FIH pro league hockey India lose 1-3-to Argentina-in-shoot-out

With the help of this win, Argentina was able to secure a bonus point and climb to the fourth position of the table with 11 points from five games. India, on the other hand, continues to maintain the second spot with 13 points from seven games.

Argentina’s goals came by the sticks of Nicolas Acosta at 45th minute and Nicolas Keenan at 52nd minute while India’s goalscorers were Gurjant Singh and Mandeep Singh at 38th minute and 60th minute respectively.

In the briskly paced match, both the teams failed to score during the first quarter. India had two good openings in the first quarter created by Harmanpreet Singh but the strikers failed to score.The first penalty corner was secured by Argentina but they wasted the chance as India was put under pressure towards the end of the first quarter. The Indian squad kept on pushing and secured three penalty corner's but the goals were not able to score due to Los Leonas efficient defending. In the first two quarters, the pressure on the field was primarily on India.

India built up the pressure after the change of ends and was eventually able to break the stalemate with a key assist made by Jugraj which Harmanpreet knocked into the goal at the 39th minute. At the end of the third quarter, Argentina was able to tie the score after a shot by Acosta got deviated by an Indian defender and went past Pathak into the goal.

Eight minutes from the final bell, India handed away a penalty corner from the Indian foot side. Niclas Keena took the chance and was able to score to hand a 2-1 lead to Argentina. Just two minutes later, India’s Gurjant Singh came close to scoring his second goal of the day but missed the shot as it went toward the left side of the goalpost. Once again, conceding late goals ruined India’s luck.

The match went to a shoot-out after both the teams were tied 2-2 at the end of regulation time. It was a terrible performance by the Tokyo Olympic bronze medal winners during the shoot out as only Harmanpreet Singh scored. While Keenan, Tomas Domene and Lucas Toscani were able to score for Argentina.

Both the squads will go up against each other again in the return leg on March 20, 2022.