Women’s Hockey World Cup | Argentina breaks Dutch hearts in a shootout

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Argentina scored a late equaliser and went on to prevail in penalties. | Photo Credit: AFP

On a chilly summer evening at the Wagener Stadion, Argentina’s women had their own Maracanazo moment. Netherlands does not lose often. In the last 13 years, it has lost just one game a year while lifting three successive World Cups.

On Saturday, too, Netherlands was on the verge of winning before Argentina struck late to hold it to a 1-1 draw. The Argentines went on to dethrone the Dutch in a penalty shootout.

After Cristina Cosentino saved two Netherlands penalties, Sofia Cairo made it 3-1 when she put the ball in the net and sparked celebrations in the Argentina camp.

It was doubly sweet for the South American nation as it avenged its 2022 final loss while also silencing a partisan home crowd at one of the cathedrals of the sport.

In a highly anticipated rematch, both teams struggled to impose themselves in open play as they looked overawed by the occasion. It was left to the talismanic dragflickers to have their say in penalty corners.

It needed 30 minutes for the first one to arrive. Yibbi Jansen didn’t even need a sighter and the tournament’s top-scorer sounded the boards to hoist the lead for the host.

In response, Argentina’s penalty corner set-up squandered four chances in the third quarter.

But, the South Americans continued to push on through Cairo, whose snaking runs into the circle troubled the home side’s defence and earned many penalty corners.

With seven minutes to go, Argentina opted for a variation. Agustina Gorzelany fired her dragpush into the path of a teammate, who deflected the ball to an unmarked Maria Granatto for the equaliser.

In the third-place play-off, co-host Belgium beat Australia 1-0 through a goal from Charlotte Engelbert.

The result (final): Netherlands 1 (Yibbi Jansen 30-pc) drew with Argentina 1 (Maria Granatto 53-pc). Argentina won 3-1 on penalties.

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