IPOH – Caffeine supplements helped New Zealand overcome the rain to defeat South Korea 4-1, in their fourth match at the ongoing Sultan Azlan Shah Cup yesterday evening.
The match, which was supposed to kick off at 6.15pm, was interrupted by a heavy downpour at the Azlan Shah Stadium after one minute and 15 seconds of play in the first quarter.
The match resumed after a one-hour wait.
George Baker, 21, making his fourth appearance for his country, won the Man of the Match award for his scintillating performance in an otherwise lacklustre match that attracted fewer than 100 people to the stadium.
Baker, who has scored four goals in the tournament to date, said that the caffeine supplements his team took during the delay helped them achieve peak performance against their defensive opponents.
“The weather was quite cold due to the rain, and we were a bit sluggish when we went to the dressing room during the delay.”
“To get our energy up and get ourselves running on the turf, we had to rely on our caffeine supplements to give us the energy throughout the match.
“We are glad that we won this match against a very strong side like South Korea. Playing in tournaments like this will prepare us for greater success in the future,” said Baker during a post-match conference.
At the same time, New Zealand head coach Greg Nicol said that playing in a tropical climate like Malaysia is essential for his young side to adapt to any weather conditions in the years to come.
“I think we put a high priority on adapting to the weather as we prepare for the Paris Olympics, adjusting to whatever comes our way.
“The team responded very well today and played a good first half, though the second half was a bit sluggish.
“It was the right decision by the technical delegate to continue this match despite the long delay, and obviously, we got the right results.
“We hope to carry on this momentum in our next game against Pakistan and guarantee that we will end their unbeaten run,” said Nicol.
The Black Sticks, who won the tournament in 2012 and 2015, grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first half with goals from Baker (4th minute), Jonty Elmes (18th minute), and Jake Smith’s 23rd-minute penalty stroke conversion.
Defender Sim Jaewon gave hope of a South Korean comeback by converting a penalty corner in the 39th minute.
New Zealand then piled the pressure on the Koreans and earned their second penalty corner in the 55th minute, which Isaac Houlbrooke converted to give his side a 4-1 lead.
New Zealand, who play Pakistan in their last pool match on Friday, amassed six points from four matches and are placed fourth in the table standings, four points behind Pakistan (10 points), Japan (7 points), and Malaysia (6), while the Canadians have yet to win a match. – May 9, 2024