Wednesday night is where it gets serious.

Pakistan v Malaysia. Wednesday 21 October, 4:35 pm PKT, Taman Daya Hockey Stadium. First against the hosts, in their own stadium, with a final place effectively on the line. This is the game the whole round robin has been building towards.

Pakistan’s attack is doing the talking

The numbers first, because they’re loud. Pakistan beat China 8-3 on day one after being 3-1 down after 25 minutes, then beat Canada 6-2 on day two, 3-1 up at half-time and pulling away late. Six points, goal difference plus nine, top of the table.

The goals are spread around, too. Asam Haider has scored in both games, Hamza Fayyaz opened the scoring against Canada from a penalty corner, and Rana Waleed, Adeel, Muhammad Farooq and the rest have all chipped in. When a junior side scores 14 in two matches, it’s not one hot stick. It’s a system working.

There’s a warning buried in day one, though. China led 3-1 after 25 minutes. Pakistan’s starts haven’t been clean, and Malaysia at home, with that crowd, are exactly the side to punish another slow first quarter.

Malaysia know they can’t coast into this one

Malaysia’s week is tighter. They’ve played once, a 3-0 win over China on Sunday built on Nabil Yusof’s two penalty-corner goals, and head coach Nor Saiful Zaini spent the press talk afterwards complaining about missed chances and saying his team have to beat Japan on Tuesday to keep their final hopes alive.

Whatever happens in that Japan game lands straight in Pakistan’s lap. A Malaysia side that beats Japan arrives on Wednesday level on points and full of it. A Malaysia side that loses arrives knowing Wednesday is win-or-bust. Either way, Pakistan get the loudest version of Taman Daya.

Before this tournament, Pakistan’s camp rated the hosts as the main threat to a first Johor title, and the recent history backs that up: at the Junior Asia Cup in China, Pakistan beat Malaysia 5-2 in the group and 4-2 in the bronze match. Two wins, yes. Comfortable, no. And those games weren’t played in front of a Johor crowd.

What Wednesday settles

Five teams, top two play the final on Saturday 24 October. Win this and Pakistan are, realistically, in that final with a game to spare, because Japan on Friday would then be about seeding, not survival. Lose it, and Friday against a Japan side that scored eight on day one becomes a must-not-lose with the table jammed behind them.

For our money, Pakistan are favourites on form and firepower, and it isn’t blind loyalty saying it, it’s 14 goals in two games. But favourites don’t get the crowd quiet for free. Score first, early, and Pakistan take the sting out of the night. Concede first again, like day one, and this becomes the hardest game of their week.

Wednesday at the Johor Cup: Pakistan v Malaysia, 4:35 pm PKT, Taman Daya Hockey Stadium, Johor Bahru. Pakistan’s last round-robin game is Friday 23 October against Japan, 2:05 pm PKT. In Malaysia the tournament is on Sukan RTM (Sukan+) and RTMKlik; no international stream has been announced.

The build-up from both camps: Malaysia’s coach warns his players and Pakistan’s coach on why Malaysia and Japan are the tough ones. Follow the match itself in our LIVE coverage.