KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia have nothing to fear when they square off against China in Group B at the ongoing FIH Series Finals at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil tomorrow (Sunday).
That confidence is derived from statistics from 2009 onwards, as both teams have met 12 times before, with Malaysia earning 11 wins while China have only tasted victory just once before.
Only one match went to a shoot-out, and Malaysia won that too.
However coach Roelant Oltmans and his men should leave nothing to chance, as China are wounded and would fight ferociously like a wounded tiger.
China were delivered a surprising blow when the lowest ranked team in the tournament, World No 32 Italy, shocked them to the core and beat them 2-1.
China now need to beat Malaysia as well as Brazil to keep their sights firmly on the semi-finals.
“My biggest mistake was that I did not know anything about the Italians as China’s coach, and even with South Korea, I have never played the Italians,” lamented China coach Kim Sang Ryul.
“They came at us from every corner, and I am shocked as well as surprised by their tenacity,” said the South Korean master coach.
But China as well as Sang Ryul are well versed not only with Malaysia but also the strengths and weaknesses of individual players.
“Yes (laughing), I know Malaysia very well, as I have coached China as well as South Korea against Malaysia many times.
“We know each other, and that could turn out to be an advantage or disadvantage,” said Sang Ryul.
In the three recent encounters, Malaysia won 7-1 in the Asia Cup and 5-1 in the World League semifinals.
And in the final of the Asian Cup, the match ended 2-2 and Malaysia won the shoot-out 5-3.
All those three matches were in 2017.
Malaysian coach Roelant Oltmans knows the score all too well.
“China will be coming out strongly to make up for the defeat to Italy, but like I have said many times before, this is not an easy tournament like many were predicting,” stressed Oltmans.
TODAY – GROUP B: Brazil v Italy (6.05pm, Pitch I), China v Malaysia (8.05pm, Pitch I)