Australia edge past Pakistan to lift Azlan Shah Cup for the 6th time: Hockey Recap
Australia lifted the title of the 20th Azlan Shah Cup after it edged past Pakistan via a golden goal in the sudden-death overtime in the finals that took place at the Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium, Ipoh, Malaysia on May 15.
The two teams opened the game quite maturely and cautiously, but Pakistan were looking calmer with the ball possession in the early minutes. The Australian team earned their first short-corner of the game in the seventh minute. However, Christopher Ciriello’s
attack was denied by Pakistan’s Imran Shah.
Despite missing the first effort, the Kookaburras continued the struggle and earned the second short-corner in the 11th minute of the match. Ciriello brilliantly executed the penalty-corner through a powerful drag-flick and drew the first blood
for his team.
After conceding the goal from Australia, the Greenshirts started a more offensive game in search of an equaliser. Muhammad Rizwan almost levelled the score in the 20th minute, when he struck a powerful shot from top of the circle, but it was deflected
by George Bazeley, the custodian of the Kookaburras side.
After missing a short-corner in the 28th minute of the match that was attempted by Sohail Abbas, Pakistan earned their second short-corner in the 31st minute of the game. Sohail Abbas, the world’s highest goal-scorer, converted the
short-corner to tie the knots at one-all. First half of play concluded with both sides at 1-1.
The Greenshirts opened the second period in quite an aggressive way and obtained another short-corner in the 38th minute of the game. However, they failed to make it fruitful, thus enhancing the confidence of Australia.
The period was filled with lot of attacks and counter-attacks, as both teams wanted to get a go-head goal to establish their dominance in the game. Glenn Turner managed to take the ball inside the semi-circle in the 44th minute of the game and
unleashed a low-flying shot at the goal to put Australia ahead on the score-board. After the second goal, the Kookaburras made their defence stiffer in order to block strikes from opponent side.
Shakeel Abbasi made a lengthy run onto the down-field, sending a pass to Muhammad Waqas in the 62nd minute of the match, who failed to get an equaliser. In the meantime, Rehan Butt converted a short-corner and had it all even at two-all. The level
score forced both sides to move into the extra-time that become fruitful for Australia.
Imran Shah denied a couple of penalty-corners executed from Ciriello in the first half of the extra-time. Pakistan also missed a chance in the 79th minute of the game by the hands of Muhammad Imran. However, the Aussies made it in the 83rd minute
of the game and captured the Azlan Shah Cup title for the 6th time.
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