Where’s the killer instinct?
Disparity in standard among players also a cause of failure
PETALING JAYA: The lack of killer instinct and a disparity in standard among the players can be seen as two of the causes for the Malaysian hockey team’s failure at the Olympic qualifiers in Dublin.
The team failed to make the final after three wins, one draw and one defeat.
But team manager George Koshy insisted that Malaysia could have made the final had they ironed out a few rough spots.
“In the two crucial matches against South Korea and Ireland, we were leading and had many chances to finish off the game. But the players failed to score when it mattered,” said George in a telephone interview.
“This makes the difference when it comes to winning and losing. I can’t say that the players lack experience as they’ve had the exposure of playing a lot of matches.
“Since December 2010, the team have played around 40 international matches.”
George added the quality of the reserves did not match that of the senior players.
“There is a disparity in standard among the players. It would be ideal if we had 18 players of the same standard. That way, it would be easier for the team to function as a unit.”
In Dublin, Malaysia started their campaign with three straight wins over Chile (5-1), Russia (6-2) and Ukraine (5-2).
They then lost to South Korea (2-3) before drawing the final group match 1-1 with Ireland.
Against the Irish, Malaysia held the lead until the 60th minute when they gave away a penalty corner which the hosts capitalised on to equalise.
George said nobody should be blamed for the failure in Dublin.
“Any decision on the team’s future will only be made when we return home.
“The players have to do some soul-searching and any changes to the management will be decided by the association.”
Meanwhile, Malaysian ended their campaign in Dublin by thrashing Russia 6-1 in the playoff for third place yesterday.
Mohamed Razie Rahim scored a brace in the 16th and 32nd minutes with Azlan Misron (12th), Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (46th), Hafififiz Hanafi (65th) and Faisal Saari (68th) also on target.
The Russians replied through Nikolay Kamarov in the 62nd.
Ukraine finished fifth with a 2-1 win over Chile.