Harpal Singh Bedi /Bhubaneswar
Playing an all out attacking game, Olympic Champion Argentina overran New Zealand 3-0 to virtually book their place in the quarter finals from Pool A, in the 14th Hockey World Cup at Kalinga Studio Bhubaneswar on Monday.
This was Los Leones’s second straight win having defeated Spain 4-3 in their opener.
In a free-flowing match, Argentina attacked more often and kept New Zealand defenders very busy. The Latin Americans should have taken a lead early -a penalty corner in 4th minute and a minute later an attempt by striker Joaquin Menini were foiled by goal keeper Richard Joyce.
Interestingly the intensity shown by the World number 2 teams betrays the fact that it is the oldest team (average age 29.8 ) in the tournament. Their quicksilver approach in the field keeps their rivals on tenterhooks.
Kiwis were hard pressed from the very start and were unable to put their plans in action. They found Los Leones tough to handle and were mostly confined to their half unable to shake off the strangle hold of the rivals.
Richard Joyce was again the limelight in the 17th minute when cleared Lucas Vila’s attempt from inside the circle. And against the run of play, Kiwis earned a penalty corner but Juan Vivaldi under the goal cleared it.
The relentless attack by the Los Leones finally paid off as Kiwis defence collapsed in the 23 minute when Agustin Mazzilli moving from right cut through couple of defenders to slot home goal (1-0).
The goal was followed by two more penalty corners, but drag flicker Gonzalo Peillat who was the top goal scorer in the last World Cup and Olympic Games, could not put it across Richard Joyce.
There was no let up in the pressure from the Latin Americans in the second half and the Kiwis defenders had hard time to protect their citadel. Though they tried few counter moves but they never looked threatening.
Argentina, coached by German Orozco, a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, were not willing to conceded any quarter to their rivals and in the 41th minute scored their second goal when Lucas Vila snatched a ball from Kiwi captain Blair Tarrant in the circle and send it into the cave (2-0).
Five minutes before the final whistle, Argentina earned their fourth penalty corner and following a goal mouth melee Lucas Martinez found the target (3-0) to seal the match in his team’s favour.
HSB