The newest section of the FIH Hockey Professional League kicked off at present in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. The hosts cut up their success between the lads’s and ladies’s groups.
The ladies’s facet featured a rematch of the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games quarterfinal between Argentina and Germany. The result was the identical, with Argentina taking the victory in shootouts.
It was a much less lucky final result for the Argentina males’s facet, who fell to England, 3-1.
(Girls’s) Argentina 2 (3) – 2 (2) Germany
Going through off for the primary time since their quarterfinal conflict within the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games, Argentina and Germany discovered themselves in one more tightly contested match. Either side featured a mix of latest Olympians and a sum of athletes making their worldwide debut.
The primary shot on track got here from Argentina, because the try from Zoe Diaz pressured Germany’s Nathalie Kubalski to make a save simply 3 minutes in. Not lengthy after, an errant move from an Argentina backline underneath strain was intercepted by Germany’s Aina Kresken, who took a backhand shot that was saved by Cristina Cosentino.
Some new additions to the Argentina squad put in work at minute 8. Making her debut, Lourdes Pisthon dribbled via site visitors to ship the ball to María Larsen, who completed on the reverse to earn her first objective on her first cap.
Germany continued to seek out themselves unable to execute passes across the backfield, as a excessive press from Argentina’s attacking line pressured modifications in decision-making. A interval of back-and-forth play was adopted by a burst of Argentina power. Catalina Andrade made her presence recognized with an attractive transfer that freed up house to ship a move into the circle, however Julieta Jankunas simply missed out.
As momentum constructed for Las Leonas, a unfastened ball off the stick of a Germany defender was picked up by Jankunas and despatched shortly to Agustina Granatto, whose shot was saved by Kubalski. Argentina nonetheless earned a penalty nook on the play – their first of the match – because the preliminary strike from Valentina Raposo was saved. Argentina completed off the half with a 9-1 shot benefit and a 1-0 lead.
Two minutes into the third quarter, Germany earned their first penalty nook, and the drag flick from Stine Kurz sailed simply huge of the cage. A ball up the middle led to a second penalty nook likelihood for Germany at minute 34. A diving play by the Argentina flyer gave Las Leonas a break up the sphere, as Diaz despatched the ball to a large open Granatto, who settled for a penalty nook. Agustina Gorzalany’s drag flick was blocked, as was one other penalty nook likelihood only a minute later.
Germany bought on the board in minute 37 after a success in from Charlotte Gerstenhöfer discovered Lynn Krings on the left publish. The play retained a fast-paced cadence via the tip of the third quarter, and didn’t decelerate as each groups strived to keep away from shootouts within the remaining body. It was Argentina with the subsequent objective – Eugenia Trinchinetti despatched the ball to Jancounas, who smashed in a one-time to the highest of the web. In thrilling vogue, Germany discovered the equalizer with two minutes left to play. An extended ball into the circle discovered its option to Sara Strauss, whose slap shot despatched the ball into the highest proper nook.
Tied at 2-2, the match headed to shootouts. Argentina was to assault first, as Diaz hit the publish and Germany’s Lilly Stoffelsma missed as effectively. Jankunas put away her try for Argentina, whereas Germany’s Sophia Schwabe made it 1-1. Sofia Cairo put Germany’s goalkeeper on her heels whereas Strauss used a cheeky backhand raise to make it 2-2 after three rounds. Argentina’s Pisthon and Germany’s Weidemann had been each denied to maintain it 2-2 after 4.
Argentina captain Agostina Alonso put the workforce on her again with a objective, as Las Leonas claimed victory when Germany skipper Lisa Nolte’s objective was known as again upon overview.
The Participant of the Match was awarded to Julieta Jankunas of Argentina who mentioned: “I’m completely happy as a result of the workforce… it’s a very good match. Extra necessary is they begin and end the match as a result of the workforce by no means stops. I believe it’s crucial.”
(Males’s) Argentina 1 – 3 England
Argentina got here collectively once more for the primary time since Paris, dealing with a talented England facet, whose workforce additionally featured a considerable amount of returning Olympians (Nice Britain).
England kicked off the match with the ball, however an early interception gave Argentina possession for the primary couple of minutes. The primary contact for England goalkeeper James Mazarelo got here within the sixth minute, as a block on Tomas Domene’s cross ball. Again in Argentina’s defensive finish in that very same minute, England used a video referral to earn the opening penalty nook. The prospect was missed after a botched reception on the prime of the circle.
After few probabilities materialized for either side, possession finally fell in favor of England. Will Calnan labored to earn a penalty nook likelihood for England within the remaining two minutes, and on a retake, Stuart Rushmere positioned a drag flick into the underside left facet of the cage. The objective gave England a 1-0 lead over the hosts.
The second quarter noticed extra of England’s excessive press, forcing Argentina turnovers. Because the power on the pitch elevated, so did the probabilities – at minute 28 England’s Jack Waller despatched in a shot that was turned away by Nehuen Hernando. England discovered one other penalty nook in that twenty eighth minute the place a drag flick from Samuel Hooper was denied.
Endurance from the Argentina facet within the second half paid off with probabilities up inside their attacking 25, together with a scramble in entrance of the cage that needed to be cleared out by England’s Timothy Nurse. Greater than midway via the third body, Los Leones struggled to seek out an equalizer towards the robust England protection. It grew to become a good larger problem for Argentina when Sam Ward put away a second objective for England off a penalty nook in forty first minute.
Lastly, in minute 48, Argentina broke via. On a virtually unattainable angle, Felipe Merlini bought a contact on a crossed ball from Lucas Martinez, sending it excessive into the cage. Now again to a single objective poor, Argentina had 12 minutes to seek out the tying objective.
England discovered themselves with the prospect to only about put away the sport with a penalty nook at minute 54. The prospect regarded squandered with a mistrap on the prime, however the play developed into an opportunity for Ward to win again the ball and smash a reverse chip over the pinnacle of Hernando. England would win the match 3-1.
England’s Stuart Rushmere was named the Participant of the Match and mentioned: “I believe it was an unbelievable workforce efficiency at present, everybody performed unbelievably effectively and we left every little thing on the market. Superior to begin with a win.”
Present Hero Prime Scorers:
Girls – Charlotte Englebert (BEL) and Vanessa Blockmans (BEL) (3 objectives)
Males – Tom Boon (BEL) (8 objectives)
To see the present standings within the FIH Hockey Professional League, click on right here.
FIH Hockey Professional League – 10 December 2024
Santiago del Estero Hockey Membership, Santiago del Estero (ARG)
WOMEN
Outcome Match 7 (W): Argentina 2 (3) – 2 (2) Germany
Participant of the match: Julieta Jankunas (ARG)
Umpires: Victoria Pazos (PAR), Pauline Cuypers (BEL), Jonathan Altamirano (MEX)(video)
MEN
Outcome Match 7 (M): Argentina 1 – 3 England
Participant of the match: Stuart Rushmere (ENG)
Umpires: Sean Rapaport (RSA), Tyler Klenk (CAN), Benjamin Peters (USA) (video)
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