ALCALA LA REAL, Spain, 3 August 2004 — Pakistan’s short corner marksman Sohail Abbas gave his team’s campaign for this month’s Olympic Games a shot in the arm by guiding them to an impressive 3-1 win over Spain, a result that helped the greenshirts lift the three-nation Pre-Olympic tournament title here yesterday.
Sohail finished the match with a 100 percent conversion ration as he scored off both the short corners that came Pakistan’s way to give his side an important victory ahead of the Aug. 13-29 spectacle in Athens.
Earlier, Pakistan were held to a 2-2 draw by Argentina in their opening game of the tournament and the win against the hosts catapulted them to the top slot on the points table. Spain, who are bracketed with Pakistan in Pool A of the 12-nation hockey tournament, finished second following their 5-4 win over Argentina. The South American champions took the wooden spoon with only a solitary point to their credit.
Pakistan desperately needed to win the three-nation event after a less than satisfactory performance during a five-week long tour of Europe earlier this summer in which they lost against top Olympic rivals Germany and Holland.
They made a less than ideal start to the tournament in Alcala la Real on Saturday when they were restrained to a 2-2 draw by Argentina.
However, against Spain, Pakistan played with a different strategy and attitude just killing the fast pace of the Spaniards by controlling the game in the midfield. Pakistan took an early lead in the third minute through Sohail who successfully converted a short corner with his trademark drag flick.
Spain’s Edward Tabau Cutal taking full advantage of full-back Zeeshan Ashraf’s mistake in the 10th minute scored the equalizer to the jubilation of the boisterous home crowd at the Alcala la Real Hockey Club. Both teams were tied at 1-1 at the end of the first half.
Pakistan went ahead again in the 50th minute when Sohail produced a perfect flick off his team’s second short corner.
The visitors went into the defensive mode as soon as they took a 2-1 lead holding a highly lethal Spanish attack at bay with a rock solid defense.
Pakistan’s young goalie Salam Akber, later voted as the best goalkeeper of the tournament, made a series of excellent saves in the last 20 minutes of the enthralling encounter.
Pakistan put the last nail in Spain’s coffin when striker Kashif Javed found a gap in the rivals’ defense in the 65th minute to seal the fate of the match in his team’s favor.
Pakistan’s assistant coach Tahir Zaman praised his boys for raising their game when it mattered the most. “The plan made for the match against Spain was executed very well and the mental toughness shown by the boys was excellent.” He termed the 3-1 win as an important result saying that it would give his team an edge against Spain when the two sides meet in Athens later this month.
“We are looking ahead for the Olympics and this win will give my boys the much-needed confidence before the Games.”
Pakistan will now proceed to the Spanish city of Barcelona to rest and recreate for a week before flying off for Athens on Aug. 9. They meet New Zealand in a warm-up match on Aug.11 before playing against world champions Germany in their Olympic Games opener on Aug. 15.
