HANGZHOU: Despite a 4-3 loss to South Korea yesterday that threw wide open the race for the top spot in Group B, there is a positive aura in the Malaysian men's hockey camp ahead of their crucial clash against China tomorrow.
Coach Arul Selvaraj was as calm as ever, giving the impression that his men will beat Group B toppers China and qualify for the semi-finals.
"We will bounce back and qualify for the semi-finals, and it will be better if we top the group to avoid world No. 3 India in the semis.
"Group B is now open to three teams as South Korea and Malaysia have lost one match each. But Korea will play Oman first before we meet China in the final game of the night, and we will be able to top the group if it comes to goals average."
Malaysia beat China 5-1 at the recent Chennai Asian Champions Trophy, but at home, China had produced a stunning 3-2 win over South Korea.
Razie Rahim said his teammates can't make silly mistakes like what they did in the loss to South Korea.
"We have to win the next game and we will watch the Korea video again to see how we lost and learn from our mistakes.
"The chance (to play in the semi-finals) is still there as long as we cut out silly mistakes and play an almost perfect game against China," he said.