Canada defeated South Korea 4-3 to conclude their journey in the 31st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in fifth spot at the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium in Ipoh today.
The is the second time in the tournament the Canadians defeated the Koreans after pulling off a sensational 3-2 victory in the round-robin stage.
It was the Koreans 23rd appearance in the tournament and 11th by the Canadians since 1983. Both teams were slow to start but produced countless chances when they found the rhythm.
A brace from Sean Davies (11th, 49th), and Brendan Guraliuk (43rd, 53rd) sealed Canada with a 4-3 victory. The Koreans replied through Yang Jihun’s (18th), and Kim Hyeonhong’s penalty corner conversions in the 58th and 60th minutes.
CANADA: Patrick Tshutshani (Coach)
I thought we started pretty well in terms of circle penetration and creation. We scored some really good counter-goals and penalty-corners goals too. We ran the corners quite well. These opportunities are great for us. We’re playing high-ranked teams. Korea is 15th in the world. It’s about building this group. For us, it’s about the World Cup qualification.
SOUTH KOREA: Taeseok Min (Coach)
It’s a shame. We need to re-arrange the game. We conceded a penalty-corner goal, and it seems like we need to recognise the team. Maybe the team needs to get stronger. I learnt a lot from playing against the world’s top teams. I think I know where to go. I had a lot of good experiences from this tournment.
