Malaysia Beat Pakistan 3-2 in a Late Johor Thriller, Japan End China’s Run 4-1

Pakistan led Malaysia with five minutes left. They lost

That’s the story of Day 4, really.

Pakistan were 2-1 up in Johor on Wednesday night, Adeel had scored twice, and the final was sitting right there. Then Malaysia scored in the 55th and again in the 57th and took it 3-2. Hosts top on nine points, already in Saturday’s final. Pakistan still second, but now Friday does all the work.

Earlier, Japan did the professional job on China, 4-1, all four goals from penalty corners. China’s group stage is done. Four games, no points, out.

Two very different wins. One loud, one clinical. Both matter. (Full tournament background is in our Johor Cup guide.)

China 1-4 Japan: three corners, six minutes, game over

For 50 minutes this was tight, and then it wasn’t.

Japan led 1-0 at half-time, Shogo Sasaki converting a penalty corner in the 27th minute. China hung in. They’ve hung in a lot this week, actually. They just never stay in.

Then the corners started landing.

Sasaki again in the 50th, from a corner. Haruki Sasaki from a corner in the 52nd, 3-0. Li Kai pulled one back for China in the 54th, a field goal, and for about a minute it felt like a contest again. Sasaki killed that in the 55th, another corner, his third of the day.

A penalty-corner hat-trick. That’s not luck, that’s a battery working exactly when Japan needed it. Our standalone report on this one is here.

China finish on zero. Played four, lost four, scored six, conceded 18. Harsh on paper, and the paper doesn’t lie, but they’ll remember leading Pakistan 3-1 on day one for a while. Moments don’t give you points though. Japan knew that. China learned it.

Japan move to six points, level with Pakistan, and level on goal difference too, +8 each. Friday against Pakistan is now a straight shootout for the final. More on that below, because the draw maths matters.

China scorer: Li Kai 54′
Japan scorers: Shogo Sasaki 27′ (PC), 50′ (PC), 55′ (PC), Haruki Sasaki 52′ (PC)

Pakistan 2-3 Malaysia: Adeel did his job, then it slipped in two minutes

This one will sting.

Naaveenesh Panicker put Malaysia ahead in the 21st minute, a field goal, and Taman Daya was up. Pakistan’s answer came from Adeel, and it was good. Field goal in the 36th to level it, field goal in the 43rd to put Pakistan 2-1 in front. Captain Muhammad Ammad’s side had the game where they wanted it.

Then it got messy.

Rana Waleed was shown a red card in the 51st minute on the TMS sheet. Pakistan were a man down for the run-in, and Malaysia smelt it. Salihe Muhammad levelled at 2-2 in the 55th, another field goal. Panicker won it in the 57th, his second of the night, also from open play.

All five goals in this game were field goals. No corners, no strokes. Just two teams going at each other and Malaysia finishing stronger, at home, when it counted. The full live match report tells the story as it happened.

For our money, Pakistan didn’t lose this on effort. They lost it on the last five minutes, again the bit of the game this young side still has to learn. You can score 16 goals in three games, and Pakistan have, and still leave Johor thinking about two minutes.

Malaysia don’t care about any of that. Three wins from three, 10 goals scored, and they’re in the final whatever happens on Friday. That’s a proper home tournament so far.

Pakistan scorers: Adeel 36′, 43′
Malaysia scorers: Naaveenesh Panicker 21′, 57′, Salihe Muhammad 55′

The table with one round left

Malaysia are top and through to the final: played 3, won 3, goals 10 for and 4 against, goal difference +6, 9 points.

Pakistan are second: played 3, won 2, lost 1, goals 16 for and 8 against, goal difference +8, 6 points.

Japan are third, also on 6 points from three games, won 2 and lost 1, goals 14 for and 6 against, goal difference +8. Same points as Pakistan, same goal difference, behind on goals scored, 16 to 14. Keep that number in mind for Friday.

Canada are fourth on 3 points from three games, goal difference -10, and already sure of the bronze-medal game, because China are fifth and finished: 0 points from four games, goal difference -12, and no game left to play.

So it’s simple at the top and done at the bottom. Malaysia wait. Everybody else is playing for one final place and the bronze game.

Friday is a final before the final

Japan v Pakistan, Friday 23 October, 2:05 pm PKT. Winner goes to the final. That’s the clean bit.

Here’s the bit fans need to know if it’s a draw: a draw is enough for Pakistan. Both sides would finish on 7 points, two wins each, and the goal difference wouldn’t move — it stays +8 each. Next in the tiebreak is goals scored, and Pakistan lead that 16 to 14. A drawn game adds the same to both, so Japan can’t close it. Japan must win. Pakistan don’t have to.

That changes how both coaches set up, whether they admit it or not. Japan have the tighter defence, six conceded to Pakistan’s eight, and a corner man in ridiculous form. Pakistan have the bigger attack and don’t need to chase. Hard to look past a tense one.

Malaysia v Canada, Friday 23 October, 4:35 pm PKT. Malaysia are already in Saturday’s final, so this is about rhythm and not picking up injuries or cards. Canada are locked into fourth and the bronze game, but nobody wants to go into a medal match off a hiding, especially not against hosts who haven’t stopped running yet.

Saturday then sorts itself out: 3rd v 4th at 2:05 pm PKT, final at 5:05 pm PKT. Malaysia will be in that final. Friday lunchtime decides who joins them. Broadcast details are in our Where to Watch guide, and every score lands in the Live Centre — yesterday’s action is in the Day 3 round-up.

Day 4 belonged to the hosts, again. Friday decides if Pakistan can take it back.