KARACHI, 11 May 2007 — Experienced goalkeeper Salman Akbar saved the day for Pakistan with a superb showing in a penalty shootout, guiding his team to a face-saving win over their Asian Games nemesis China in a classification match of the 16th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia, yesterday.
Akbar was almost impenetrable in front of the goal post in the shoot-out as the Chinese strikers were unable to score on three of their four attempts while Pakistan converted three strokes in a row to win the match.
They now meet South American champions Argentina in the playoff for the fifth position. Argentina blanked Canada 3-0 in another classification match.
Pakistan squandered a 2-0 half-time lead as their porous defense allowed China to make a comeback and force the match into extra-time with the help of two field goals.
Short corner specialist Muhammad Imran scored both the goals for Pakistan in the 10th and 29th minutes but China did well to level scores in the second half. An unmarked Song Yi reduced the deficit in the 54th minute from close range while the equalizer came from Liu Xian Tang nine minutes later.
Although they were not particularly impressive, Pakistan managed to avenge their embarrassing defeat against China in the semifinals of last December’s Asian Games in Doha. In that event, Pakistan were counted among the fancied teams as compared to China’s status as one of the underdogs.
Unlike Doha where Pakistan became a victim of over-confidence, the Greenshirts never took China lightly in the classification match. They went on the attack right from the word go and drew first blood in the 10th minute when a high drag flick from Imran beat the Chinese defenders.
It took another short corner strike from the young defender for Pakistan to double the lead six minutes before halftime.
China regrouped in the second session and after bringing Pakistan under pressure with some lightning moves managed to make it 1-2 through Yi. Pakistan’s poor protection in the deep allowed another goal when an unmarked Tang connected a pass to make it 2-2.
A penalty shootout was finally needed to break the deadlock as neither team was able to add to the 2-2 score-line. It was the time when Pakistan needed Salman Akbar to show his worth and the Lahore-based player did not disappoint his teammates.
Earlier, Argentina breezed past lowly Canada with goals coming from Agustin Esteban, Juan Ignacio and Pedro Ibarra. Canada, who finished on the fourth place in Group B, are yet to score a goal in the tournament.
